weepier tones

The Terrible Bargain We Have Regretfully Struck

iamateenagefeminist:

“There are the occasions that men—intellectual men, clever men, engaged men—insist on playing devil’s advocate, desirous of a debate on some aspect of feminist theory or reproductive rights or some other subject generally filed under the heading: Women’s Issues. These intellectual, clever, engaged men want to endlessly probe my argument for weaknesses, want to wrestle over details, want to argue just for fun—and they wonder, these intellectual, clever, engaged men, why my voice keeps raising and why my face is flushed and why, after an hour of fighting my corner, hot tears burn the corners of my eyes. Why do you have to take this stuff so personally? ask the intellectual, clever, and engaged men, who have never considered that the content of the abstract exercise that’s so much fun for them is the stuff of my life.” 

This article resonated with me in a way something hasn’t done in a long time. I used to fight for hours with my male friends about “women’s issues”. They used to get so upset with me when I started crying and yelling and pleading with them. “Why are you taking this so personally?” I heard over and over and over again. They were unable to understand that “women’s issue” are not just political smut, but the very ins and out of my very existence.  

(via iamayoungfeminist)