On Witch Hunts

Hi team,

So this might seem odd, but I'm going to dedicate this year's post-Thanksgiving entry to witch hunts.  I have a little bit to say to explain how I'm allocating my gratitude, but then I want to turn the mic over to some other ladies who are likely much more articulate than I could hope to be after a long work day.

Here's why I'm thankful for witch hunts:

This time last year, we were still working through the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic presidential election.  I was stunned, devastated, sickened, and terrified.  It was hard to see how our democracy would survive the coming relentless assault.

It's clear that we're still in the midst of an extremely dark era that requires the constant vigilance and concerted civic action of its citizens (a curated list of the things requiring our efforts from just the last few days: protecting net neutrality, defending DACA, and telling our President to stop using racial slurs while in the presence of Native American war heroes).  I would nevertheless argue there are is a razor-thin but still present silver lining to the storm clouds buffeting the nation.

That silver lining is the direct byproduct of the election.  It is the byproduct of slamming the backs of every woman, person of color, member of a religious minority, and LGBTQIA person against an unyielding and brutal wall.  The grave miscalculation of cornering all of us is that we know we have nowhere to run and everything to lose.  There are so many of us, and we know we must fight.  So if you're a would-be destroyer of civil rights or a perpetrator of oppression, we're coming for you.  You've given us no choice.

One of the ways this manifests is this: we've finally entered the chapter of our nation's history in which, if a powerful man abuses his power by engaging in sexual maltreatment of his colleagues or underlings, he will finally suffer meaningful, necessary consequences.

It's extremely painful watching this chapter unfold.  Men I once admired and whose work I once enjoyed are now dead to me.  Learning of the acts of abuse they've perpetrated against people who worked for them, trusted them, and relied on them to be safe, respectful colleagues, leaders, and mentors is extremely upsetting and enraging.  Watching cowards and victims of internalized misogyny wring their hands, make excuses, (bafflingly) pity perpetrators, and--worst of all--disparage those brave enough to speak up is nauseating.  None of this is pretty or easy, but it is bracingly just.

So because of all this ugliness, here's the good news:
--Abusers are scared and ever more of them are being outed, because on both counts they should be.
--We now have the opportunity to seek out, uplift, and enjoy the work of so many other people who were overlooked or stifled because of our society's dying worship of abusive men.
--We now get to learn that we don't need and won't miss abusive men.

For myself, I plan to never consume the work of outed abusers again because I refuse to participate in the enabling and monetization of exploitation and abuse of power.  I refuse to fuel the machine of toxic masculinity.  It's ground up and spat out the lives of way too many people. Now we've got to shut it down.

I will be adding notes to previous posts in which I've discussed the work of now-known abusers stating my disavowal of their work and linking to this post to further explain my stance.  Moving forward, I will do my best to avoid in any way supporting the work of men accused of sexual maltreatment or harassment (also just being straight-up racist or misogynist).  Whenever I learn that I've inadvertently consumed work created by an outed abuser, I will add one of these notes.

So now, without further ado, here are some very much worth-reading things other women have to say.

On misappropriating (and re-appropriating) witch hunts, 

by Lindy West

On anyone who feels sorry for men in the context of a sea change in which those who have been oppressed maybe have the chance to not be so constantly oppressed, 

by JR Thorpe

On the specific toxic brand of misogyny and patriarchy woven into the fabric of American society, 

by Paulina Porizkova

On how to actually apologize for sexually exploiting others, 

by Leah Fessler, Annalisa Merelli, and Sari Zeidler

And finally, on how to take the concerted action required of this moment (and all future moments) if you, men, truly want to be considered an ally, 

by Iveta

In conclusion, if we scare you, feel free to call us witches.  Witches are terrifying.  Witches are powerful.

To get your own copy of this excellent image, go here.

{Heart}