Raise Your Voice

The world abounds in

Misogyny

The systematic hatred of women

That permeates our society

And displays itself in

Rape

Abuse

And all manner of violence against women

We are a rock revolting

Around a burning sun

It is frightening and ugly and demeaning and soul destroying

Women are under-represented in every institution and industry we can name

In some places we are not allowed out the front door

In many spheres we are presented only as objects of sex

Denied our bodies in others

And always put down

All the fact of an x v. y

And it’s not that men and women

“Hate women” as such

We have sisters! And mothers! And aunts! And daughters!

And friends who are girls and women

I am not one of them

One of those people who

Hates women

But the hatred

Is a habit

Entrenched after two thousand years

Of power struggle, of

Systematic suppression, repression,

Denial

Of the rights of women

To live

And yet

We must keep going

Because it doesn’t have to be this way

It is possible for men and women

To work together

As equals

By speaking out

And naming it

And calling it out

When it happens

In the press, in our speech, in everyday conversation

We can chip away at this

Belittling of one half of the population of the planet

Until misogyny and sexism

Are relics

People are working

Everyday every moment every second

To make it better

The Eve Ensler's and Caroline Criado-Perez's and NMP3's and #everydaysexism's and AnneSummers’ of the world

The campaigners and dreamers and artists and writers and regular everyday people who are making an honest effort

Out there in the world

Really trying

To create a world where

Women have equal rights

To life and dignity 

Where is your voice?

And what is it saying?

The end. 

Rise Up

http://onebillionrising.org/

I'm reading
A history
Of women in power in England
Before Elizabeth I
The injustices these women faced!
Married off as political pawns at birth
Literally entering those marriages at 12
And being carted around Europe
And bearing the children
Of unfaithful
Selfish
Arrogant kings
Imagine being a 12thC princess
No thanks!

But if only
The trampling of women
Were "history"

Today I read
How the upcoming
Children's films
For 2013
Do nothing to promote
The visibility of women
On screen

Yesterday Upworthy published an article
Congratulating Dove for using
"real women"
In its "real beauty" campaign
Yes, they weren't anorexic
But where was their cellulite?
Or their stretch marks?
Or body hair?
Or skin "blemishes"?
Just as photoshopped and airbrushed as the
Derided Victoria's Secret
bikini models
Visible but conformist
To the gaze
That requires
Perfect bodies

The answer?
Speak out!
Say it is wrong!
Point out where the trouble is
But
The Independent
Published an article
About how when women speak out
They are literally told to
Shut up

Today
If you are a powerful woman
You are a witch
A bitch
A liar
Criticized for not wearing makeup
For wearing too much makeup
For being visible at all

I'm sick of
People not treating
Other people
As people
Because of race gender beliefs
Whatever
I'm sick of living
In a culture
So entrenched for
Centuries
That prizes women for
Their glorified looks
For their silence

I want to live in a world
Where people are people
The end.

In two weeks
Eve Ensler is calling
For people to
Rise
To stand up against
Inequality
And brutality
Towards women

I want to rise
To say
Whoever you are
Whether you identify as man woman or neither
Please can we just work together
To make life on this unstable planet more bearable
More fun
More beautiful
To ensure
Every person
Born to this planet
Has good food
And shelter
And access to music
And culture
And freedom of expression
And freedom to be
Themselves
Perfect
Just as they are

The end.

Inspiration v. Despair

I love messages that are inspiring and full of hope and leave me feeling positive
It's why I'm fascinated by A is For and Occupy and No More Page 3, and V-Day
And all the A-Z of organizations who in their own way
Are just trying to make it better, easier, nicer
For people.
Because that's what we all are in the end
Whether we're writers or artists or bankers or plumbers or dentists
We. Are. People.

It's why I love artists like Amy Krouse Rosenthal.
Not just artists
Writers and composers and historians and entrepreneurs and builders and all the souls just trying to make a difference.
People who say,
Let's make this better
Let's make this nicer, more beautiful, more inspiring
A less harsh place to live in.
Like Eve Ensler, like Martha Plimpton, like Anne Summers.

It's why I loved reading Obama's book.
He has the audacity to hope for something better
A time, a place, a now that doesn't tread on people
And why is it so audacious to want hope?
Shouldn't it be utterly audacious to only see the bottom line, to hurt, to lie, to steal, to see a world devoid of beauty?
Imagine a world where people were actually nice to each other.
Imagine such a thing
"Hippy" John Lennon.
If you believe in peace and love and nicety, you're a damn communist.

We are a rock revolting.
There is so much anger and hate and sadness,
But it can be different.
We must speak out.
We must appreciate each other.
We must not be afraid.

I've been afraid.
I am afraid
Of my own voice.
So afraid I haven't written, I haven't sung, I'm scared of dancing in public.
I'm scared of my own body.
Because the people who speak out
Are laughed at, trolled, vilified, shot.
People are miserable, living on the street, dying horrifically.
God, it can all seem so awful.

And I shift between total inspiration
And total despair.
What can I do?!
Breathe. Just breathe.
And trust that it all gets better. That change IS possible.
And get on with what I have to do.

The end.