Myths of female innocence perpetuated by misogynists and feminists alike are simply an outgrowth of patriarchal ideology that positions women as perpetually pure, innocent, and childlike and if not then corrupted from that state.
This is a justification for the patriarchal racket that makes men the de facto guardians and custodians of women.
The concept that women need to be protected from corrupting influences is not at all radical.
it’s impossible to satirize Gamer Culture any more than this person seeing a suffragette in a video game and deciding to immediately punch her in the face and then upload it to YouTube entitled “Beating Up Annoying Feminist” where it then proceeds to get over 17,000 likes
dumbass got his channel deleted for posting multiple videos of him torturing and killing the feminist NPC LMAO
Also, to any men reading my posts who are horrified and want to know how they can help—offer to go with your female friends and relatives to appointments. Explain to them you’ve been reading about medical neglect towards women and let them know that if they ever want emotional support, you are there for them.
No, really, you have no idea how differently doctors react when there is a man in the room. Some female doctors will give ETD the side-eye and try to find ways to ask if I am okay (which, bless them) but once they are made aware that he is there at my request for emotional support, they are perfectly happy to have him there, and don’t talk to him unless I need them to.
Male doctors? Whole other ball game. They spot him sitting there and their whole demeanor shifts, and if they do talk over me to him, he quickly sets them right and doesn’t engage in their misogynistic comments, he just stares them down and steps in if he thinks I am being gaslighted, words and phrases like “is this the usual treatment for symptoms like this?” forces the doctor to explain usually what they’d do for him, at which point I am able to ask “so why am I not being sent for XYZ testing/why am I not being prescribed pain treatment?”
But also remember, you are there to be my ally, not to tell the doctor what you think is wrong with me, but to make them pay attention to me. Direct the conversation back to me, and if it’s not working, repeat exactly what I am saying and make them listen.
It’s entirely fucked up, but your mere presence could mean the difference between misdiagnosis and proper medical treatment.
And just because I am seeing it in the tags “#this shit doesn’t happen with female doctors” oh it absolutely fucking does.
Misogyny in the medical world is fucking ingrained. It’s in the very teachings of modern medicine.
Some of my worst gynecological experiences were at the hands of other women who thought I was bullshitting my pain levels when it comes to certain procedures and illnesses.
I’ve been told to “stop making a fuss” while I have screamed on the table from a speculum insertion (by the way, HUGE warning sign there is something majorly wrong with your muscle walls, pain upon insertion is not “normal” do not accept it if they tell you agony is normal upon insertion of anything) for a “routine” exam. And to give you some idea of my pain tolerance levels, I’ve had two root canals without anesthesia (cause
anesthesia doesn’t work for me) and I breathed deeply through them. I left nail marks in the chair and had to tap out a few times for a rest, but I’ve never screamed and shot out the chair like I was being murdered.
I’ve had female doctors tisk at my medical file and tell me I want to “get myself together”, like I’m having an autoimmune collapse for funsies. I’ve had female doctors tell me I “just need to have a baby” because that will “calm me down” and also “what does your husband thing of all this?”
Which speaking of, I’ve also had female doctors turn to my husband and say “wow you sure are good to be coping well with this” like eXCUSE YOU, HE’S NOT THE ONE WHOSE BODY IS EATING ITSELF ALIVE???!! BUT OKAY, SURE, I’M THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO “BE MORE POSITIVE AND TAKE A TYLENOL”. OKAY THEN. (also as an aside: if they do ask your male friend/loved one to leave the room to ensure your safety and you aren’t being controlled, remember to ask for him to be brought back in. Sometimes they “forget” and you’re left on your own again)
And all of this? All those things I posted up there? Those apply to white women as well.
Women of color and women with disabilities, are more likely to be neglected and gaslighted than cis white able bodied women are—and we (I use the term losely when it comes to able bodied re: myself, heh) already get the short end of the stick when it comes to appropriate medical care. Be aware of your fellow women (all your sisters, not just your cisters) and if you are in a position to offer help and go to appointments and sit in on exams, know that it would be greatly appreciated.
And again, remember, it is not your place to talk over your friend, this is not about you or what you think is wrong.
This is about you using your privilege by your mere presence alone, to make sure your friend is going to get adequate medical care, whether it’s pain management or diagnosis.
Be a witness and hold those in the medical industry accountable for their neglect and actions against the vulnerable. Because by gods no one else will.
the distinction between “crafts” and “fine art” is probably driven by misogyny and the devaluation of women’s labor
art forms that have traditionally been practiced by women like embroidery are devalued and called just “crafts” while art forms that women historically were mostly barred from (painting, sculpture) are “fine art”
Also racism; African and Indigenous art is considered crafts whereas only white forms are “art”
this is what the rise of pedophile culture looks like–little girls are being indoctrinated into beauty rituals at earlier and earlier ages to feed the misogynistic pedophilic male gaze.
this is what the intersection of capitalism and misogyny looks like–fashion and beauty products are being marketed to females no matter their age as long as is generates profit and feeds the male gaze.
this is what porn culture looks like–due in part to the widespread availability of porn, females are considered sexual objects before they are considered human beings and so no matter what, a female must always be sexually available and presentable to men.
^Exactly. Please, when you see young girls who look like this, remember not to blame the literal children for their own oppression. They’re just trying to “fit in” and be accepted by their peers. Blame the fucking adults who sell them this image and profit from it.
Thank you for explaining what bothered me about children looking like that. I could never quite put my finger on it.
lol when endometriosis and other reproductive diseases are only taken seriously when they cause infertility because we live in a society that only cares about women’s health when it comes to being able to pop out a baby and not the debilitating pain these women endure everyday
I mean, in the real world, lesbians are attracted exclusively to women, bi women are attracted to multiple genders, and straight women are attracted to men.
But the way a lot of straight people – or misogynist men, anyway – see it, is that 1. women’s sexuality is a blank slate that basically anything can be projected onto if you want to talk her into it hard enough, rendering all women technically bi, and 2. lesbians prefer women, bi women are too horny to have a preference, and straight women are bi when their men want them to be. Or when they’re drunk enough to become “too horny to have a preference.”
I think I just figured out why so many straight people/gay men are invested in calling me a lesbian, a title I’d eagerly choose for myself if it was true. It’s not just that I’m in a very visible same-sex marriage. (I was able to get the right coffee for my spouse last night by asking the corner store clerk, “which blend does the butch [highly recognizable blue-collar uniformed job] get?”) It’s also that their entire worldview of women imposes a layer of bisexuality on us even when it’s not there. Because according to their bullshit definition, a woman who likes both but chooses women is a lesbian. That has nothing to do with the way lesbians define lesbianism, and it should go into the garbage. But at least now I understand it.
fun history fact: a common argument against women voting was ads with cats dressed up as suffrage activists next to signs reading “i demand a vote” etc, basically saying that if women can vote, who’s next, cats?
wasn’t kidding
i think cats should vote
I mean let’s be real I would trust a cat to vote responsibly way more than I would trust a Republican
know what’s wild? that the trope of like “my father always wanted a son so he treated me, his daughter, like a boy” is so popular and like lowkey loved, but if you ever saw a mother who talked about how much she wanted a daughter instead of a son, or if she treated her son like a girl, like??? people would think she’s awful and that poor boy??
damn wonder why that is 😒
i was high af when i wrote this but it’s still true
The latter is literally the plot of some horror movies.
being socialized female is easily recognized as abuse the moment it’s done to a male child
lovingdread 