Elizabeth Lombino

Sexism in the 21st Century, as summed up by Andy Borowitz: “(Rick) Santorum believes in the rights of the unborn child, but once she’s born he thinks it’s OK for Rush (Limbaugh) to call her a slut.”

Seriously. Did we all fall asleep one night and wake up in a different era?

Just a few years ago, we were all full of progressive thought and movement. We have our first President of color, we are passing gay marriage laws in more and more states… The possibilities and HOPE were gaining momentum. Change was happening.

So then what? Did we all drink too much of this Hope-filled wine and wake up to the worst Victorian-esque hangover ever? Now we have bloated a-holes calling women “sluts” for wanting contraception. We have members of the GOP wanting to set up shop in our uteruses and declare men the keeper of all things reproductive. What on earth is going on? My inner feminist is screaming in protest and I would burn my bra, if my boobs could adequately handle the loss on their own. This gesture is a bit drastic for me now that I’m clearly NOT of college age.

In a sad way, this kind of makes sense. Think about it… those insecure men who have despised the day that Obama took office (since somehow it is symbolic of the apocalypse) are grasping to anything and everything they can to shift the momentum. (I realize there are women who share the same views of some of these crazy men, I just can’t bring myself to add them to this mix. That is just an awareness I would rather keep buried deep, deep, DEEP down. Hopefully these so-called women will snap out of their delusion soon. Hope…) They act out of fear. They prey on fear. They perpetuate a culture of fear. And guess what, So-Called Modern “Men”, fear just does not fit with the culture so many of us have created today. We no longer operate with a few, seemingly powerful people running the country and the rest of us cowering in a corner. “Please, sir, may I have another?” Really. We have all been working so hard to ensure this type of society gets demolished. (Unless we are looking at Wall Street. Which we are not. Maybe next piece.) Obama became the symbol and reality of that shift. No longer are there the few who call the shots and those that obey.  Please, even marriage has evolved beyond “obey”. It has evolved beyond heterosexuality! And that’s just it. Those few insecure men who feel that somehow all is lost are freaking out that not only are homosexuals gaining “power” and having a voice, but even women (who by the way, have had power for quite some time) are becoming even more powerful and speaking up for all that is unjust in the world.

These so-called men just can’t take it anymore!

As sick and twisted as this is, I kind of enjoy watching them squirm. For so long it has been all of us who have felt pushed down, not heard, not seen, screaming to open air with no one paying attention. Now, not only are these men creating crazy arguments, those of us who have felt the power shift are not paying attention to them in the way they intended. I don’t even think their followers think they are sane at this point.

Here’s another thought: There have been journalists and other media people being fired over making racist comments. Absolutely needs to be done, no question. Yet, why has Rush Limbaugh not been fired over his sexist comment? Perhaps time will assist in how this story plays out. Yet seriously, this man is paid millions to spew hate against women (and many other people) and there are no consequences. Except several of his sponsors backing out from supporting his show. Maybe that’s what will speak louder to him – losing money.

Feminism looks so much different now than it did when I was in college. And not just because now I can’t go more than 5 minutes without a bra and I have many more gray hairs. It’s also because as a movement we are louder and more respected. Being a feminist isn’t as much of a “dirty” word as it was many years ago. We have blended in with mainstream more. We’re not the stereotypical tree-hugging, hemp-wearing, incense-burning woman. Of course feminism hasn’t always looked like this anyway, despite what Rush Limbaugh would have you believe. I am proud to be a feminist, a mom, a professional. I can cook my family an amazing dinner, wear heels to work, and also be a tremendous feminist working and fighting for women’s rights.

We truly can have it all now. This is what I love about being a feminist.

The other huge thing I love about this movement now is the Social Media component. This is what I believe to be a HUGE factor in our collective voice. Now we can use Social Media to raise hell and find ways to heal and laugh as well. Look at the debacle with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I truly believe the result would have been the same, however, it would not have happened as swiftly and as loudly as it did without the powerful influence of Twitter and Facebook. The moment the news broke that Komen would not be funding Planned Parenthood, all the most powerful women I follow on Twitter were building united fronts and planning events day and night. I saw Sandra Bernhard and Lizz Winstead and others tweeting at all hours back and forth building momentum and raising hell. It was one of the most beautiful moments to witness. Women were taking the power back and turning a devastating decision into a uniting force and ultimately effected the needed change. It was awe-inspiring.

Clearly we have more work to do. Of course there will always be delusional assholes like Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum. That’s reality. At the same time, we can continue to unite and use the power we have to affect change. The voices of these insecure men will be a mere whisper compared to the roar of the modern feminist.

Filed under: Hope Notes, Just for Laughs, LGBTQ, Social Media, Social Work, Strengths Perspective, Women's Rights