I was recently in a Mock Trial class, where we were going to work on a fairytale case, just for fun. We list of some fairytales and possible crimes in them. Some of them surprised me. I didn't think there would be so much sexual assault in children's stories. Here are some of the cases:
Sleeping Beauty-Sexual assault

Snow White-Sexual assault
Cinderella-Stalking
The list goes on and on. If she can't or doesn't say no, it is assault.

In Sleeping Beauty, Aurora was asleep, she couldn't say no. In Snow White, she is dead and can't say no. In addition no questions the fact that Prince Phillip kisses a corpse. In Cinderella, the prince is stalking her.

We embrace these stories as good, and wholesome fairytales. What little girl never wants her Prince Charming to come along? I know that I have often wished that Prince Charming would come for me, on his white horse, just like Prince Phillip's white charger.

None of these girls really talked to their princes. Aurora had the most time but even that was a fleeting moment in the movie. Watch the movies for yourself. They really don't know who they are marrying. The chances of their relationship being abusive is so high. The girls are almost forced into this, and after they are married who knows what happens to them. Chances are that the guys cheat on, beat, and abuse the women, who can't defend themselves from their royal husband.

Now these are all cases of the assault from a guy to a girl. And while I want to raise awareness of sexual assault, there is more that needs to be said to be fair to the men.

I know several feminist guys and I know there are even more raising their voice to try to stop it. I do not mean that all guys are like this, or do nothing to end it.

In fact, in our (females) desperate need to be equal to men, we push them down to our level. We tell them to "man up", and to "grow some". We tell them that they are not good enough, because we are trying to be good enough. We often put guys down to reach our goal. Guys have a body image that they need to (and never will) fit, just like us.

We need equality and justice.