To the writers of women's magazines and websites:
I am writing to express my feelings about the messages your magazines and websites send. You claim to be for women, but the messages you send are toxic. At best, you have reduced women to their sexuality. At worst, you act as if a woman's worth is based on her ability to please men sexually.
For example, you will write an article about how anti-abortion laws are bad because they "control women's bodies," but the next article endorses Fifty Shades of Grey, a book that glamorizes a relationship where the man is in control of the woman's body, the very thing you claim to be against. The message you are sending is not feminist. Instead, you are sending the message that anything that advances sexual "freedom" is good, even when it hurts other people. Whether it's a woman being abused or an unborn child being aborted, sexual freedom should never infringe on another person's rights. Ever.
I am not saying that sexuality and feminism cannot coexist, because they can. While I may personally have my own moral beliefs regarding sexuality, I believe that people should be free to make their own choices. However, you act as if sexual freedom is the only kind of freedom that matters, and that is problematic.
Another problem I have with your magazines and websites is that they send the message that all women are the same, or that all women should be the same. If a woman is overweight, asexual, pro-life, or otherwise not conforming to your standards, you act as if there is something wrong with her, that she is less of a woman. As an overweight, ace spectrum, pro-life woman who doesn't follow trends, you do not speak for me. But am I any less of a woman?
There is nothing feminist about unrealistic beauty standards, erotic
novels that glorify abuse, or reducing women to their sexuality (or
worse, their ability to please men sexually). As long as you're going to send these messages, admit that what you are advocating for is sex, not feminism.
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