The wicked problems
Point-counterpoint:
"This amazingly puts into one sentence what I have been attempting to explain to ex-boyfriends and friends (male and female) for years, mostly unsuccessfully. The idea that a woman should only be left alone if she is 'taken' or 'spoken for' (terms that make my brain twitch) completely removes the level of respect that should be expected toward that woman. It completely removes the agency of the woman, her ability to speak for herself and make her own decisions regarding when and where the conversation begins or ends. It is basically a real-life example of feminist theory at work--women (along with women's choices, desires, etc.) being considered supplemental to or secondary to men, be it the man with whom she is interacting or the man to whom she 'belongs' (see the theory of Simone de Beauvoir, the story of Adam and Eve, etc.). And the worst part of the whole situation is that we're doing this to ourselves."
http://lunalunamag.com/2013/09/05/stop-boyfriend/
"Now, you're probably thinking, 'Feminace, why did you spend so much time making up lies when a simple "I'm not interested" would suffice in avoiding unwanted attention?'
"You may even be thinking, 'Are you doing feminism wrong by making up a supposed "owner" of your girl-bits to avoid being bothered?'
"Oh, my sweet summer child."
http://feminace.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/lying-to-men/
I'm largely in agreement with the Luna Luna author: as I commented on a friend's post, no one should need "what if it was your wife / girlfriend / mother / sister / daughter" to understand why harassment is wrong. But I also understand that what should be done and what can be done are not necessarily the same thing. And yes, there is a racial aspect as well, which makes the whole is-ought conundrum even more uncomfortable.
"This amazingly puts into one sentence what I have been attempting to explain to ex-boyfriends and friends (male and female) for years, mostly unsuccessfully. The idea that a woman should only be left alone if she is 'taken' or 'spoken for' (terms that make my brain twitch) completely removes the level of respect that should be expected toward that woman. It completely removes the agency of the woman, her ability to speak for herself and make her own decisions regarding when and where the conversation begins or ends. It is basically a real-life example of feminist theory at work--women (along with women's choices, desires, etc.) being considered supplemental to or secondary to men, be it the man with whom she is interacting or the man to whom she 'belongs' (see the theory of Simone de Beauvoir, the story of Adam and Eve, etc.). And the worst part of the whole situation is that we're doing this to ourselves."
http://lunalunamag.com/2013/09/05/stop-boyfriend/
"Now, you're probably thinking, 'Feminace, why did you spend so much time making up lies when a simple "I'm not interested" would suffice in avoiding unwanted attention?'
"You may even be thinking, 'Are you doing feminism wrong by making up a supposed "owner" of your girl-bits to avoid being bothered?'
"Oh, my sweet summer child."
http://feminace.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/lying-to-men/
I'm largely in agreement with the Luna Luna author: as I commented on a friend's post, no one should need "what if it was your wife / girlfriend / mother / sister / daughter" to understand why harassment is wrong. But I also understand that what should be done and what can be done are not necessarily the same thing. And yes, there is a racial aspect as well, which makes the whole is-ought conundrum even more uncomfortable.