Men reading our essay about menopause have to make it all about them.
In a recent issue of The Stranger, we ran a piece called “Mysteries of Menopause” by local genius Lesley Hazleton. Readers were fascinated to learn about a subject that is only whispered about among women. The sense of empowerment Hazelton felt in her own body postmenopause was a surprise and delight to her, but that did not stop many men from responding, essentially, “YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT ME????” One (clearly male) commenter wondered “does she have the right” to deny her (hypothetical, nonexistent) husband sex? Another said what would be really great is “a similar article from a man.” (On Facebook, one guy wrote, “Ummm, don’t get medical advice from this person,” and mansplained that “night sweats can be from a serious medical issue and not just be something cute like nighttime hot flashes,” and went on to describe a medical condition he learned about one month ago.) “Love all the commenters who are concerned about nameless men she might be unjustly denying by losing interest in sex,” one commenter finally wrote on our site. “Women’s bodies are not. the. property. of. men.” Hear, hear!