The Other Half

It is not all about the woman: it takes two to make a baby; and baby makes three.

Stand up, man, and take responsibility for your sexual powers. Stop following your penis.

I am not suggesting the use of condoms, nor coitus interruptus, nor oral copulation—nor any other circumvention. If you would not want to be a father of a poor baby, like the ones that I have been talking about, the only coherent and principled answer is to abstain from all genital-sexual expression.

Otherwise, any child will equally be yours; and any abortion, you will equally be a collaborator in. It is not enough to claim that: ‘I will support my woman in any decision that she makes.’ That is just a big cop-out. It is not support at all, but rather, complete indifference and a washing of hands.

Abstinence can be the beginning of men’s respect for women: a vision of woman as complementary to man, and the bearer of new life. What a great dignity she has; and yet, how often is she in need of real support. This is where a new, genuine feminism can start. A feminism that men can sign up to, encouraged by the possibility of a trinity of respect and love; that is, child, woman and man respecting and loving each other.