The title of this article is a sentence I added recently as a thank you to the women who subscribe to Gentologie, is somewhat unknowingly the genesis of the Gentologie project. And on 8 March, International Women’s Rights Day or International Women’s Day (the two spellings exist, but the meaning is the same), it’s important to remember why women are so important in our society.

Women: the origin of black tie parties

I recently learned—and I talked about it in the Valentine’s Day episode of our French podcast “En première classe” our English one is coming soon—those black tie evenings, those evenings where you see very chic men in tuxedos were originally created to put women forward. And yes, while the men can be described as very stylish at these evenings, they are, by and large, all identical in their tuxedos. For no other reason than to make their female partners’ most beautiful dresses shine. Ladies, if you didn’t know, you’re the star of these evenings. To this, I say: no more black tie evenings, where the men have to be elegant and irreproachable, both in their style and in their gestures, to put the ladies in the spotlight (dear gentlemen, you’re not the star, remember that).

Why don’t we talk more about women on Gentologie?

Yes, women have been featured on Gentologie in the past (as in this article, for example); however, I believe, as editor and publisher, that we owe it to ourselves to talk to men first. Why do I feel this? Because I don’t think you ladies are the problem. Men are the problem. Men need to evolve, to learn to heal themselves, to consult, to talk to each other about their problems so that they know how to deal with you, how to approach you, how to treat you and how to put you first. In other words, to be more civic-minded, as Radio-Canada said in this article (in French). In my opinion, there are still many women who are victims of wrongful disappearances, murder, assault or rape. To address these issues, we need to help all men become better individuals. 

At Gentologie, our goal is not to exclude you from society, but rather to enlist every man as an ally. As the owner of this platform, I want to offer solutions for men to accept this change in a positive way, which, yes, can sometimes be destabilizing for some, and to accept you, to celebrate you, especially with everything that’s happening south of the border or in other countries.   

More gentlemen to advance the cause of women and other groups

I was listening to the Québec-French TV Show “Deux hommes en or et Rosalie” on 7 March 2025, where one of the guests, Mr. Pierre Lapointe, a Québec multidisciplinary artist and homosexual, said that when women’s rights disappear in a society, it is the rights of all other groups (more commonly referred to as LGBTQ+) or ethnicities that are ignored and trampled underfoot. 

I believe that a strong society is made up of its diversity, its colours and its languages. Otherwise, society is white and bland, as it is becoming like the one our neighbours to the south of the border and in certain Middle Eastern countries are. 

Don’t forget, dear gentlemen, that children need female intervention to come into the world, whether that intervention is natural or scientific. However, women should never be reduced to their ability to procreate; they also have the right to choose, contrary to certain beliefs or religions (the idea of Québec in the 1950s of having children all the time is not that far off). 

Women are entitled to their own opinions, their own way of thinking, of evolving, in short, of growing up. She can also break all the glass ceilings she wants. It’s appropriate to salute the male investors, such as humorist Louis-José Houde, who supports the women’s soccer team, Les Roses de Montréal, to name but one example. But ladies don’t isolate men; let’s be allies, working hand in hand to transform our world into a fairer and more equitable place.       

Gentologie: Playing in an infinite game

I would like to repeat that Gentologie’s mission, “Turn all men into gentlemen,” is a never-ending game, or, as Marvel might describe it, the “Infinite Game.” There will always be individuals (male and female!!!) who seek to alter the rules and curtail the rights of some women, similar to the fringe elements of the Conservative Party of Canada whose backbench MP’s advocate for the prohibition of abortion, thereby infringing on women’s rights. Often, these actions are justified in the name of religion, highlighting the problematic nature of these institutions in regards to women’s rights. 

This is also what Mrs. Léa Clermont-Dion’s excellent documentary (in French), which you can watch here, traces the evolution of the abortion situation since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States. 

The task to “turn all men into gentlemen” is more important given the rise of the masculinist movement—which I won’t go into here, as there’s no point in giving them more visibility—and its leaders, one of whom has just been freed in the United States. 

All human beings on Earth must have the same rights. These rights include the right to do what they want with their bodies, the right to educate themselves, to fight, to vote, to dress without judgment—in other words, the right to exist freely without fear of losing their lives around the corner. 

On that note, gentlemen, be gentlemen not only for your own benefit, but also for the good of all those around you. 

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen celebrate International Women’s Rights Day loud and clear.