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Categories: Tags: mansplainingpoetrythrowback thursday This post was original shared on June 28th, 2011. Sad that it is still relevant, but it is a lovely post that I’m proud of past Amy for having written. It reminds me of something that would be read at a poetry slam. It was my response to the early phase of the online harassment that we had begun to see ramp up, when we dared to speak up about the sexism we were seeing and experiencing in the skeptic movement. Looking back, it was probably my initial response to an avalanche of “mansplaining.“ A word I didn’t even know the definition of at the time. Ah, live and learn. At any rate, I took the anger that was being directed at me online and stood strong. And I’m still standing today. Enjoy. ___________________ There has been quite a bit of talk about sexism and feminist issues and topics surrounding rape and topics like male white privilege on this blog lately. And every single time we write one of these posts or mention something related to them on Facebook someone has to come in and tell us how we are completely wrong and how we should actually feel about the situation. I am sure that the majority of the people who tell us we are completely wrong and should not for a moment ever feel this way, are in fact men, is just a coincidence. So here ya go. Here is your chance to tell me how I should feel on a variety of topics. Have at it. How should I feel when walking home to my apartment in a city at night alone? How should I feel when a car pulls up beside my car and honks and the man driving the other car is jacking off? How should I feel when I catch a neighbor peeking in my window? How should I feel about online stalkers who threaten to kill me? How should I feel about men who whistle at me or tell me to smile while I am walking to the pharmacy to pick up asthma medicine? How should I feel about what I am wearing? Should I feel differently if my skirt is short or long or if I am in pants? How should I feel about the size of my breasts? And is it relevant to how I should be treated? How should I feel about my weight? How should I feel about my age? How should I feel when I am asked out on a date even though I am clearly wearing a wedding ring? How should I feel when I am called a bitch for turning down an offer for a date? How should I feel when I am called a bitch for speaking my mind? How should I feel when I am followed by a group of men I do not know down a side street? How should I feel when when I am called a slut for showing “too much” skin? How should I feel when I am told that I’m not dressed sexy enough? How should I feel about being told that I am not pretty enough? How should I feel about being physically forced to give a man a blow job? How should I feel about having a gun held to my head? How should I feel about being tied up with duct tape? How should I feel about the potential for being raped? How should I feel about being groped by strangers? How should I feel about the fact that I carry pepper spray and lace my keys in my fist when I walk alone? How should I feel about being told that I am “paranoid” or a “man-hater” because I err on the side of caution when I leave the house? How should I feel about being told that I am not as sexually evolved as other women because I point out instances of sexism? How should I feel about making less money than a man who does the same job? How should I feel about people who say, “oh, that’s too bad” when I say I don’t have children? How should I feel about people acting confused and scowling when I must explain that I didn’t change my name when I got married? How should I feel about people saying I am cliquey because I write for a blog with other women? How should I feel about being outnumbered by men at most skeptic, tech and science events? How should I feel about being a woman? | |
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Throwback Thursday: Tell Me How I Should Feel
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