Misogyny and Sexism in the News

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Greyson

The missing subject in Arab uprisings

Published Tuesday, Apr. 05, 2011


There is much about the Middle East that needs changing. It was always a matter of time, for example, before the people would rise up and demand freedom. But we have yet to see the leaders of the uprisings make a forceful case to address one of the most serious problems in the region: the routine abuse, harassment and even the brutalization of women.

Hi Greyson!

Thanks for posting this article last month! I just came across this forum thread today and it reminded me of the hot forum topic from last summer on Misogyny/Sexism in Butch/Femme & LGBTQ communities

(LINK)

I want to author a book on this subject alone... If you (and others here) don't mind, I will excerpt a portion of my forum post on what the above article (authored by Frida Ghitis, from the Miami Herald). I think it is important to keep issues that target female beings in social settings front and center; because dismantling ideological frames that perpetuate these types of institutionalized practices can only lead to a healing of social practices and ideas pertaining to women - locally, nationally & globally.

Excerpting my former statement from last summer:

Originally Posted by AlovelyKiss

My experience with misogyny is rooted in being bombarded by a culture that allows, condones and develops and facilitates distribution of power to those who least deserve to have that type of power or use it wisely.

The theoretical argument I wish to make is that misogyny (hatred of the female species) is based in what I call Misocracy – (def. - a form of governance that condones and facilitates the hatred of females) – a political regime that finds its roots in misogyny.

I conceptualized the term Misocracy because it seems to operate much like Ethnocracy (def.- the systematic discrimination of ethnic groups by the state and minority groups face repressions, violations of human rights at the hand of governance that facilitates such acts). Which to me, Ethnocracy is the antithesis of democracy. A Misocratic society is one that tolerates, facilitates and perpetuates hatred of the female species and over time, the female species, who are submerged (dare I say, water-boarded?) in a female hating culture, it would seem that as a female, we are conditioned to hate ourselves because females are held to standards of hate that no one should have to bear or even be initiated into. It’s only been the last seven years that I work actively on not hating me and not allowing the culture of misogyny or Misocracy to chip away at my female based identity. It’s been difficult though because I have reared two sons and while my own tenets (values and beliefs) have anchored my own existence, I have not always been able to convey with ease to my sons why society at large pressures them to act socially in one way (as males) and why socially dominant ideals and values are not always tolerable.

It’s been a never ending hardship, a drain-circling ‘perfect’ storm, policing my boundaries and making sure that Misocractic norms are not exacted upon me as they always have been, seemingly all my life.

So what antidote is there? What kind of “medicine” will it take to heal Misocracism?

The antidote is complicated and the “medicine” available carries significant commitment to eradicating misogyny in a Misocratic society (a Misocracy). One way to dismantle a Misocracy is to unpack misogyny as we see, hear and experience it and to not tolerate a culture that endorses and utilizes Misocractic agenda. We (the general “we”) do that individually or collectively as member of groups in society or in our social settings – much like this forum thread here, where we work on naming aspects of our lives that are connected to the culture of hating the female species.

So, for now, this is what I have been wanting to say about how I perceive misogyny and the place that is has had in my life and how I work on eradicating this egregious stain from my life.

I am Female and I am Femme: Here me purrrrrrrrrr (not roar).