People tell me not to take Hillary’s defeat so personally. I reply, “Feeling the pain means that I’m aware of the misogyny and not in denial.”

My heart still hurts from removing the illusion that society has advanced in its respect for and value of women leaders.

Maybe you too underestimated misogyny intertwined with racism and abuse that rose in the 2016 election.

Perhaps you too failed to see the backlash tsunami until it was too late.

The defense of abuse was more than a backlash. It was misogyny rising. Boys will be boys. Bullies will be bullies. It’s how society operates. It’s no big deal. Get over it.

Sigh. So much work to do.

Time to step up the spotlighting of misogyny behaviors and show the beliefs behind them. Spotlight power and control over the female body and her role her power in society.

Spotlight the misogyny pattern: Women rise up. Backlash. Patriarchy smacks her down. That pattern has existed for thousands of years since patriarchy gained power and control.

Time for a new pattern: respect and value women in our political and personal lives. Expand the spaces and places where women thrive.

Create misogyny free zones where women develop confidence and live personal power. Places that show the alternative to patriarchy’s power and control. We created these zones in the working women’s movement of the 1970s and 1980s. We need to develop them, again.

Time to end  “lock her up” shouts at women who dare to be leaders. Replace those shouts in progressive politics events Republican and independent venues with new voices that show a new culture: “respect and value her leadership.”

Build a social culture of respect and value that holds space for her, for him, for them. The political is personal. End misogyny.

© Copyright 2016 Day Piercy All Rights Reserved