When I was 13 a boy asked me to put away an encyclopedia for him in the library. I said no. Even though we were both sitting down at the same table, he called me a bitch. I have recently realized that I have been a little scared of speaking about womanhood since that moment, which sounds ridiculously dramatic, but, nevertheless true. I also recently realized that that experience may have had nothing to do with gender at all. Middle school boys are weird!
It is okay to be a woman and talk about what you and women have in common and how women might be perceived. It is not always true, but sometimes it is. It's not unlovable to note how being a certain type of person has affected your experience. Also, to recognize or confront times you have been victimized by your type does not make you annoying. It also doesn't make you a victim. It just makes you potentially victimized sometimes. More importantly, it makes you aware of your surroundings, which is always a good thing. Oh, yeah! Talkin'
oppression also doesn't mean you inherently are mad at men--even in general. Everyone is still learning! |
| Mostly, being a woman is fun. Why, just look at this hilarious photo of my sister. Clearly enjoying her gender. |
I can only speak for myself, but it's been like this:
Be a human. --> Learn that being a woman human can make things tough, at least historically. --> Try to navigate how that applies to you today. --> Find some things and discuss them. --> Get rolled eyes. (See: middle school) --> Feel annoyed and talk louder. --> See other women doing that and find it unattractive. --> Be more reasonable/ maybe a bit too quiet. --> Want to explore womanhood but do not want to be roped in with the stereotypical feisty male-haters. --> Realize it's not your problem that some people don't talk about womanhood well. You can. There are no rules to this.
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