"Another post about rape", from Fugitivus

Jul 02, 2009 17:19

Sophy posted a link to this, which I think everyone should read.

If women are raised being told by parents, teachers, media, peers, and all surrounding social strata that:

* it is not okay to set solid and distinct boundaries and reinforce them immediately and dramatically when crossed (”mean bitch”)
* it is not okay to appear distraught or emotional (”crazy bitch”)
* it is not okay to make personal decisions that the adults or other peers in your life do not agree with, and it is not okay to refuse to explain those decisions to others (”stuck-up bitch”)
* it is not okay to refuse to agree with somebody, over and over and over again (”angry bitch”)
* it is not okay to have (or express) conflicted, fluid, or experimental feelings about yourself, your body, your sexuality, your desires, and your needs (”bitch got daddy issues”)
* it is not okay to use your physical strength (if you have it) to set physical boundaries (”dyke bitch”)
* it is not okay to raise your voice (”shrill bitch”)
* it is not okay to completely and utterly shut down somebody who obviously likes you (”mean dyke/frigid bitch”)

If we teach women that there are only certain ways they may acceptably behave, we should not be surprised when they behave in those ways.
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