Mike Dawson Ponders Raising a Daughter

Mike Dawson comic panel

Mike Dawson (Freddie & Me, Troop 142, Angie Bongiolatti) has posted a thought-provoking comic about raising a daughter.

The strip takes off from this shirt about being a “feminist father”.

Mike Dawson comic panel

Dawson continues to ponder what it means to fill that role, given certain standard jokes and expectations. Much as I dislike the attitude that too many men have that equal rights don’t matter until you have a daughter (or that equal marriage rights don’t matter until your kid comes out, as we’ve seen in a number of Republican politicians), I don’t think that’s the case here. Sometimes it’s human nature not to get involved in a cause until you’re personally affected (which is why we may not see, for example, male comic fans caring about the lack of suitable superhero comics for kids until they have kids), but Dawson’s strip carries through with a strong air of honesty and serious thought that extends beyond his immediate situation. In other words, he’s not just thinking about himself, but the culture. Ultimately, he realizes that the final ramification of truly being feminist is that it’s not just about him.



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