Feminist Monday March 12

Good morning, y'all. It's time for your Monday morning cup of righteous rage. Are you ready? Let's go!

First, today's videos.

I do sincerely believe that one of the biggest reasons gun deaths are such a problem (other than the easy availability of guns) is toxic masculinity. And again, I say that boys aren't merely "accident prone" and somehow, by nature, less mature than girls. Boys, via toxic masculinity, are taught they're the exception to every rule. They're encouraged to push past boundaries--yes even physics. They are socialized to not consider consequences for their actions. We've taught women and girls that they don't have to be second class citizens first because women and girls are (according to misogynist thought) always the problem. Fix women, and everything's okay. Women are paid less? Teach women to ask for more. Is rape an issue? Teach women how not to be raped. Pick any problem associated with women and you'll see the standard response is almost always how women should change their behavior. It's almost never about how men should change. Except, studies have demonstrated that when a woman asks for more money in an interview, she isn't given what she asks for. She's not even hired in the first place because she's a bitch.

Men should change because they are the biggest part of the power structure. We changed how girls were raised. Now, we're seeing that fact running headlong into how boys are raised. It's time to change how boys are raised. And I'll bet when we do, we'll see a lower motor accident rate among young males. 

The frustrating part of this is that whenever I hear people discuss a behavioral problem that directly involves white, cis males how many times society refuse to see the common element: unenlightened white, cis males. It's why when I hear there was a "lone shooter/madman" I know that the perp was white, cis, and male. It's like repeatedly watching something happen and everyone saying, "We just don't understand how this could happen. 'Tis a puzzlement." when everyone damned well knows why on an unconscious level. It's fucking obvious. They just aren't willing to see it due to the power structures.

Toxic Masculinity doesn't just hurt all the other genders, it hurts men too.

Misogyny isn't merely a woman problem. Sexism is a System of Oppression problem. The same shit happens with any oppressed group. This is why intersectionality is important.  The oppressed group no matter the group in question is expected to change their circumstances and behaviors while those in power are not. And when the oppressed group changes, they're punished for attempting to change the system. 

And now for those links.

Entertainment/Literary: How the Inclusion Rider Came to Be, Thanks to 3 Women. Next, this is what erasure looks like. Overlooked. Since 1851, obituaries in the New York Times have been dominated by white men. Now, they're adding the stories of fifteen remarkable women. Frankly, I'm pretty sure more than fifteen remarkable women are deserving of mention since 1851, but that's just a guess. [eye roll] 7 Hilarious Women Writers to Read Right Now. Read R.F Kuang's important essay How to Talk to Ghosts. And 'Fast Car' and the Living Histories of Working Class Black Women. I adore that song. Frankly, I feel Tracy Chapman is an under-rated genius. She's created more than just that one song. Her music is powerful and amazing. Regardless, merely thinking about that song makes my eyes fill with tears. I can't explain why I relate to that song so much, but I do.

​General: This woman is a damned hero--Forced to marry her rapist at 11, woman finally changes Florida marriage law. Next, Why Tamika Mallory Won’t Condemn Farrakhan. I think she should, but I also see why she might feel the issue is complicated. However, anti-semitism is evil and wrong no matter who does it. Period. If a bigot helps you, it doesn't mean they aren't a bigot. Mind you, I can't help feeling that white people have a bigger problem with this kind of issue. That doesn't mean it isn't an issue. The Last Temptation is an article about the Evangelical movement and how it lost its soul. Frankly, I feel it misses the biggest factor--RACISM.[1] What Trans men see that Women Don't. I've always felt that transgendered individuals had a unique perspective on gender roles for this reason. #MeToo Has Revived the Equal Rights Amendment, and it's about fucking time. Danish Inventor Denies Murder As Trial Opens For Gruesome Submarine Death. And in history: Badass of the week. In Winston Churchill, Hollywood rewards a mass murderer. Having read a certain amount of British history in a more thorough way than is usual, I have to agree. Consequences have to be for everyone--particularly those in power. Secret NYPD Files: Officers Can Lie And Brutally Beat People — And Still Keep Their Jobs.

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[1] I think my new go-to phrase whenever bigotry within power is being ignored will be "'tis a mystery." with extra-added eye roll. Seriously.