My mum talked to me once about Lindy Chamberlain, how after a dingo killed her child was put on trial for the murder of her daughter Azaria.
When she spoke calmly and with eloquence the press used this as evidence that she was emotionless and dangerous and clearly guilty. When she wept over the loss and couldn’t continue, she was accused of being emotionally manipulative, trying to use her fragile femininity as a weapon and thus she was clearly guilty.
I’m reminded of that a lot. When a woman speaks she often cannot win. I’m reminded of it when people talk about how Dr Ford has clearly not been raped because she was too calm and polite and not emotional enough.
I know that if she wept then eyes would roll and talk about how she was just another actress the democrats had found.
A woman is either too emotional or not emotional enough, there is no vision that women are “strong” when they are stoic and “passionate” when they get upset.
They are not afforded that view.
bongdanceking 