I recently read an "article" in some silly "women's
magazine" (maybe Self?) about women proudly reclaiming
the word "girl," which I thought was a bunch of hooey
propagated by the "token torturers" (Mary Daly's
phrase) in influential places. Reclaiming the word
girl may have it's place - like people have said,
maybe to give oneself a sense of youth, or perhaps it
has different connotations in African American
culture, for example. But in white, mainstream
america, calling women "girls" puts them in a position
of disempowerment, where they are made of sugar and
spice and everything nice. I think you have to
respect the labels people apply to themselves, and
really try not to label them or put them in boxes
yourself. I think that is a tenet of ecofeminism.
The whole workplace thing is another can of worms. I
changed the battery in my car yesterday and was late
for work because of it, and boy were the men in shock.
How did I get it out, they asked. It is so heavy.
Give me a break! I also have men telling other men
not to use "that kind of language" in my presence,
setting me up as delicate. And inferior. Not
acceptable.
Yesterday, the same man who called his female
colleagues "girls" said no, he didn't like Thai food,
in fact he doesn't like any "slanty eyed food." Wow.
I was too stunned to say anything. But I'd love
anyone's input on how to address that sort of racism.
Heather
===
"The book of history has many missing pages
murmured the madonna of the middle ages."
-Michele Shocked
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