Patriarchy

"The enemy of feminism isn't men. It's patriarchy. And patriarchy is not men. It is a system. And women can support the system of patriarchy just as men can support the fight for gender equality." - Justine Musk


"Yes, Susan Collins could have been a hero today. And she should have. I make no excuses for her.
But you know who else could have been a hero?
Any one of 49 men.

But we don't aim our vitriol at them because the expectation is that they will, predictably, be trash and women will have to do the hard thing to save themselves.

Because the expectation is always that women will do the hard things.
Women will drop everything to protest.
Women will put their bodies on the line.
Women will get arrested.
Women will relive their trauma.
Women will rage and scream and yell.
Women will sacrifice their political careers.
Women will clean up this mess.

And the next day we will be expected to peel our tear-stained selves off the floor and do it again. In heels.

And the men will do nothing.

These are the expectations. These are the givens. I never questioned them. You didn't either. It's internalized.
Remember that the next time someone asks you what the patriarchy is. That's it." - Emily Holmes