I'm going to take a quick second to hop on a bandwagon. Normally I'm not one to do this...bandwagons aren't my thing. However, as the unlabeled feminist/women's studies extraordinaire that I am, this is one that I must hop on to and never look back. #YesAllWomen
Everyone is probably so tired of seeing this dang hashtag everywhere. And, I'll admit, it is a bit obnoxious. Buuuuut it gets the point across. People hashtag dumb stuff (which I am also guilty of) such as #whitegirlprobs, #tbt, #selfie, #wcw, #mcm, etc., etc.... And though people may get tired of seeing them, they don't really cause much controversy. They're accepted by the general Twitter/Instagram public, and chances are that all of you have used these meaningless hashtags at one point or another, and will probably use them again. So why in the world is everyone attacking #YesAllWomen?
#YesAllWomen has meaning. It has depth. It is a real life issue, and it needs to be faced right away. I honestly believe that people are afraid of this hashtag. If enough people see it as an issue, that means there is an issue. And believe me; there is. But people don't want to admit that. And so-called "feminists" are one of the main people who oppose this hashtag because women should be treated the same as men! Right? Well...kinda. This is true to a point. But there is no need to be ignorant about it as many people are. The hashtag actually supports the fact that men and women are equals (on a certain level) and should be treated fairly. I really just want people to see that a problem exists, and our society needs men, women, whites, blacks, latinos, and everyone alike to step up and be respectable individuals.
Here are some of the reasons that I support #YesAllWomen:
#YesAllWomen because I shouldn't have to be reminded that I'm vulnerable walking the strip in Knoxville without pepper spray.
#YesAllWomen because I shouldn't have to be afraid to pump my own gas at night.
#YesAllWomen because parking garages should NOT be a threat to me.
#YesAllWomen because I should be able to wear what I want and not worry about looking like a "slut" or a "whore."
#YesAllWomen because words like "slut" and "whore" exist....
#YesAllWomen because a Twitter such as Collegefession exists where girls are praised for their breasts and rear-ends; two parts of a body which should not be objectified in such a way.
#YesAllWomen because guys are praised for how many girls they've slept with, yet girls are looked down upon for the same numbers.
I could honestly go on, and on, and on about this hashtag and the way I feel. Women and men should NOT be objectified by either sex. We are living, breathing, human beings are everyone deserves the exact same respect. This is why I also support the hashtag #NotAllMen. I honestly believe that not all men do these things. There are so many amazing men out there who would never dream of doing any of the previously mentioned things. I applaud those men, and I hope and pray that they will rub off on more of society.
I am a women, and I believe that I should be able to interact with men however I please. I don't want to feel threatened, and I want to be surrounded by men that fall under the #NotAllMen category. And that is why I believe that #YesAllWomen is truly important.
xoxo, Liv
