How Not To Convince a Feminist That Sexism Hasn't Been Proven

Pro tip:

If you’re trying to convince me that sexism in atheism isn’t a thing, that it hasn’t been proven, that of course sexism exists but we have no reason to think it exists in atheism, that it’s some extraordinary claim that needs more evidence to demonstrate than the mountain that’s already been collected… don’t send me a hateful, ragey email about my horrible feminism after I’ve blocked you on Twitter and my blog.

And when I reply, telling you to stop contacting me in any way, shape or form… really don’t send me three more hateful, ragey emails about my horrible feminism, calling me a “fascist” for telling you to stop contacting me, and saying, “Look, I contacted you. What the fuck are you going to do about it?”

It’s kind of an own goal. You’re making my point for me.

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How Not To Convince a Feminist That Sexism Hasn't Been Proven
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16 thoughts on “How Not To Convince a Feminist That Sexism Hasn't Been Proven

  1. 2

    The assholes who continue to harass even after they have been blocked are creepy as hell.

    Fucking take a hint, take no for an answer. You are not entitled to someone else’s platform. Your frozen peaches do not cover that, stop acting so entitled to other peoples’ time and space.

  2. 4

    The same thing every single day on Twitter: some assclown decides to berate people for pointing out the existence of sexism, harassment, and abuse, and does it by themselves engaging in sexism, harassment, and/or abuse. Just today some creeper decided to attack me for blocking him by creating a new Twitter account from which to bother me. Yeah, that totally shows me that you’re someone I should take seriously.

  3. 8

    Greta, how dare you deny the birth-given authority that this clown has polished through years of privilege! You are aware that free speech means you’re supposed to use his unfounded drivel as a guide to live your life, right?

    This crap is so over the top that it’s ridiculous that it hurts my brain.

  4. 9

    Opehlia — that’s for sure! I’ve been an out, loud & proud atheist for years, but it took Elevatorgate to make me an out, loud & proud feminist!

  5. 10

    @ lancefinny, seconding that being a great link. It really says something about how bad I was brainwashed when half of what she said was wrong with that e-mail didn’t even occur to me when I was first reading it. It just registered as so…. normal. Ugh… bad memories.

  6. 11

    Telling isn’t it? The same people who are against harassment policies, who spew MRA talking points about how women lie about rape and harassment, are also sure that you have to listen to them. They really are anti-consent. They seem to believe that they have the right to force themselves onto other people, no matter how those people feel about that contact or how abusive and creepy the contact is. What they want matters and what others, especially women want, does not. I’ll give them this, they’re consistent. Consistently awful, but consistent.

  7. 12

    I am sorry this happens to you Greta and I thank you, I think we all thank you for your willingness to accept the risks of your work day after day month after month, year after year.

    I don’t go to conventions but I wonder if it would be appropriate for a group of men at the start of a conference to organize a ceremony of appreciation of the women who carry the burden of this harassment and the risk of violence they incur merely for being out there.

    It is a huge thing and it is one that only women face and it ought to be recognized and honored As we know merely showing up at a conference is risky and yet women are willing to do that and more.

    I wonder what women would think about a short speech of appreciation and an ovation at the start of a conference. I think it would make we men feel a little better. I hope that is not my motivation for this suggestion.

  8. 14

    I don’t get it. Of course there are sexist atheists. Any group containing a lavender amount of people is going to have sexists among them. Perhaps people are put off by the assumption that you are asserting that atheism has tenets, and in these tenets there are sexist decrees. Now, I’m not saying I assume as much, in fact I don’t really understand what you are saying when you state sexism in atheism other than my first point of any large group containig sexists. Clarification would be appreciated. Thanks. 🙂

  9. 15

    Perhaps people are put off by the assumption that you are asserting that atheism has tenets, and in these tenets there are sexist decrees.

    Mike Reinke @ #14: Nobody is asserting that. We are saying:

    a) that there is sexism everywhere: everyone (including feminists) has unconscious sexist biases, and most segments of the general population have some overt sexists in them in addition to the more common unconsciously sexist ones;
    b) that since the atheist community is a subset of society at large, it is going to reflect this sexism that exists in the society at large, with both universal unconscious sexism and at least some overt sexism;
    c) that it is up to the atheist community to make this better in our community.

    The person I was referring to in this post was actually trying to argue that it had not been demonstrated with a sufficient degree of certainty that there was any sexism in the atheist community. When this position was mocked for its obvious absurdity, he then turned to invasive hostility targeting feminism. Thus proving the exact point I was making in the first place.

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