Comments | safewrite: I hope you've read this

safewrite

I hope you've read this

Jun 25, 2013 22:04

If you've not seen it, may I recommend Genevieve Valentine's excellent post, "Dealing with It," on her blog. In it, she list the indignities of merely being female and how you are treated differently for being a girl, a young woman.

"These are not the assaults, the beatings, the rapes. These are not the traumas. These are small things, mostly; they ( Read more... )

the reluctant feminist

Comments 5

joycemocha June 26 2013, 15:12:08 UTC

I don't suffer fools gladly, either. I've also had one rape in my past, plus I have been harassed throughout my life for three major reasons--small woman, blond and a big chest. Even when I was at my heaviest and most out of shape, I got harassed. Hell, even when I was pregnant I had to deal with harassment. Am I beautiful? Not really. Small, blond, and big bust ( ... )

safewrite July 2 2013, 12:48:16 UTC

That whole experience of coloring your hair red and experiencing a drop-off in harassment is fascinating to me. So, blondes do NOT have more fun, because they get objectified more readily? How sad.

From the pics you've seen of me.... My default photo here is what I call my Anne Landers photo - sadly out of date but my professional face online. I'm a grandmother twice over and was spontaneously offered a senior citizen's discount last month, something I do not merit for another seven years, BTW. I settle for "well-groomed" most days, but I like my inner self just fine. I'm totally at peace with my appearance and my life. Just as you seem to be. :-)

barbarienne June 26 2013, 15:13:31 UTC

Right there with you.

safewrite July 2 2013, 12:23:12 UTC

You know, there is an alternative (or parallel) explanation in our cases. I was reading the comments on Carie Cuinn's post on genre convention harassment, http://carriecuinn.com/2013/06/30/please-stop-touching-my-breasts-and-other-things-i-say-at-cons/, and came across this insight: "Harassment, as I’m sure you’re well aware, is about power rather than sexual attraction."

At times, you and I can fairly radiate power at the approximate rate of asphalt on a summer's day. Works better than brandishing a taser for keeping the creepers at bay.

barbarienne July 2 2013, 15:51:28 UTC

I didn't really mean "I'm not cute enough to get harassed", but more simply, "I don't get harassed". And because it is so infrequent, I don't mind a lot of behaviors that other women would classify as harassment--I don't find them threatening or demeaning.

I have a longer blog post on this topic planned.