My father was abusive to me. But I do believe that society's demonization of men has been a reason for a lot of the abuse.

An abuse victim's take on things#####As someone who experienced abuse at the hands of men, I'm often quite shocked at some of the commentary and demonization men are subjected to on this website. <br><br>I mean, to me, it does seem like a lot of people operate under the narrative that all men are inherently evil or that all men are abusive. I also find it quite hypocritical that people on this sub would always ask me to prove that I'm a victim when I share my story, but they believe any female victim automatically without proof. I don't have the energy to prove that I'm a victim. I'm a victim. <br><br>But I don't hate men even though I am a victim. I hate the society that has led to my abuse, and the societal problems it perpetuates. I think a lot of men are just targets of societal hatred because they're a convenient place to direct it, when society as a whole is the real problem.<br><br>If men were as dangerous as people claim, I wouldn't be alive. I was born premature, weighed 1kg at birth, suffered a serious head injury a year ago and have a neurological disorder. If men were the monsters people say they are, I would've been killed easily and probably would've been dead at birth. <br><br>But I'm alive, even though society and the patriarchy led to my abuse, and I want to tell you why. Despite all the demonization men are subjected to on this website, despite the terrifying portrayal society has of men, there are a lot of good men out there. <br><br>I was abused by my father, but he was also a victim of society, a man who never learned how to hug and didn't understand affection. But there are men who gave me hugs and taught me how to trust and be safe in a man's arms. There are men who shared their food with me, who stayed up late at night to talk with me, who showed me that men didn't have to be monsters. <br><br>I was homeless once, and it was a man who took me in and let me live with him. I was hungry, and it was men who let me eat with them. When I was injured and needed to stay in hospital, it was a man who let me stay with him, who held me as I cried, who stayed up late at night to make sure I was okay. <br><br>So, no, I don't hate men. I hate this society that creates victims. I hate this society that refuses to recognize the humanity in men and instead portrays them as monsters. I hate this society that believes we're better off dead. I hate this society that refuses to give a shit about men. <br><br>I wish more people would realize that the patriarchy is the real enemy. I believe that we're all human beings, and we're all in this together.