Throughout my days of introspectively trying to learn about myself and life I have come to a stark discovery. And the the discovery was that I am a sexist! Laugh as you may but like WWE wrestler Kurt Angle says “It’s true, oh yes, it is true!”

I know what you are thinking. How can a guy that believes and harps about equal opportunity be sexist? I am, though, but it’s like alcoholism: The first step is admitting you have a problem. So, I am working on it.

I first came to the realization I was a sexist in one of my journalism classes last semester. I was sitting in one of my classes taught by Dr. Tracey Owens Patton. She was lecturing our class on feminism and its history.

So, as always, I am sitting their being a good journalist by taking “in-depth” notes. I sat there saying to myself “This is whack, who really cares about this?” I caught myself and realized what I was doing. I was beng prejudiced towards the women’s cause just like people have prejudged the cause of me and other African-Americans in this country.

That was first time I realized that could be and was a sexist. Over the next few months I started to really really really realize how sexist I was. While I was doing my internship I would go out with my female co-workers and see ESPN and be like “Cheerleading is not a real sport. You just stand around and look cute and smile and go Rah Rah Sisboom Bah.” But the whole idea is that cheerleading is a sport and it should be respected just like the feminism movement should be respected.

I had always thought I was pretty respectful toward women. Trying to live by the book of what’s right and wrong and so on.

But after sitting in Dr. Patton’s class I started started realizing how pompous I was for thinking that way. Since that day I have tried to see the different flaws in my regimen of being so non-sexist and free for equal opportunity.

The biggest beef I have come to terms with in accordance to my “sexist discovery” is how much I can excuse from men that I wouldn’t excuse from women. For example, I can sit back and give one of they boys props for sleeping with two best friends and yet at the same time I would turn around and condemn women for sleeping with two best friends.

The main reason I wanted to be more conscious of my “sexist tendencies” and try to change them was because of the respect I have for the women in my family. They are some of the most influential people in my life, so how would it look for the kid to be just shuckin’ and jivin’ on the women’s cause.

I constantly battle with the “dark side” over my inner peace and soul. And know if I am going to struggle for racial equality I also have to put up my flag for women’s equality because all equality goes hand in hand. You can’t fight for or just speak about certain injustices if there is injustice going on in every avenue.

Yes, there is a thin line between the double standards between men and women but why can’t we make the line thinner and thinner until it doesn’t exist anymore?

The truth is society will probably not let women get to a totally equal point with men, just as much as having every racial group being totally equal.

I probably will lose some “playa points” for even writing this piece but it was something I had on my mind. These thoughts and ideas can be nothing but real as they are intimately from my heart and mind. I have challenged myself to change my judgements and views of women. I am not a perfect man but I am glad my audience understands my plight to be non-sexist.

Darryl

Frierson

is a senior in journalism and mass communication and history from St. Louis, Mo.