Instead of focusing on men and focusing on what we can do to prop them up, people seem really incredibly focused on the fact that women are doing well and maybe that's not such a good thing.
Jessica ValentiMy informal writing style is a political choice, because I want feminism to be more accessible.
Jessica ValentiNow, should we treat women as independent agents, responsible for themselves? Of course. But being responsible has nothing to do with being raped. Women donโt get raped because they were drinking or took drugs. Women do not get raped because they werenโt careful enough. Women get raped because someone raped them.
Jessica ValentiLately, I'm thinking a lot about, in parenting and in my writing, how to create a language about sexism in a way that is attractive and approachable to this age group. I can teach my daughter about not talking to strangers but I can't teach her about how to succeed in a sexist world or even how to exist as a body in a sexist world. I want to begin by asking girls what they want and why they want it? Interrogating that. If this is the sex life you want, what makes you think you want that? I imagine the only way to authentically get at sexuality is by asking those questions.
Jessica Valenti