“And what did your friends and extended family say after you’d taken on the domestic role and allowed yourself to be feminised?” Janine asked.
“Well…” Robert began. “…a lot of things.” he nervously replied. “Some were positive but most seemed to think I was under the thumb and being taken advantage of, but the important thing to focus on is not what people think or say but how our marriage works. It’s a partnership. Denise brings in the money that pays for the roof over my head and the food in my belly and I provide a clean and tidy home and prepare the food when she gets home from work. We both work very hard to achieve what we’ve got and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“But…. wouldn’t you rather things be the way they used to be, when men provided and the women cooked and tidied?”
“..and worked too!” Denise interjected. Janine agreed.
Robert replied. “If I could earn as much as Denise does and Denise was more domestically minded, then that could work… but the world isn’t like that any more. Generally speaking, males aren’t the best at multitasking so we’re all better off focusing on what we’re good at rather than sticking to traditional roles… in my case that’s following a set routine and doing one chore at a time and in Denise’s it’s managing a large portfolio of clients.” he said. “I certainly couldn’t do what she does and she’s no desire to do what I do.” he shrugged.
“So Denise.” Janine said. “How do you react when people say he’s under thumb or being taken advantage of?”
“I tell them he’s my husband and I’ll treat him as I damn well please.” she relied, somewhat jovially. More seriously, however, she explains that people don’t really have a problem with him being a househusband, but some do have a problem with him being a feminised househusband. “…I think people dwell too much on gender. I’m not a fan of the woman’s work means woman’s wear mantra. I’ve never considered housework to be women’s work, it’s just housework and the person who does it is the housekeeper and housekeepers have worn a certain style of clothing since the Victorian era. Just because most housekeepers these days are husbands shouldn’t mean they can’t dress as a housekeeper should.”
“Hmm.” Janine responded. “Are high heels really practical for housework though?”
“They mean he doesn’t have to reach quite so high with the feather duster.” Denise grinned. “…when he’s doing the cornices.” she added. She glanced at her husband’s feet. “They may not be practical but they’re not impractical either.” she claimed. “You haven’t gone over on them yet, have you hon’?” she asked.
“Err, no.” Robert replied, albeit somewhat hesitantly. “Been close a few times but, respect the heel and they’ll respect you.” he said.
“My mother used to say that.” Janine exclaimed, before describing how her mother wore high heels all the time whilst Janine herself stuck to flats her entire life. “It’s interesting isn’t it though.. when you think that Louis the Fourteenth popularised high heels and cosmetics, fashions which, a hundred years later became exclusive to women, are now going full circle and back to where they began?”
“Absolutely.” Denise replied. “I’ve explained to Robert countless times how the pendulum swings one way then the other… and right now we’re at the moment the pendulum stops and swings the other way. Women used to be subservient to males simply because they didn’t have the earning potential. They were expected to clean the house and prettify themselves, to be obedient, loyal, dutiful whilst hubby went to the office then played golf. Now the males don’t have the earning potential it their turn to do exactly what’s expected of the subservient partner.”
“So… that’s all good and well for a couple such as yourselves…” Janine responded. “…but what about same sex partnerships?”
“I said ‘subservient partner’ for a reason Janine.” Denise confidently replied. “As I said earlier, most partnerships have one who earns more than the other, and the same goes for gay, lesbian and even trans couples. One earns the money, the other earns their keep.” she bluntly stated.