#YesAllWomen

[Eris0303]

Have any of you guys been reading any of these tweets? Just the other day I was talking to someone about how it seems every time a woman exerts herself or steps up for herself the rape threats are not far behind. We think we've come a long way but in many ways we haven't. Some of the stories being shared are heartbreaking. And, I'm not suggesting for a moment that men don't similar struggles and I don't think any of the people tweeting do either. I'm sure many people can start their own #yesall.... with similar results.

A few examples:

@rare_basement when i was picked up by the throat and thrown down the stairs, responding officers told ME to apologize to HIM for crying #YesAllWomen

@cmclymer Black guy shoot folks = thug. Brown guy shoots folks = terrorist. White guy guns down women = "nice guy who's mentally ill". #YesAllWomen

abby ?@totallyharry bc schools are against girls showing shoulders and midriff, but "cool story babe, now make me a sandwich" shirts are acceptable #YesAllWomen

The Opinioness ?@OpinionessWorld When women survive domestic violence, people ask, "Why stay? Why didn't you leave?" rather than, "Why did the abuser abuse?" #YesAllWomen

@anniecardi Because women are taught to carry our keys like a weapon in case we're attacked in a parking lot. #YesAllWomen

[strummergirl]

It's an answer to #NotAllMen meme that spoofed how often conversations about misogyny always end up with somebody saying, 'Well, not ALL men.' in terms of toxic behavior toward women.

Plus, the Santa Barbara shooting where the shooter was clearly this disturbed, entitled, angry misogynist is what clearly birthed this hashtag. I mean, he shot up a sorority like he said he would because nobody was going to go be his date and pop his cherry (really). That kind of behavior feels like a cultural complex extremely familiar to women of a certain age. It's terrifying. I have a lot of friends who are so disturbed and traumatized by seeing that video. Meanwhile, my parents only asked me why I chose to watch it. I don't know. It just feels so chilling how without the forced evil laugh and detachment, it sounds exactly what I overheard from guys in college.

[jnb9872]

The hashtag has been extremely effective, and affecting, at least to me. And not exclusively because of the stark posts by women, but because of the horrific trolling by some men. It is a terrible underbelly that those trolls occupy, and this hashtag seems an extremely effective ray of sunshine into their deep and dark cavern. And especially considering how it exposes how mainstream that way of thinking among men is, sadly.

[Eris0303]

I remember the first time I was groped. It was on 8th Ave and even though I was told it wasn't a big deal and it happened all the time I was in tears. I felt violated. I should be able to walk down a street without being my ass or breast being cupped. Wearing a skirt is not an invitation for someone to reach over and put their hand on my leg. I don't feel flattered. I feel scared.

ETA: Interesting how my phone turns "breast" into "breastfeeding" but doesn't change "penis" into anything.

[Eris0303]

Felicia Day's blog

[givesmevoice]

I remember the first time I was groped. It was on 8th Ave and even though I was told it wasn't a big deal and it happened all the time I was in tears. I felt violated. I should be able to walk down a street without being my ass or breast being cupped. Wearing a skirt is not an invitation for someone to reach over and put their hand on my leg. I don't feel flattered. I feel scared.

I think the normalization of street harassment is one of the scariest things about it. Women grow used to it, don't realize what a violation it really is, and then aren't able to tell other girls and young women that it's a violation and not something you should expect when you grow up.

I was recently approached by a very drunk man on the PATH train who tried to talk to me, and touched my arm even as I recoiled away from him. I was so much more distressed and upset because of the way he looked at me and the fact that he touched me than by the fact that he referred to me as "that fat girl" to his equally drunk friend as they got off the train. It's so minor in the scheme of things, but it was an incredibly uncomfortable experience.

[Reginald Tresilian]

And it's NOT okay.

[Eris0303]

It's sad how few of the commentors seem to get this. Good for the Times for highlighting it but wow some of the comments.

It's not the time for this conversation? Well, then by golly when will it be? After another rape? After another woman is murdered by her husband/boyfriend? I say every time is the right time.
Campus Killings Set Off Anguished Conversation About the Treatment of Women

[Eris0303]

When I was posting this article Twitter suggested #YesALLWhiteWomen. Do we have to break it down even further? Is it necessary to create the separation between the two. We all deal with the same core issues no matter what the color of our skin. And the #YesAllPeople seems to simply serve to mock the #yesallwoman tweets. And don't even get me started on the #YesAllBiblicalWomen.

And now we have tweets like this:

#yesallblacks white people are racist

Why is #YesAllWomen any less divisive than #YesAllBlacks or #YesAllWhites ? Imagine the uproar created of those equivalent trends

#YesAllWomen is another bigoted Twitter hashtag. Next they'll start #YesAllBlacks

I've got nothing with #yesallwomen. Will it be followed by #yesallgays, #yesallblackpeople, #yesallnerds? Awareness politics are not for me. (tweeted by a woman)

This has been, feminism with twitter users, tune in next time for #YesAllGays

As I said in my original post I understand that other people have serious grievances. But, it seems to be boiling down into a competition. My problems are worse than yours.

[Sutton Ross]

My favorite from #YesAllWomen

"'I have a boyfriend' is the easiest way to get a man to leave you alone. Because he respects another man more than you."

100% TRUE

[FindingNamo]

But, it seems to be boiling down into a competition.

In the old days of analogue activism, we called that the hierarchy of oppression.

[winston89]

i'm sorry, but I can't muster up the nerve to get behind something like this. I find that it does nothing more than promote stereotypical actions of both genders by coming off as saying ALL men act one way and ALL women feel/act another. I think that there are legit issues out there, but to stereotype it or generalize it, it isn't going to solve the problem.

I am also not a fan of online activism through social media. I feel that you get people who may in fact be supportive of the cause, and then you get people who don't really care either way, but do it because their friends are doing it. Examples of such things would be adding the word "equality" into your facebook name. Or, putting up a picture of a cartoon character to protest childhood violence. These were things that I am sure others just did for the sake of doing so without actually having any meaning behind it. That's why I take issues with things like this.

[FindingNamo]

"These were things that I am sure others just did for the sake of doing so without actually having any meaning behind it."

So, you mean behaving the way humans have been behaving forever?

[strummergirl]

Winston IS the #NotAllMen hashtag incarnate. Seriously man, just stay out of this. Or better yet, shut up and read people's actual experiences under the #YesAllWomen hashtag. To act like the hashtag is promoting a stereotype, especially when this is in response to such an act of misogyny and cultural entitlement seems to show how much of the point you are missing.

[ErikJ972]

^Ugh
Nothing like responding to a discussion of misogyny with a little misogyny.

*Fortunately the post that used to be above mine was deleted.

[Eris0303]

Guys, remember that this is the same person who responded to being called a "tool" with a threat of violence and calling me a "c u next Tuesday".

[givesmevoice]

Wow, we didn't even have to get to a second page before someone who wildly missed the point chimed in.

[PalJoey]

Winston, I have to insist that you apologize. INSTANTLY. And take that word out of your signature, too. It offends me.

Or else just admit that you're nothing but an immature troll trolling for people to get mad at him. Then we can all put you on Ignore with Suestorm.

[NYadgal]

No words...

[Reginald Tresilian]

How about "repellant"?

[Eris0303]

People are still arguing that the #yesallwomen hastag has nothing to do with the Santa Barbara killings. But, that doesn't mean it doesn't need to be said and isn't long overdo.
Why #YesAllWomen took off on Twitter

[Eris0303]

THE POWER OF #YESALLWOMEN

[NYadgal]

"There is something about the fact that Twitter is primarily designed for speech—for short, strong, declarative utterance—that makes it an especially powerful vehicle for activism, a place of liberation. Reading #YesAllWomen, and participating in it, is the opposite of warily watching a man masturbate and being unable to confront him with language. #YesAllWomen is the vibrant revenge of women who have been gagged and silenced"


Thank you for sharing that article, Eris.

[YouWantitWhen????]

SMH at Winston - who so does not get it.

[Eris0303]

Thank you for sharing that article, Eris.

Out of all of the blogs/articles I've read I found that one to be the most compelling. It summed things up so succinctly but still managed to be heartfelt.

[givesmevoice]

#YesAllWomen and the Everyday Sexism project have made me aware how lucky I've been, to have so little experience with sexual harassment of any sort. But the problem there is that we should all be lucky, and it shouldn't be luck, it should be the norm.