Sometimes (all the time) I get so fucking worked up about sexism and rape culture
that I think it’s harmful to my mental health. Because there’s not a lot I feel I can do to fight it. I can yell and scream, but it feels like nobody is listening. I can call it out every time I see it, but I feel like I can’t change anybody’s mind.
It’s so frustrating.
I have considered myself a feminist for a long time, but when I was younger, I was pretty ignorant about the extent of sexism and had never heard of rape culture. To me, feminism was like “why are all girls’ toys pink? Why are girls’ expected to play with dolls? Why does everyone expect women to be weak?” and the kind of things that a 10-year-old would understand. I think I became aware of objectification and its effect on self-esteem. But most of my view of sexism was just “this is so not fair.”
I only learned about rape culture in the past few years and it took my view of sexism from “this isn’t fair” to “this is actually terrifying and dangerous”. And I get so fucking upset with how lightly what seems like the majority of people treat rape.
Anyway. I am just trying to figure out what I can do to feel like I am making a stand and hopefully inciting change without feeling so enraged and worked up all the damn time. Like this shit is not good for my sanity or probably my blood pressure. I guess that could make this stuff qualify as triggering for me, but I don’t want to just avoid it. I want to fix it, but I feel helpless.
