Aint' I A Woman? // Elizabeth Louis

Image from http://quotesgram.com/sojourner-truth-aint-i-a-woman-quotes/#hR0yzMVLId

AIN'T I A WOMAN?

by Sojourner Truth

Delivered 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio

            Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

            That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

            Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

            Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

            If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

            Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/sojour.htm

            Sojourner’s Truth speech of Ain’t I a Woman still resonates today of what it means to be a Black woman and influences Black feminism. Usually when people hear feminism, they may automatically think about White women and encouraging (White) men to be on board with the feminist movement. However, without Black feminism the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and other statuses would be lost. Even before there was a Feminist movement, pioneers such as Sojourner Truth in the 1800s were already voicing their experiences of being a woman, specifically a Black woman at a time when it was uncommon to think of a slave or freed slave as equal to a human being. Sojourner Truth is an example of the complexities of being a feminist not only in the era of slavery but also within our current time period with the recent Black Lives Movement that was created by Black queer women. Those complexities look differently within the rich of diversity Black women which encompasses various ethnicities and cultures in the U.S. and outside the U.S.

            At the same time, some may argue if we should also recognize the influence of the Latina, Asian, Native American, LBT, and other cultural feminist movements. I do believe that when one thinks about feminism we must not be closed minded and place limits of what it means to be a feminist because there are cultural expressions of feminism that need to be a part of the feminist movement altogether. If we are indeed striving to overcome oppression, discrimination, classism and other isms we cannot afford to not recognize, learn, and teach others about other forms of feminism that does not fit within a stereotypical role of being a “feminist.” I challenge all of use to extend ourselves even further to understand what feminism looks like outside of the United States and around the world. Learning about non-Western cultures’ perspectives and experiences as feminists can add on to the literature, discourse, and conversations that are missing at various levels within our disciplines, systems, and in our global context.

Written by Elizabeth Louis

How Much Stronger Do I Need to Be? // Sandra Cortez

I was three years old when I was on a family vacation in Mexico. My brother, who was seven at the time, and I were running around chasing little chickens when I stepped on a board on the ground and fell into a well filled with water. My mother didn’t see me and said, “David where is your sister?” He looked into the hole in the ground and looked up and shrugged his shoulders. My mother immediately jumped up and began to panic realizing I had fallen in. While my mother and her aunt moved to action, I was at the bottom of this well looking around thinking “the water is so dirty” as I saw bugs and dirt floating around me, but I was calm. I remember breathing as though I was breathing in air and I looked up to the top. As I relive this experience I realize it must’ve been at least 15 feet deep of water I was sitting at the bottom of. On the surface, my mother wanted to jump in to save me, but her aunt prevented her from doing so because she said, “if you jump in and she rises up, you will kill her.” My aunt began to holster herself with rope and was going to scale down to find me, but as they did so, a miracle happened and I rose up with my hands together above my head (as if in a praying position) and they pulled me out of the water. When I was at the bottom looking at all the dirt and bugs in the water I remember everything went black and that must’ve been when I rose up. There was no logical explanation for me to have risen to the surface, other than knowing in my heart that it wasn’t my time to leave this earth and God brought me to the surface because he had a greater plan for my life.

            Since then, I have experienced much adversity in my life. I was the youngest of four children and I grew up in a dysfunctional household where I witnessed drug abuse from my siblings, physical altercations, and experienced various incidents that were traumatic for me. I was raised in a Catholic home where we would go to church every Sunday and my mom would pray with me every night. I took great comfort in the prayer ritual my mother imparted to me because I feel that it set a foundation of spirituality in my life. She was a good hearted, kind, generous, and affectionate woman. My step father was a brute, he was aggressive, strict, and often misused his power. My biological father never took much interest in our lives.

I knew early on in my life that my life would be different from my siblings and I wouldn’t fall in their footsteps. I knew there was something greater for me in this life. At the young age of 13 I began helping my mom raise my nephew who was four at the time. At age 15 my second nephew was added to the mix, and although I had a mother instinct and was able to care and nurture them, it was stressful to manage, though it was expected of me. By the time I was 17 years old I had my first son and I was excited and ‘knew’ how to be a parent. I was well versed by this time on what a baby’s cry meant and how to care for another human being. I remember the day after giving birth to my son, I was in the hospital and he began to cry, so as I got up to attend to him, there was a nurse standing at the door just observing me. She saw that I had an inclination to properly attend to my baby and said, “Wow, you really know what you’re doing” and I told her that I had experience taking care of my nephews and she smiled and walked away. Even though I was in high school and had no job, I was prepared to care for my child. By the time I was 19 I had my second son and was in an abusive relationship with their alcoholic father and highly stressed. Their father was in and out of our lives and provided the greatest dysfunction I had ever known. The light inside me never failed me and I knew there was something better in store for me, I just knew it! I was confronted with this amazing responsibility of motherhood and doing right by my children. I wanted them to have the best life possible and I knew their father, or what he brought to the table was not it. At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew exactly what I didn’t want. That time in my life was a huge turning point for me where I began a quest of self-discovery in who I was, not only as a mother, but as an individual, and human being.

I was terrified being a single mother and carrying the burden of providing for my children on my own because their father never provided for them. I remember feeling so fearful at the possibility of failing as a mother and I felt so alone. I recall putting my sons to bed and I would often sit in the dining room of our apartment and I would cry not knowing how I was going to pull off this parenting role. I had literally experienced an existential crisis and didn’t know which way to turn. I was forced to look at my life and figure out how I was going to make it better, things had to change. Years later I encountered a quote by Jim Rohn that says, “For things to change, you must change. For things to get better, you must get better.” Boy was that ever true! One of the most painful things I had to do was to learn about myself, I didn’t know who I was. My life had been about other people; caring for others and attending to their needs, I didn’t have time to know who I was, or think about what I needed. I was forced to exist at that point. I had to create my life and live my life based on my rules and choices, which was painful. According to Existentialism our choices brings about freedom. I began to design my life. Keep in mind I had no clue that’s what I was doing, it was as if something inside me knew and was guiding me.

I started with these innocent children that I brought into the world and asked myself what example I wanted to set for them; what did I want them to see in me and in the family we were to create. The first thing that came to mind was raising my kids and telling them “I love you,” which was something I never heard growing up. Even though my mother was an affectionate woman, she never said those words until I was an adult and even then, I can count on one hand how many times she said those words to me. I was implementing these changes in MY family that would ultimately shape who my children would become as adults and men. I showed them affection, told them I loved them, nurtured them, gave them structure, laughed with them, held them accountable for their actions, and showed them responsibility. Most importantly, I resolved to never leave them as their father had. Every time my children’s heart broke, mine broke even harder. In hindsight, a lot of my motivation and drive to achieve things in my life was the result of anger (that I had to do it on my own) and fear (I would never struggle like that again). I was angry that their father never supported them and never acknowledged them or their needs, which made our life so difficult, but somehow we kept moving forward.

Within a three year period, my brother and his two daughters all died of cancer. His oldest daughter, Rachel died at the age of nine from Leukemia. Angelica died at the age of seven from brain tumors. At the age of 27, my brother also died from brain tumors just three months after Angelica. It was a rare occurrence and really heartbreaking. My brother’s death jolted me not to take life for granted. I witnessed my brother go in and out of jail and addicted to drugs. He lived such a sad and meaningless life.

I pursued my college education doubtful I could achieve a degree. I was the first in my entire family (cousins, siblings, and all) that would go to college, so I had no one that could cheer me on to tell me “you can do it!” I had nothing or no one to draw from. Again in my life I felt that light inside me that told me I could do it and I did. I eventually obtained my Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree, and now I’m in my Doctorate program ready to finish in 2016, all in the area of psychology. The quote by Lao Tzu says it best, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I never had any example that would’ve let me know that if I chipped away at it (one class at a time) I would eventually cross the finish line.

On November 2, 2011 my biological father died suddenly of a massive heart attack and two weeks later my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. All the adversity up to that point made me strong, but after my dad died and my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I felt numb. I questioned God “How much stronger do I need to be?” Because I knew (and still know) that there is a reason for every heartache and challenge. My mother sadly died on July 13, 2013. My strength served a purpose to help my daughter grieve for her grandmother. My daughter was ten years old at the time and she was very close to my mom and I didn’t know how I was going to help her get through this, but she did.

I’ve been blessed to have good jobs that allowed me to provide for my children and the strength to do the job of two parents, while working full time and juggling school on top of that. I attribute my blessings to doing right by my kids and continuing to move forward in my life despite the challenges we had faced. I also never forget that God was directing my path all these years. I feel that everything I taught my children about living a good life; being a responsible, caring, loving, supporting, and hard-working adults were the very things I received from them during this process. They were the support and encouragement I never had. They were my cheerleaders that believed in me and watched me take one step after another until I crossed the finish line. Our struggles and hard work were the examples to teach them that anything in life is possible as long as you stay focused and work at it. But one of the most impactful moments in my life was when my oldest son looked me in the eyes and said, “Mom, thank you for never leaving us.”

All my hardship has prepared me for this time in my life. I have been blessed with perseverance, hard work, commitment, compassion, understanding, and humility that have made me a good mom and therapist in training.

This is to all the women out there struggling to make a difference, fighting to overcome their hardships. It is not in vain and you are not alone. If you think you cannot possibly get through your current circumstances, I’m here to tell you you can and you will. Life’s challenges are there to cause growth and help shape our character. We have everything we need to get through today. Let the light inside you shine a new path and help guide each new step you take. Let the story of your life help inspire you, give you hope, and empower you to overcome every adversity. I believe in you, you can do it!  

Written by Sandra Cortez

                           

Why Does the L Train Hate My Body? // Maria Pietruszka

With over a million people using the subway system daily, the stations and subway cars become a public space for the homeless, the talented street performers, the blue collared folks, the students and everyone in between. On long commutes, it is impossible not to take notice of the posters in the subway cars as well as in the stations.  Colleges being advertised with slogans like “Start Here Go Anywhere” seen on a Borough of Manhattan Community College poster, sending a positive message for those wanting to pursue a college education; Seamless ads promoting fast delivery time when one wants to take a load off and not cook. My least favorite that became the inspiration for this blog, were the posters advertising plastic surgery for women. Apparently, living with small breasts is miserable and it’s the year of the “Brazilian butts”?  While all other posters are marketing positive, convenient ways to maneuver through life, the other advertisements are promoting the harsh reality for women in society.

            It makes me question what is this constant need for society to control what women look like and worst of all, to control how women feel about their bodies?  From million dollar make-up commercials to plus size models being banned from runways, I felt like these advertisements on the subway are now pushing the boundaries between telling women what they should or shouldn't look like to now attempting to convince women to spend thousands of dollars on actually modifying their bodies. 

             I was pleased to find out that I was not the only one who felt targeted and disgusted by these ads. I came across one of the ads that had a sticker that read, “THIS OPPRESSES WOMEN”. I noticed these stickers a few more times as I took the train. It restored my faith in humanity seeing this. I was hoping it sent the message that women did not deserve to be scrutinized for not looking a certain way. Are bigger breasts or butts or face lifts really the answer to our happiness? Instead of promoting plastic surgery and large breasts, why can’t we promote self-love and stop contributing to misogyny disguised as an attempt to make women feel better about themselves?

Unfortunately, one afternoon commute home, I noticed that someone had different ideas about this. Written over the sticker in black marker were degrading words implying that woman are sexual objects and nothing more. These words made me as if the struggle of being a woman in society is still taken as a joke.  Needless to say this was hurtful to see and left me feeling shocked and confused.

Maybe I am biased but more people should be bothered by this. The affects of low self-esteem can be detrimental to women.  How can women succeed if they are under a microscope, constantly criticized and made to believe that they are never good enough? Our accomplishments do not matter but what we look like defines us. I wish we lived in a time and place where we can take a train ride without feeling bad about our breast size.

Written by: Maria Pietruszka

Men Wanted // Megan Mansfield

Photo from mic.com

            The feminist movement, led predominantly by women, has been a wonderful and powerful social movement which has been active since at least 24 centuries ago. There has been undeniably remarkable progress made thus far. Like so many other social movements in history though, the oppressed group requires recognition and active support from the oppressive group in order to truly create change within society. In this case, that’s you boys! *Gasp* A female feminist, asking for help from men?! Yes, I will admit that especially at the beginning of my journey as a feminist, it was difficult to admit this necessity. However, at its very core, feminism is not about female domination or hating and oppressing men, feminism is about embracing equality amongst all individuals on the wide spectrum of gender. We need to stop shoving individuals into the fixed social categories that are known as ‘feminine’ or ‘masculine,’ and instead, recognize individuals for their uniqueness and genuinely good character. In order to live in a truly feminist society, we need genders across the board to participate in feminism, and I will discuss a just few reasons why.

            I’m so sick of hearing that violence against women is a “women’s issue.” Yes, we women are, typically, the sex who constantly has to consider the likelihood of sexual assault in nearly every setting we find ourselves in. Yes, we are the sex who feels the need to carry pepper spray and use the buddy system. Yes, we are typically the sex who suffers from victim-blaming and the detrimental psychological impact of sexual assault. But this violence against us, this is not just a “women’s issue”. Let’s look at rape as an example. Less than 1% of rapes are committed by a woman (Katz, 2013). When over 99% of rapes are perpetrated by men, why are we, as a society, labeling rape as a “women’s issue”? I believe it is this very notion that holds us back from truly addressing the overwhelming issue of violence against women. Young girls are being taught not to wear certain clothing, not to tease boys, and to avoid being alone. How often are young boys taught to respect women as their equal, that “no means no,” or simply not to rape? Decades of these lessons and where have they gotten us? Over 600 women are sexually assaulted on a daily basis here in the United States (“Gender-based violence,” 2015). 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime (Park, 2013). Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women (Cook, 2009). To be blunt, the pepper spray is not working. These incongruent lessons are placing responsibility on females and in turn, giving males permission to blame their victims. Feminism requires boys and men to take responsibility for ending these heinous acts. With that being said, it is essential to acknowledge the fact that men and boys too, are survivors of sexual assault. 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before even reaching the age of 18, and that is a gross underestimate due to the terrible stigma that society places on masculinity (“The 1 in 6 statistic,” 2015). This concept of enforced masculinity leads me to another important reason males need to participate in feminism.

            Men, consider these questions: How often do you feel forced to hide your emotions? Have you been told to ‘man up’ or ‘grow a pair,’ or been called ‘whipped,’ ‘a pussy’ or ‘little bitch’? Have you felt the need to objectify women or be aggressive in front of your male friends? Would you (or do you) feel less than if your female partner made more (or makes more) money than you do? Are you ashamed of your interests that may be labeled as feminine? Do you feel held responsible as the protector and bread-winner? Sexism may be easy to ignore when it works in your favor, huh? When taking a closer look though, sexism negatively impacts individuals across sexes, genders, ethnicities, classes, etc. Sexism is hurting us all, as a society. Recent studies published by the highly reputable journal, Social Psychology, show that when males feel as though their masculinity is threatened, they feel a need to reassert their masculinity. As Benoît Monin, co-author of the research and a professor of psychology at Stanford University stated, “this research shows that men are under very strong prescriptive norms to be a certain way, and they work hard to correct the image they project when their masculinity is under threat” (“Manning up,” 2015). Similar studies have demonstrated that this need to reassert the male prescriptive norms may result in violence. More specifically, one study demonstrated that unemployed men were more likely to instigate violence against women. Another shows that men with “baby faces” were more likely to “have assertive and hostile personalities and more likely to commit crimes than their more chiseled counterparts”. Yet another study regarding masculinity demonstrated that “men who were told they scored low on masculinity tests were more likely to act aggressively, harass women and belittle other men” (“Manning up,” 2015). Due to gender roles and traditional marriage, mothers are more likely to obtain custody of their children after a heterosexual divorce. Some family law attorney’s believe this is because the judicial system tends to looks for qualities which are typically assigned to females such as, “feeding, bathing, waking and putting to bed, making doctor appointments, arranging for child care,” and other stereotypical female duties (Guerin, 2015). Is this fair?

            Due to the lack of feminism in our society, sexism is disturbingly prevalent and is not only supporting a society that allows an unfathomable amount of violence against women, but is also influencing men to commit crimes and belittle other men. Men, while us female feminists do appreciate the efforts put forth on our behalf, I invite you to be a bit selfish when considering if feminism is right for you. Sexism, or a lack of feminism, is not just a ‘women’s issue,’ it’s a societal issue. All of us, as a society, are suffering and we need to work together on these issues.

Please see below for references used as well as other useful resources on this topic.

Written by Megan Mansfield

Resources

Emma Watson Speech at the United Nations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iFl4qhBsE

http://www.heforshe.org/

References

Cook, P. W. (2009). Abused men: The hidden side of domestic violence (2nd ed.).                       Westport, CT: Praeger

Gender-based violence. (2015, November 10). Retrieved from http://                                                worldwithoutgenocide.org/wwg/gbv

Guerin, L. (2015, November 9). Divorce for men: Why women get child custody more                  often. Retrieved from http://www.divorcenet.com/resources/divorce/for-men/                      divorce-for-men-why-women-get-child-custody-over-80-time                        

Katz, J. (2013). Violence against women is a men’s issue. In M. Adams, W.J.                                Blumenfeld, R. Castañeda, H. W.             

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga, X (Eds). Readings for Diversity and Social Justice
 (Third Edition) (pp. 64-65). New York, NY: Routledge.

Park, M. (2013). World health organization: 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual             violence. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/20/health/global-violence-             women/         

The 1 in 6 statistic. (2015, November 10). Retrieved from https://1in6.org/the-1-in-6-                     statistic/

University of Washington. (2015, June 22). Manning up: Men may overcompensate                   when their masculinity is threatened. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12,                    2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150622150347.htm

Can Women Actually Teach Students? // Keely Hirsch

Image from https://thenewagenda.net/2012/09/28/american-women-in-mathematics/

Can women actually teach students? The answer of course, is yes, but due to our patriarchal society, it is much harder for women to teach students than it is for men.

Recently, I was awarded a teaching fellowship from my university to teach master’s level counseling psychology students throughout the academic year. When awarded this highly sought after and competitive fellowship, I prided myself on my abilities to educate and foster an environment where students could learn and grow as clinicians. However, upon finishing my first semester of teaching, I was surprised at how much my identity as a woman influenced my teaching experience.

As I began my first semester of teaching, I was paired with a male faculty member to co-teach a Research Methods course. While most students in my PsyD program shudder when they think about SPSS, I became excited! I love analyzing data both qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, I had a great relationship with my co-instructor as he has served as committee member for my dissertation and a great mentor. Prior to the course, I made sure to brush up on my research knowledge and make sure I felt confident and competent. On the first day of class, I gave the first presentation, which went great, and I felt like the students were excited to dig into research!

Things started off going really well. However, as the weeks went on, I noticed that students were asking me questions much more often than they were my co-instructor. I initially believed that it was because I was taking the time to make sure the students really understood the material. But I soon noticed that even after I answered a question, there would be a very specific follow-up question that felt almost attacking. I began to feel incompetent and insecure in my teaching abilities. During our weekly meeting, I brought up my concerns to my co-instructor. He explained that students are trying to fit the information into their own world of understanding, so questions might feel challenging in their nature. I felt a little relieved, but during the next couple classes, I noticed that many of the students were acting oppositional and defiant during my portion of the class: they were not participating during in-class activities and would make sarcastic remarks while I was lecturing. I decided to blame it on the busyness of the semester and students feeling “crispy”.

A few weeks later, I went to a presentation on developing classroom dynamics. One of the most salient parts of this presentation was the aspect of power. The presenter, a feminist, spoke about French and Raven’s (1959) Five Forms of Power. The five forms include: legitimate power, referent power, expert power, reward power, and coercive power. After her explanation of these types of powers, the conversation quickly shaped into a discussion of how our aspects of identity interact with these forms of power to enhance or detract from the amount of power we use.  She explained that gender is something that strongly interacts with power when teaching. She noted that men are less likely to be challenged and are given the benefit of the doubt when teaching. Women, however, are more likely to be challenged, questioned, and doubted. As she was saying this, I was immediately hit with a wave of disappointment. I finally had some power as a teacher (that I was planning to use for good, of course) but it felt like it was slowly being chipped away.

After learning this information, I decided to explore my newfound knowledge. I asked women faculty members what their experiences of being a woman-teacher were like. Many referred to examples of opposition and being challenged (mostly by male students) in the classroom.  Some shared that they used tactics, related to male stereotypes, to avoid these behaviors. For instance, some instructors were less warm to students and more assertive/directive, taking on the “bitch” role. One instructor laughed as she shared that she will wear high heels to appear taller (taking on a male trait). After hearing some of these behaviors, I was disheartened to learn that my pure and sweet view of teaching was quickly becoming soiled.

As I think about ways to avoid my power being stripped away for being a woman, I truly feel helpless. My first thoughts were to take on the “bitch” role, be less understanding and more demanding, and wear higher heels (maybe not). However, these aspects do not feel genuine to me. What does feel genuine is educating students about our patriarchal society and advocating for women. While I cannot continuously preach to my students about marginalized and oppressed populations, I can use my power of coercion, such as giving them bad grades, to make them understand. Just kidding! I can use my passion for educating to teach students about the negative aspects of living in a patriarchal society in a useful and meaningful way.

Written by Keely Hirsch

“Stop Being So Sensitive” & Other Things People Say to Me // Marissa Floro

Whenever I’m discussing something I’m passionate about (gender roles, inclusion, rape culture, media- okay fine it’s a lot of stuff) with a new acquaintance, the conversation usually goes in one of three directions. Direction 1: I get a resounding “yaaaaaas girl” (very rare and probs because I’m talking to another feminist/myself in the mirror). Direction 2: the subject is awkwardly changed when they realize how red my face is getting and we probably shouldn’t be talking about the effects of hardcore porn in a coffee shop anyway. Direction 3: “You’re too sensitive”/”People want to be so politically correct these days”.

“You’re too sensitive”. I have a lot of problems with this response, and I’ll go ahead and make a handy dandy list as to why:

1. I’m gonna make an informed leap here and assume (I know, bad, I KNOW) that when most men passionately argue about things, they do not get called ‘sensitive’. Being called sensitive is a one word way of saying: “You, as a woman, are obviously getting too emotional (menstruation and whatnot) and therefore you probably need to sit down, have a glass of water, and get back to me when you’re more logical.”
2. Why is being sensitive a bad thing? Why should caring about the rights of others, what we call people who don’t look like us, how we approach big world problems be something that is callous and without feeling? Shouldn’t we strive to be sensitive to others?
3. By calling a woman sensitive, one doesn’t even respond to the content of whatever it is she just said. By labeling her as emotional or crazy, she gets discredited, and you don’t even have to acknowledge what she said was right or wrong. Perfect move!

“You’re too politically correct”. A lot of people (comedians, talking heads, politicians, etc.) like to fling this term around as an insult, that you’re being (again) too sensitive* when using the correct term for a people, an identity, a movement. Because that first list went so well, let’s try another!

1. In my experience, this term is used a lot when someone gets offended by something that’s offensive. Like, it’s their fault for getting offended, that they can’t take a joke. First of all, there’s no way for something to be funny to everyone- so no, you’re transphobic joke wasn’t funny to me. Second, way to be a super lazy comedian and offend someone or some group for a laugh instead of thinking of something new not at the expense of someone else.
2. It’s not about walking on eggshells, but using the correct term for something. There are a lot of words we no longer use because we know better now. It’s trying to change our ignorance, not as some call it, “the pussification of America” (omGEE don’t even get me started).

Well, that felt a lot better now that I got that off my chest. Oh, you’re upset about what I said and think that I’m completely wrong and need to be yelled at? Don’t be so sensitive.

*see above list of being called sensitive.

Written by Marissa Floro