Feminism

It's international women's day today 

And we need radical feminism.

First of all, aren't these emojis so cute??? 

I'm concerned with the uprise in right-wing anti-feminist "men's rights" activists, both male and female alike. I'm disgusted daily with ways in which some women appear to have absolutely zero self-preservation skills in protecting their rights and the rights of all other women for the temporary praise of men. 

Obeying hateful, right-wing men will not make them hate you any less, respect you any more, or save you from patriarchy. You are just like the rest of us, subjugated, sub-human, un-important.

Up until now, I've only been enrolled in Catholic schools. When I was fifteen I desired the good opinion of the religious right-wing men in my life. I blindly agreed with everything they said. In high-school, caring about social activism was generally understood to be the "uncool" thing to do. It was cool to be traditional, it was cool to be unlike "modern" girls. 

I was groomed by a right-wing, religious man who was a decade my senior from fifteen to nineteen years old. I'm not even his age when he met me yet. Engaging with radical feminism quite literally saved my life. I can remember the ways in which I would convince myself that alienating oneself from one's family and having multiple children was the "right" thing to do. I was only a child myself, and while I've blocked most of it out, some days when it comes back to me I just want to vomit and vomit. 

I'm scared of what might have happened if feminism never found me. And that's what right-wing men desire. 

I'm scared for the women who've succumbed to misogynistic ideals and have no choice but to regurgitate it to other women. If it happened to me, it's got to happen to you -- and it can't be so bad if it's everyone's life, right? 

Non-conformance is so important, now more than ever. I love women, and I love to see them take up space, be loud, be forthright, smile with their whole teeth, and make their laughter fill the entire room.

I'm scared but I'm hopeful. I'm constantly surrounded by people who give a shit, who don't care if to care is cool or otherwise, they just do. 

Anyways, it's international women's day today, and if you feel this way and make it loud, then I'm so proud of you :^)