It is the passive sexism, racism, and classicism that should cause us the most concern. Active? Hell, yes, we are all (hopefully) against that. It’s the passive that is the most dangerous. It’s what hides behind the curtains as something else.
I’ll give you an example of my own passive sexism:
I’m watching the new Netflix series “The Queen” (it’s awesome) and this interaction occurs:
Prince Phillip to the new Queen Elizabeth II: “What kind of marriage is this? What kind of family? You’ve taken my career from me, you’ve taken my home, you’ve taken my name … I thought we were in this together.”
At first, I’m all sympathetic with him. Then, I realize. WTF? That’s what WOMEN HAVE HAD TO DO FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, without any expectation of complaint. Sucks, doesn’t it, when you think about it? When you’re expected to submit to someone else, give up your dreams, your home, and your fricking name to be a part of something else. I don’t know the answer of how two people come together to form a life, especially in the 21st century, but this much I know is true: I am more proud of myself than I have ever been. I drew a very small and insignificant line in the sand and said: I will keep my maiden name. It is the name I was born with and the name with which I shall die.
If I, who, given the gestalt of my comments on BBS, am at first swayed by some random TV character’s rationale, then what does that mean for the rest of America?
Sexism had everything to do with this election. If you think it didn’t, I will gladly sell you some lovely land in Florida.
