Play it again, Sam: "No, I don't hate men." (trigger warning)

November 28, 2014 9:44 PM

The Terrible Bargain We Have Regretfully Struck, by Melissa McEwan – 2009 blog post at Shakesville [TRIGGER WARNING, description of sexual assault immediately follows]

"Most of my threatening hate mail comes from men. The most unrelentingly trouble-making trolls have always been men. I've been cat-called and cow-called from moving vehicles countless times, and subjected to other forms of street harassment, and sexually harassed at work, always by men. I have been sexually assaulted – if one includes rape, attempted rape, unsolicited touching of breasts, buttocks, and/or genitals, nonconsensual frottage on public transportation, and flashing – by dozens of people during my lifetime, some known to me, some strangers, all men.

But I don't hate men, because I play by different rules. In fact, there are men in this world whom I love quite a lot."

posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (1 comment total)

One of the things that caught me in this piece was the bit about "playing devil's advocate". A recent XKCD made me stop and realize that when someone thinks they're reasonably presenting the other side, they're occasionally exposing huge unknown bias or just be being a jerk.

The constant vigilance she mentions is one way not to fall into that trap.
posted by phildini at 9:57 PM on November 28, 2014