Have you ever had a man explain to you, in your “best interest” and with great sincerity, how you could be a better feminist? Tell you that if you would only make yourself a little prettier, and act a little more deferential, you’d do a better job “advancing the cause”? That instead of pointing out and looking for ways to address rampant sexism in your profession, your time would be more productively spent “working for childcare”? Are you the kind of feminist who refuses to laugh at sexist humor, or acknowledge the “value” of porn, or relent even a micrometer on issues of reproductive freedom, even though you are heatedly informed by “leftists” that your stridency undermines the political prospects of the Democratic Party, so you should shut up, and in this way power will come to you? Are you the kind of feminist that doesn’t care whether or not the cool, funny, snarky boys like you? Then go read this post at I Blame the Patriarchy.
–Ann Bartow
