The Joy of Fighting Sexism

“For me, saying that I am a feminist has always meant that I believe in the social, economic, and political equality of all males and females of all races and groups.” How do we process the passing of Gloria Steinem at a moment when her core goal of equality is facing so many setbacks? Maybe how she told us to: with optimism, hope, an embrace of how joyful social movements are, an awareness of how far we’ve come, and a constant reminder that “the biggest leaps are those that we make within ourselves.” The New Yorker: Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay. (alt link.) “As I write this, the world seems in a tailspin. Many feel that all the progress we’ve made is being reversed. When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role as an older person is to remind us how far we have come.”

+ Netflix: Famous Last Words: Gloria Steinem. “Told that she chose the harder path in committing to progress and change, she replied, ‘Doesn’t feel harder. It feels like fun.'”

+ NYT (Gift Article): Gloria Steinem Stayed Positive, Even as the Manosphere Took Hold.

+ Hillary Clinton: “Gloria Steinem was, at heart, an optimist. Her activism was rooted in optimism, and that’s a moral choice she made every day. Even though we’ve faced setbacks to women’s full participation and equality in America and around the world, I want Gloria’s voice to remain in our heads.” Maybe that voice was in a few heads and in the air at Olivia Rodrigo’s recent Daisy Chain Fields, an all-women music festival that raised $20 million for “nonprofit organizations benefitting women and girls, including the Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood.” Rodrigo “brought out her heroes onstage: Alanis Morissette for ‘Ironic,’ Stevie Nicks for ‘Landslide,’ and McLachlan herself. ‘I feel like I’m dreaming,’ Rodrigo told the crowd. ‘This is the best day of my f-ckin’ life!”