admin I am a female, therefore it is practically socially illegal for me to date anyone younger than me. Yet, over the past month, I have found myself becoming incredibly close and now, dating a boy of 18, I am 21. This is practically paedophilia! Of course, age is just a number, the last man I went to bed with was 37 and I had almost similar reservations about that relationship due to his age and now here I am, quite happily seeing somebody who is half his age.
I am slightly hesitant to tell friends and family about the cradle that I am robbing for that exact reasoning. I am not fond of the questions of, ‘Oh Saloni, are you babysitting tonight?’ or being asked if my boyfriend is allowed to play out late, or if he’s done his homework. All of the very same teasing remarks that I have made to friends who date people younger than them, however, they’re usually male and of course, this is more easily accepted in society. We still have a very gender focuses society in which the man of a relationship must take on the ‘father’ role and provide for the weaker in the relationship ie – the woman. I of course, being an independent female in 2012 who has studied feminism and gender studies, care not for this traditional view, and by traditional, I mean backward.
I am by no means a feminist. I have no desire to see roles reversed or the dominance of women, or the obliteration of the male species, despite their on-going desire to leave a trail of mess behind them. I believe in gender equality, I am for equality. If places like the playboy mansion can exist with many people just accepting this as bizarre, but hey the man is lucky! Then I can date who I wish without comment and without society stepping in to let me know that what I’m doing is wrong, either by the ideas that have been programmed into my head or the comments that could be made. (This of course is a statement of belief, and not an article written to convince myself that I can date who I like…)
I have always dated men older than me, because I am mature and I quite enjoy mental stimulation. However, if this boy provides that, then why should age be at all relevant? Why should it matter? It shouldn’t and it doesn’t. We fall in love with people, not their ages.