and everything's fine

Read an interesting article on Buzzfeed about the "Hey girls did you know" meme... which is a tumblr thing that's designed to tell girls "Hey girls, did you know you spread nutella, not your legs?" Basically, it's more of the same slut shaming thing. And I've been thinking about when girls spread misogynistic references.

One of my extremely conservative facebook friends got into a fight with another one of his friends after posting a hypocritical post about "LIBERTY!!" where the girl mockingly pointed out his support for things like vaginal ultrasounds before abortions. I know, this seems like kind of a tangent, but I'll bring it back around!

Anyway, they got into a lengthy discussion/argument, where finally she told him he had no right to judge because the issue does not affect him directly. And he pointedly responded that he guaranteed that he would feel the same way even if he were a woman, all he needed to do was point to his mom and his sisters. And then he told her to drop the subject.

Some of the biggest arguments I have gotten into with regards to abortion have been with women. Their being women doesn't suddenly make the position not misogynistic in nature. But I've been thinking back to this, and then to the "Hey girls, did you know" thing on Tumblr, and how the most popular/reblogged images are the ones from women.

There's this inherent idea among society that women can speak the best to women's issues. It's true, but not the position that I take issue with-- it's the idea that if a woman is saying the exact thing you as a man are thinking, that must mean your position is true, even if there are millions of women speaking the exact opposite of what you say. It's this type of illogical followthrough that makes "Hey girls, did you know" and male abortion opponents feel better that they're the ultimate authority-- because there's a small contingency of women that are vocal about agreeing with them.

Or that are given a more vocal position without the type of derogatory shit-flinging that other women get. See: Sandra Fluke and how she is still villianized to this day, or how the Republicans are ready to about-face on liking Hillary Clinton if she shows any interest in getting legitimately back into politics.

I know, I'm speaking to the choir here, but it bothers me. Anti-abortion activists are overwhelmingly male, 73% was the last quoted statistic I'd heard, but poll after poll shows women are not on the pro-life side, with some caveats.

It's infuriating that the one woman, figuratively, that says something men agree with means women's opinions are invalidated. Because women agree with men! What's your problem?

Argh. Maybe next time that asshole on my facebook gets into an argument like this, I'll just. Actually say something, even though I hate dignifying a man's opinions on my rights with a response. And even though I know it won't change his opinion at all, because unless it comes from a conservative source, it's biased.

Ugh.

Dear F-List,

House Minority Leader, John Boehner, has recently been quoted in an interview saying, "I'm still trying to find the first American to talk to who's in favor of the public option, other than a member of Congress or the administration."

( So I wrote him an email. )

Ahh, I feel politically active now!