Real talk in real time on the Warren/Sanders rift…
January 14th: Here’s a thing. In the past when men and white people got everything, gazillions of people did not publicly say, “What the fuck unfair shit is going on here, and make it stop.” A lot more than said anything thought it was unfair, but most people lived with these disparities as if they were ordained and insuperable. I have lived long enough so that every progressive change I have fought for people once said to me, “That will never happen.”
January 15th: Progressive women will vote for the Y chromosome human should one win the Democratic nomination. I want Warren. In the meantime I will remark with loathing on expressions of mansplaining, the elbowing out of women for being female, the pressure on women to shut up about sexism because other issues are more important, the pressure on women to put everyone’s interests above their own, the willingness of women to get in line in order to be pleasing and in order to quiet the harping at them. I cannot stand the sight of the gray-haired politician with the spittle and the clueless understanding of what sexism even is, how it works inside individuals, the marketing of cultural practices, language, religions, all institutions. I can’t stand the way he uses his maleness in the world and pretends it’s not a weaponized thing, but I will vote for him if he’s the Democrat standing. I just had another post that did not even name Warren or Sanders so over-run with bros I had to delete it. I am trying not to delete comments, but if you fuck with me here, I will rid myself of your fingers and spit.
January 16th: Anyone who reminds a woman in the effort of an accomplishment that women face sexism or women won’t be supported in their efforts is fostering sexism and downright expressing sexism. It’s not the disguise of warning or commiseration it comes wrapped in. It’s the soul-killing, bone-wearying bleak bite of sexism itself, inside of which is the wish to keep women hobbled. When Sanders reminded Warren that Trump was a sexist pig and would use sexism to hurt her campaign, he was one-upping her by saying Trump would not be able to do that with him because he has the advantage of being a man. The advantage of being a man is a thing you have to not ride on unless you want to win playing the same old, deeply unjust and corrupt game.
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Sisters, don’t worry about shaming men for pointing out the sexual double standard they benefit from. They aren’t worried about shaming you for ruffling their complacency.
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Stop blaming women for commenting at any juncture about the sexual double standard and attempts to spook them with the news–wow, really?–that sexism hurts women’s chances. Blame the sexism that hurts women’s chances and the individuals, religions, and societies that gain from this hurt. Stop shaming women into placing any other injustice above this one, including the preservation of the endangered, microscopic pole worm. (No such animal, but hey, better the worm than HER.)