Friday, October 26, 2007

On this day, men should be wearing black

Today in Britain is Breast Cancer Awareness Day, sponsored by the Breast Cancer Campaign.
The theme this year, as it has been for several years, is pink. As in, Wear It Pink. Our workplace operated in observance of this campaign too. But I was in a black shirt and blue jeans. I don't "do" pink, dear reader. Never have, never will. I have had enough of these coiffed, ear-ringed, pink-shirted metrosexual men with highlights in their hair. It's just unnatural.
But I digress ...
What about prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is as much of a menace to men as breast cancer is to women. Yet we have a "wear it pink" Breast Cancer Awareness Day. No similar event is held to highlight prostate cancer and how devastating to men it is. In the U.S., nearly as many men (30,000) die from prostate cancer as women do from breast cancer (40,000) and the ratio is roughly the same here in Britain. In both countries, prostate cancer research lags significantly behind that dedicated to breast cancer. As Alan Heller states in this article, "Commercials, public service announcements, news segments and magazine articles address the issue of breast cancer, but rarely touch upon health issues affecting men ... Fundraisers and events for prostate cancer are rare, at best."
Now, I have serious issues with vivisection. No animal would be sliced up in the name of examining any cancer if I had my way, but that's not really the point here.
The point is sexual discrimination and the politicization of disease. While it's true that men themselves are partly to blame for shying away from discussing their problems—health or otherwise—it's still not right that I should be expected to take part in an event which promotes research toward a cancer I'm unlikely to ever get while a cancer that could very well strike me down is largely ignored.
It doesn't matter that men don't like to think about prostate cancer. The resources for fighting it should exist in the same proportion to those used to fight breast cancer nevertheless. But, as we men are quickly learning day by day, we are losing out to the Goddess of Feminism.
So, no offense ladies, but I won't be wearing pink nor donating £2 of my hard-earned money until my gender's cancer menace is treated as seriously as yours is.

2 comments:

goddessdivine said...

Shoot. Maybe you should call the ACLU. Or start a protest in the streets. Total discrimination.

So glad you don't wear pink. There's something weird about guys wearing pink. A lot of girls like it, but I don't.

(totally kidding about the ACLU; I consider that the 'Anti-Christ Liberties Union).

Nightdragon said...

Well, I admit that, as I mentioned, we men are a lot to blame, because we don't make as big a deal over our health concerns as women do. Women go to the doctor for the slightest ailment; men can sit hunched-over in pain and still not see a health professional. I guess you could say that men die more as a result of stubborness than disease.

But, regardless, my point is that the resources and ability to fight prostate cancer should exist in the same proportion as those to fight breast cancer. Men should have as serious a chance against prostate cancer, if they so choose to avail themselves of it. We shouldn't be saying, "Ah, hell with men, it's what they deserve for being so stubborn."

I love pink as a feminine color -- that is, I love seeing women wear it.