>Arguments also tend to start (unstatedly) from the baseline that "male is the default and most valuable" Given that these assertions are unstated, they sound

>Arguments also tend to start (unstatedly) from the baseline that "male is the default and most valuable" Given that these assertions are unstated, they sound more like a manifestation of insecurity on the part of the listener. Conversely, one could speculate that responses to questions of equality are frequently taken personally and met defensively, with resulting rationalizations, like the one you listed, of improper emotional reasoning. This is only a controversial subject because people feel that there are potential negative implications to them as individuals, even though the rammifications are purely for distributions, which laymen tend not to understand, hence the personal responses.