American political discourse even now in 2018:
A place where no man can be too imperfect and no woman can be perfect enough.
A place where no man can be too imperfect and no woman can be perfect enough.
If this past week has shown us anything, it’s this:
There’s a thing called the Inequality of Expectations.
It’s subtle and strong - and it has been weaponized as a way to tarnish and diminish strong women.
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There’s a thing called the Inequality of Expectations.
It’s subtle and strong - and it has been weaponized as a way to tarnish and diminish strong women.
2/
A man can stand upon the political stage and lay proud claim to having learned and changed and evolved.
A woman even tangentially connected to political power is expected to somehow have arrived there unblemished with nary an imperfect choice or decision.
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A woman even tangentially connected to political power is expected to somehow have arrived there unblemished with nary an imperfect choice or decision.
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The Inequality of Expectations isn’t borne of aspirations.
It isn’t a product of holding female leaders to the highest standards because they’re reasonable or fair or somehow beneficial.
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It isn’t a product of holding female leaders to the highest standards because they’re reasonable or fair or somehow beneficial.
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The Inequality of Expectations is a weapon.
It’s a tool for discrediting and dismissing women DESPITE their contributions - not because of them.
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It’s a tool for discrediting and dismissing women DESPITE their contributions - not because of them.
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The effect is so pervasive, strong women are routinely called to account for how they handled even others’ wrongdoing.
They’re judged for how they handled others’ sins - as if the witness is actually the accused.
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They’re judged for how they handled others’ sins - as if the witness is actually the accused.
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There’s a reason this past week has been filled with stories of women suddenly under fire for things unequivocally tangential to who they really are TODAY.
The judgments and efforts to diminish have been both minor and major.
From Chelsea’s hair to Joy Reid of a decade ago.
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The judgments and efforts to diminish have been both minor and major.
From Chelsea’s hair to Joy Reid of a decade ago.
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The subtext has been the same though:
To paint a woman as imperfect is to reduce her authority...
...and the goal of people who leverage the Inequality of Expectations is just that:
Reducing women’s authority.
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To paint a woman as imperfect is to reduce her authority...
...and the goal of people who leverage the Inequality of Expectations is just that:
Reducing women’s authority.
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I know who I look to for leadership.
I know who’s voices I trust and respect and admire.
And that trust, respect and admiration isn’t probationary.
I won’t accept or fall for devices meant to discredit women.
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I know who’s voices I trust and respect and admire.
And that trust, respect and admiration isn’t probationary.
I won’t accept or fall for devices meant to discredit women.
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When women I see as leading voices come under attack, I know the reason isn’t that they’ve suddenly become less worthy of my trust TODAY...
...it’s because someone wishes that they were.
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...it’s because someone wishes that they were.
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I’m an ally.
Not a conditional ally. An ally.
There will be more efforts to undermine our leading female voices.
There will be efforts to exploit the Inequality of Expectations.
Our female voices are not going anywhere though. Neither am I.
Allies fight together.
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Not a conditional ally. An ally.
There will be more efforts to undermine our leading female voices.
There will be efforts to exploit the Inequality of Expectations.
Our female voices are not going anywhere though. Neither am I.
Allies fight together.
<end>
