Harassment and Double Standards

( I wrote the first half of this post a few weeks ago and never published it. This is the completed version full of feminism and frustration etc.)

I rarely experience personal forms of sexism but this week has shown me so many different forms it and I. Am. Angry.

I went to a charity dance competition Friday night and the judges and the two presenters were so infuriatingly rude and insulting. It's one thing to have young immature boys who haven't the sense to know better act as though they are entitled to your attention. It's a completely different experience to be faced with adults both male and female who almost certainly have come across feminist ideas at some point in their lives and yet they act obnoxiously and disrespectfully towards people who have put themselves out there, up on stage in a very vulnerable situation to raise funds for a good cause. Watching this behavior I find myself becoming ever more disgusted with people. It's upsetting for me to see this going on and feeling utterly helpless to interfere or defend.

I have always been aware of the inequality that is rife among humanity but I've been lucky enough to not have to experience much of it first hand. It makes me want to become a human rights activist because I feel so incredibly strongly about these issues. It's so difficult to make enough of a difference to influence the way people live and treat others and I honestly don't believe it's possible to create a world free of inequality. But it doesn't stop me wanting to try.

This video is French film that shows a reversed society in which women are superior and men are oppressed. YouTube has made it age restricted due to 'sexual violence' which is frustrating because there are so many more harmful videos for people to watch on YouTube and this video is literally showing how horrific and awful sexual harassment and violence is, not promoting it. Anyway I recommend you watch it.

While I'm on a feminist rant I might as well include another video which honestly nearly made me cry because of the heart wrenching truth in it. All my life, whenever I've become passionate about anything I've been accused of becoming too emotionally invested, becoming aggressive when I'm trying to tell someone why my beliefs are important to me. I've seen girls lose their spirit and become apathetic about things they were once ardently devoted to because they were interrupted and laughed at for being bossy or loud. I learned at a young age to suppress my knowledge and intelligence because I feared being called a know-it-all again. I've been called stubborn, pushy, bossy and every other name mentioned in this video, by adults. We are taught to keep our heads down, to allow others take the lead by our parents, teachers, family members, everyone who we are expected to respect and obey. And then society asks why there aren't more female leaders, why are the majority of commanding job positions operated by men? Oh it's because women aren't capable of that job position, men are just better. Fucking bullshit. It's because unlike little boys who are praised for being ambitious, assertive and called leaders, we as girls are discouraged in the most severe form from these very same actions.