This almost made me burst into tears in my office.

For reference: Just yesterday, a painful reminder that acid attacks aren’t a convenient talking point for political invective - they are a disfiguring, traumatizing distillation of hatred. How would that ten-year old Pakistani girl feel if she heard that, in a nation that prides itself as a global leader in liberty and egalitarianism, men use the unthinkable violence that was perpetrated against her as a playful crack at their female antagonists?

“[Military sexual trauma] victims with personality disorder discharges don’t receive benefits. The military can simply dismiss them rather than treat them.”

“From 2000 to 2010 more than 31,000 veterans were discharged having been diagnosed with a ‘personality disorder.’”

“According to military records obtained by Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic and reported by CNN, the diagnosis of personality disorder is used disproportionately on women.”

THIS is why misogynists argue that feminism is a vehicle for oppressing men.  THIS is why they argue that it’s about female domination, not about equality.  THIS is why they don’t believe me when I say I don’t believe in significant inborn psychological differences between the sexes.

Because Roger Ebert (who as a male film critic is clearly an expert in evolution, anthropology, behavioral neuroscience, and the lived experiences of women) insists on taking a bullshit stance that golly gee, women are just so intrinsically great and all men care about are boobs, why don’t women just run everything?

Your intentions were generous here, I think.  But seriously, man, just shut up. You’re making my job as a feminist harder, and you’re playing on the very sexist tropes you claim to despise.  The statement that men are intrinsically reckless, aggressive hunters who only care about boobs?  SEXIST.  The statement that women are innately emotionally-intelligent nurturers? SEXIST.

I’ll entertain the notion that women - at population-level - are perhaps more collaborative, less competitive.  I would argue, however, that this tendency is conditioned, not inborn.  Socially subordinated groups often have to cultivate these traits.

I’m all for women occupying more positions of power than we currently do.  But if women held in these positions consistently, for a few generations?  Here’s what I think would happen.

Reblogged because I think this is not exclusively the province of Southern women, although perhaps it is more ingrained in that culture.  Girls are taught not to burden others.  Perhaps women should try to stop viewing ourselves as a burden.

adulting:

I am originally from the south, and like many southern girls I speak in a very indirect way that can be completely indecipherable to someone who isn’t used to it. It’s this very vague, veiled way of talking — I will express what is actually a direct, actionable request as an anecdote about someone else’s desires or perhaps if I’m feeling really forward, as vague statement of hope.

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whatshouldwellesleycallme: