Feminists

I would love to see them disappear from DU, and frequently “stifle myself” when I would rather deliver a scathing rebuke. Sadly, even in the DU community, the willingness to refrain from overt expressions of racism doesn’t extend to misogyny and sexism.

I believe the very idea of imposing restraints on language that demeans women and/or characteristics classified as “feminine” would be met with a fierce backlash. That doesn’t mean we should continue to grin and bear it, but maybe there’s a more creative approach.

Changing hearts and minds around this intractable problem will require nothing short of redefining “manhood” itself. Until the men of DU are willing to endure the discomfort of evolving beyond their patriarchal conditioning, the imposition of new rules could create a backlash of unintended consequences.

Finally, as much as I share the fervent desire to rid this community of its all too frequent outbursts of sexism and misogyny, the timing of this proposal may not be optimal. Now more than ever, we need to present a united front. Just sayin’.