WE HAVE ONE MORE BARRIER AT LEAST STILL TO GO!

[anne_h]

It was an interesting time. I'm glad it's over and things are so much better now, 30+ years later. My post is not an academic study, but maybe it helped you see things from the trenches, where we were.

Absolutely! What you described sounds awful, I can only imagine how difficult it was. Women today enjoy the progress that was hard-earned by earlier generations. I'm glad women like you bucked status quo to forge new norms.

That said, I totally agree we are not done yet. This issue of equality for women is one that has been close to my heart since I was young. I identify as a feminist and am proud to be one! As I progress professionally, my circle of influence grows, and I can do more. It's also been an interesting challenge to try to 'unlearn' some of my feminine socializations, so I don't hold my own self back. I also try to be conscious about what and how I teach our son & daughters. Interesting times ahead...

Anne

 

[azstonie]

I'm proud to be a feminist too and I 'get' that I'm supposed to hide it,

 

[iLander]

It was an interesting time. I'm glad it's over and things are so much better now, 30+ years later. My post is not an academic study, but maybe it helped you see things from the trenches, where we were.

Absolutely! What you described sounds awful, I can only imagine how difficult it was. Women today enjoy the progress that was hard-earned by earlier generations. I'm glad women like you bucked status quo to forge new norms.

That said, I totally agree we are not done yet. This issue of equality for women is one that has been close to my heart since I was young. I identify as a feminist and am proud to be one! As I progress professionally, my circle of influence grows, and I can do more. It's also been an interesting challenge to try to 'unlearn' some of my feminine socializations, so I don't hold my own self back. I also try to be conscious about what and how I teach our son & daughters. Interesting times ahead...

Anne

Thank you. You have no idea how good that made me feel.

And thank you for taking it forward.

 

[Imdanny]

I remember!

But the younger women don't remember that the only jobs for women were receptionist, typist, nurse, teacher, etc. A female scientist, engineer, police officer, member of the military. clergy, etc., was unheard of.

The idea of calling women "sex workers" or recognizing them as human (often with children to care/pay for) did not exist.

The idea of a woman owning/enjoying her own body was slutty talk.

Back then, women were raped because they "asked for it".

I'm not talking about the '50's, I'm talking about the '70's, 80's, 90's. Times have changed.

But we still have a long way to go. The ERA wasn't passed because the corporations wouldn't stand for it, and they still won't. It would give millions of women a leg to stand on when they find out that the guy next to them, working the same job, makes more than they do. The lawsuits would fly. Because women still make 86% of what a man does. Gee, guess they're just not worth the extra 14¢.

I think that women are the worst chauvinists. When asked for a poll a few years ago, the majority of women said they would prefer a male surgeon. I think this says a lot.

I feel like the US is so insular because the government and corporations like it that way. That way we won't know that DOZENS of other countries have/had female heads of state, free childcare, free healthcare, maternity AND paternity leave, free birth control, abortion rights, etc. Oh, yeah, every one of those countries is "socialist". Bull$hit, lies told by politicians. And what's Social Security and unemployment insurance if not "socialism"?

The other day my DD said "If they elect a gay president before they elect a woman, I'm really going to be pi$$ed." Yeah, me too. It seems like the equal rights bus has passed us by . . . again.

Long time no see, but I see that ring on your finger!

Do you have a link to a "SMTB" thread about it?

To your post, In fact, Medicare is part of the Social Security Act. Americans love Social Security and Medicare, just don't call them "socialism" even though they are the exact definition of socialism. No, not a government hand out. You paid for them with dedicated taxes from every paycheck from 18-65. We could and should do a lot more in this regard it comes down to standard of living and quality of life. People have been trained to bark like Pavlov's dog at the word socialism but women (and men) have a higher standard of living and a better quality of life in countries like Norway. So the joke is being played on us while most people think they are smart by not understanding that what's good for the individual is what's good for society,, by thinking individualism is "right."

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I personally have no issues with many socialist principles and I recognize that they are already in place in the U.S. I have thought many times, especially recently as I am starting a family, that if it were easier to leave the U.S. I probably would. I love this country but it frustrates me to no end.

 

[iLander]

Danny and Asscherhalo lover; True, Social Security is not socialism, it's more of a forced savings plan. Which we desperately need, that's for sure. If anything, I think we need more social programs, there are still many falling through the cracks or forced to live on the pittance that is welfare. And I agree, Asscher, this country is frustrating. The thing I hate worse than anything is when politicians say that people are "apathetic" when in reality they are powerless (especially because of gerrymandering, which is created by the politicians!).

 

[azstonie]

I love a good digression, so I wanna get in on the Social Security talk.

My impression is that Social Security was created so that the working poor would not be destitute in old age. Theory being that middle class and rich people made enough money to save for retirement, whereas the poor were hardpressed to just survive.

Social Security was never intended to be the sole support of an person in their old age.

Now that we have horrific income disparity, the 1%-ers growing and the middle class pretty much exterminated, it'll be a real mess when people with no savings, no pensions, and no supplemental health insurance try to retire.

*************************

If anyone is reading this far into the thread, I just wanted to say that I started this thread after the "Barrier" thread regarding the Supreme Court's decision was posted, so that is why I used the language I did in this title---a spin-off, if you will. Now you can't tell its a spin-off because the first thread is now removed.

At this historic juncture, I still think back to the day, that we used to say "Why would anyone be opposed to rights for women?" to people who huffed and puffed that women didn't NEED their rights protected.

I'm glad that gay marriage has been supported at the highest judicial level and I hope that all the shamers and haters will be deterred from their shaming and hating of the LGBT community. The reason why laws are needed to protect rights is because those shamers and haters are employers, they are landlords, they are bank loan officers, they are government officials, etc etc etc ANd pharmacists and court clerks, as we have discussed here. The law is the only protection against people in power who use that power to punish those they disagree with.

Enough said---I don't believe we will see the ERA resurrected any time soon BUT as a woman of a certain age, I wanted to remember the ERA and women's rights at this time.

 

[telephone89]

I am absolutely a feminist, and I find what helps in my daily life is bringing up small things - generally about how women are knowingly OR unknowingly subjugated by society.

For example, the word 'just'. This article outlines how in his experience, women use it more. Women asking permission to ask a question, women asking permission to get something they need. This is something pretty much 100% unknowingly, and taught from a young age, and now ingrained in the way we speak to others.
http://www.businessinsider.com/former-google-exec-says-this-word-can-damage-your-credibility-2015-6

Another of my favourites is the 'young lady' and 'boys will be boys' comparison. Women are taught to be polite, quiet, pretty. Boys are taught that, short of something really bad, they will get away with it, because 'oh those boys!'.

One thing that my SO is actually really good at is not using female analogies to talk about weakness - ie calling someone a pu$$y when they are scared. That's sexist. Saying 'he was like a snivelling little girl', not cool. Again, its things that people don't think are rude to women, but it is.

Also something that came up recently - if you have 2 children playing, and one hits the other (not even necesairly boys v girls), a knee jerk reaction is to ask 'Victim - what did you do to provoke him?! Don't do that, you know s/he hates it!'. Instilling victim blaming to a child, how are they going to feel when its much worse than getting bonked on the head with a toy?

These are things that I bring up in my day to day life, not to chastise anyone, but just to get them thinking. Most of the time people are like 'omg, I didnt even notice that', but once you start to actually think about it, and look at what YOU say and how YOU go about life, its really eye opening. Language plays such an important role in our day to day life. And I like to think that just making a small comment about it, forcing someone to think about it, can change something. I should probably add that I usually say it in a joking manner, and to people I know.