Soy feminista
Je suis une feministe
I am a feminist.
I’ve been a feminist from the time I first understood what that word meant at about age 11. Most people who know me remember me as a fierce feminist who didn’t want to take her husband’s name, thought strict gender roles between married couples were outdated, and became a chemist because, fuck it, science is what I wanted to do all my life.
And there were people who definitely did not make it easy for me, the first girl, the first anyone in my family to go to college. But I got there, stumbled through it and did what I loved for 23 years.
It seems to me like it was more socially acceptable back in the late 70’s and early 80’s to be a feminist and boldly defend equal rights and opportunities. Because what woman in her right mind would want to roll us back to the 50’s? How could that possibly make sense in the 20th, now 21st, century? It was unthinkable. I still don’t understand how so many women have decided to embrace their second class status like it’s their right and voted in the most degrading, disrespectful misogynist in the country.
We’ve made a lot of progress but have still been largely locked out of the power offices. And that is about to hurt us in ways we can’t even imagine yet. Now, it’s more than thinkable.
I’d like to think that a Day Without Women will have an impact but I think we will have to peaceably assemble a lot more with our pink pussy hats on to get the attention that the majority of the world’s population deserves.
I’m at work today because I have to give a presentation and it couldn’t wait. I’m wearing my red sweater and my bright plummy red lipstick. I feel comfortable in my skin and never regretted my gender.
But I am seriously mad as hell about the recent turn of events.
I’m not going down without a fight.
“Women’s rights are human rights”
– Hillary Clinton.
Don’t forget to check out Lady V’s page UpholdTheseRights for latest updates on women’s rights.
If this ad from the last days of the 2016 campaign doesn’t make you angry about what we lost, then you aren’t paying attention.
Yeah, we could have had THAT.
Filed under: General |
The Confluence 
The final reason he gives? “In general, men don’t give a damn.” This is largely true, especially with the current WH and administration which is one big old boys club of Viagra swilling billionaire males in their 70s. What were the women thinking?
But there are two men who did give a damn and more at least in my life, my dad and my husband. If they didn’t I would have wrested it out of them.
RD, I am not sure I called myself a feminist in my 20s when I put it all together but was definitely about women realizing their potential without letting it to go waste. I also didn’t want to take my husband’s last name though that is not a rigid custom in my culture. Best part is my dad telling my husband, before marriage that I care much about my career (and I didn’t know he did that until years later when my husband told me that as a matter of fact).
I hyphenated my name but there are a couple publications out there where my original last name was dropped and only the acquired name is on the paper. Me no likey. Too late to do anything about it now.
I did have a couple of champions. They were my grandparents, and someone else who was very special to me. Couldn’t have gotten through my freshman year without him. Some people are priceless.
How my dad came to champion me and my older sister is a story in itself. He had a younger sister, beautiful, and my grandmother had money in those days (grandfather walked away from life to be a ‘sanyasi’ and nobody ever saw him again; my dad was 14 or so and raised by his maternal uncles). The sister got married to a well known rich family. ‘They had a swimming pool and she wore swimsuits’ kind of rich in the 50s! Unfortunately for her, the husband turned into an alcoholic squandering all their wealth and made her life miserable until his death. I think her life shaped my dad’s view of a woman’s life. He eagerly gave both his girls the gift of education and encouraged us to get a job/career. He was very proud that I was the first engineer in the family.
I made a portmanteau of my last name and his when we got married but now that we’re not, it’s way past time for me to change it again. I’ve been noodling on it for a while, and just this weekend decided on a portmanteau of my grandmothers’ maiden names. I had been tracing my maternal grandmothers’ maiden names as far back as I could, but since they’re all paternal, anyway, I decided these nearest grandmothers’ maiden names, four letters from each, work best. Now to change it…
Wow that video… like a punch to the gut. I don’t think we have seen the worst of what is yet to happen. I think we also have to release any notion that this was a free and fair election. I think she won fair and square. And I will stick by that till the day I die. This was a very large coup to prevent and humiliate the most qualified woman from assuming leadership & we are only just beginning to unravel everything that went on.
I can’t say I have much hope for any honest investigation especially with the FBI director being the one who sounded a false email alarm 11 days before Election Day. I also can’t say I have much hope that we will be victorious in 2-4 years but I do know I will be standing & fighting & speaking & marching with & for women any chance I get. “That’s why walking is so healing. You’re doing with your body what you need to do with your spirit.” – Cheryl Strayed
I have always been a feminist… I think after a few years I had to reclaim that title but I am glad I did. Feels right. I’m proud of it
0.38% vote margin for the win. If there was no pressure for keeping up appearances, there would be counts/recounts/audits/lawsuits and on and on (in any other country). America became comfortably smug and the fraudsters knew to gain control.
Remarkable history from year 39! {there were many female warrior queens in Indian history as well who stood up to Muslim invaders in the 12th century and onward}:
LINK
Thanks for mentioning these histories, pm317! Lots for me to read up on!
That video left me in tears. The contrast between what we had and what we have now is repulsive.
Please pass around UpholdTheseRights.com/WomensRights.html today (and, at the bottom, associated Sexism, Did Sexism Affect the 2016 Election?, Stop Sexism, Internalized Sexism, Pay Equity and Reproductive Rights pages–which spammy will block).
Fight on.
The video gave not only tears but chills big time.
The so call “win by the Dump” was nothing but a bully imposition through and through.
All rules were broken; no respect for values, integrity and country; no authorities to rein the abuse, chaos and treason.
I’m questioning the passive rule of law adopted so far to fight this Wrong, is the answer.
The more passive we remain, the more abuse would be inflicted…
They don’t have a conscience…
They are amoral…
They are reckless…
They are “evil”.
I used to defend the US in this aspect saying that this is not a parliamentary system and it is harder for women to win doing retail politics. I won’t defend the US anymore after the first, most able female candidate was insulted and humiliated with the buffoon being elected. Something IS definitely wrong with people who voted for him over Hillary. Something is even more rotten with the media/TV.
Take a look at all these connection to the Russians.
https://thetrumpwatchdog.com/2017/02/14/the-path-to-putin/
Follow Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) on twitter. He has been digging up on Trump’s corrupt and (illegal) finances including Russian connections for some time, certainly from well before the election. He was the first to break the news of 10 million fine from FINCEN in 2015 on Trump for not implementing anti-money laundering tools in his casino set ups (did any media report it? no, because emails).
I started following him a few days ago. Maddow is talking about this every night. Tonight, it is how the state department is being hollowed out under Tillerson and how the soft power is being destroyed, which weakens the U.S. No one is investigating this. Congress seems to be owned by the Russians. Sessions is up to his eyeballs in this , and cannot be counted on to investigate what is going on.
I like what Rep. Smelwell posted (he’s on the House Intel Committee): https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties
I agree that passivity is not going to work. There do seem to be some challengers for 2018 to even the big GOP guns, like Chaffetz, though. My concern right now is that, by Trump’s getting rid of people who’ve been in the WH for multiple administrations (State Dept.), they’re clearing the decks and making way to normalize just about anything.
Still, one wonders what the heck the Clintons (and even Obamas, Bushes and [gasp] Cheneys) are doing. I don’t believe for one second they are doing nothing. Trump’s days of being an asset are numbered. Massive maneuverings behind the scenes, methinks.
Swalwell was also on one of the cable shows last night. He is from a district in the San Franciso Bay Area. We have some good Reps, but also jerks like Issa and Nunes.
Two pix I love: 😆
You tell ’em, sister!
Also, this.