Hilarious Chauvinists

A group of guys twats came into the pub today dressed like women. Proper, whole-hog dressed like women: underwear, make-up, dresses, shoes, handbags. "How utterly hilarious we are!", I bet they thought... hilarious?

Why is it funny to be dressed as a woman? Is it funny for a woman to be dressed as a man? Oh - think I've spotted the massive gaping chauvinistic whole in your plan there, you pricks. They were obviously slightly uncomfortable as they were because they felt the need to constantly refer to the fact that they were dressed like women. It wasn't for a reason, it wasn't a costume as someone - it was being women for the sake of being women. Isn't it funny?! Aside from the fact that they were generally twats as well, my colleague couldn't understand why I was offended by their parade.

"Is it funny that I'm wearing trousers and a shirt?" I shouted at him. "I'm dressed in men's clothes. Why is it funny to be dressed like a woman? Because it's degrading being a woman. That's why." Then he left me alone and I mumbled all sorts about chauvinists and bastards and we refused them service soon after. Gutted. How come the little boys at school don't want to use pink stationary, and are mocked if they have to borrow a girl's pink pencil? It's a scarily ingrained form of bigotry which people refuse to acknowledge.

How about if a group of men came in the pub dressed like an ethnic minority? Or all dressed like gays, or dressed like a certain religion - not as fancy dress, just as a generic way of poking fun. That's offensive. We wouldn't serve them if they were a bunch of white guys dressed like black guys or Jews or Muslims, because that's racist. So why are women overlooked, and why should we have to put up with this subtle, but equally in-your-face demonstration? Why is sexism on this level still acceptable?

Wear a dress, by all means! I'm not saying men shouldn't wear whatever they want to wear. Just don't make a joke out of it, because that's patronising. Eddie Izzard manages to simultaneously wear women's clothes and be a comedian, yet the fact that he's a transvestite is not why he's funny. He's funny because, well, he's funny and very clever, the fact that he looks fabulous is just a rarely mentioned aesthetic bonus. And no, I'm not a moaning feminist, and shame on you if you think I'm being overly dramatic.