“I would have an enormous tower built just for myself, where I can oversee the entire concentration camp and gleefully watch [women] all die…If I can’t have them, no one will…Women represent everything that is unfair in this world, and in order to make this world a fair place, women must be eradicated.”
This is just one of the chilling statements that 22-year-old Elliot Rodger wrote in “My Twisted World,” a 141-page manifesto that outlined his plans for the “day of retribution”—the day he would take revenge upon all womankind who had rejected his sexual advances, as well as against all the men these women had chosen instead, leaving him lonely and sexually frustrated. To fulfill his plans, Rodger went on a shooting rampage last Friday night at Isla Vista, California, near the University of California Santa Barbara, killing seven people, including himself, and wounding thirteen.
This tragedy has incited an outcry from the public, fueling the social media movement known as #YesAllWomen that aims to combat the misogynistic culture that prompted the massacre. Women worldwide have shared their personal experiences of sexual harassment, revealing unsettling social realities, including the common portrayal of women as mere objects of men’s sexual conquest, the pervasive sense of entitlement men have toward women’s bodies, and the sexism women endure on a daily basis.
#yesallwomen because society screams “don’t get raped” instead of “don’t rape”
#yesallwomen because when I was touched inappropriately by a much older man at a bar, security told me to “get used to it”
#yesallwomen because “I have a boyfriend” is more likely to get a guy to back off than “no”, because they respect other men more than women
In response, there has been some backlash against the #YesAllWomen movement, with some critics questioning the misogynist root of Rodger’s killing spree—for example, by pointing out that four of the six victims were men—and others defensively claiming that #NotAllMen are violent chauvinists like Rodger. The criticism of #YesAllWomen, however, is unfounded and harmful.
First, how much more evidence is necessary before people acknowledge the destructive consequences of misogyny? Rodger explicitly outlined in 141 pages and several YouTube videos that hatred of women prompted the massacre. The fact that four of the six victims were men does not indicate that Rodger’s actions were not fueled by misogyny, but rather illustrates that a misogynist culture hurts all members of society, not just women. In fact, many men are killed by women’s ex-husbands or ex-boyfriends in acts of domestic violence.
Because even a 140 page misogynist manifesto by a mass murderer isn’t enough to convince some people that sexism kills #YesAllWomen
Second, the purpose of #YesAllWomen is not to accuse all men of actively harming women. Surrounded by respectful male relatives, friends, and colleagues, most women recognize that most men do not actively seek to hurt women. Instead, the #YesAllWomen movement strives to raise awareness of the sexism that all women do indeed face regularly.
Not ALL men harass women. But ALL women have, at some point, been harassed by men. Food for thought. #YesAllWomen
Third, #NotAllMen proves both ignorant and detrimental, misinterpreting the #YesAllWomen movement as a tirade against all men. By defensively stating that #NotAllMen actively harm women, these men fail to listen to the stories of real women who have been oppressed just because of their sex. What #NotAllMen indicates is that promoting women’s safety is less important than securing men’s ego and decreasing men’s discomfort as they are called to confront their male privilege. Thus, once again, the spotlight is set on these allegedly blamed men instead of the women who have been raped, groped, cat-called, et cetera.
by saying “not all men” you put the safety of females at a less important rank than the embarrassment of your gender #yesallwomen
Because no I will not “calm down” about all this “feminism stuff” so men don’t feel uncomfortable confronting their privilege #yesallwomen
Lastly, the backlash against #YesAllWomen itself is excellent proof of the need for such a social movement. By refusing to acknowledge the misogynist roots of Rodger’s violent actions and delegitimizing women’s personal stories of gendered oppression, #NotAllMen symbolizes the denial of the existence of misogyny and the tendency to blame women for harassment they face.
#yesallwomen because reading some responses from some men so full of disdain and vitriol is exactly the reason we need this conversation.
If you’re getting tired of my RTing #YesAllWomen, imagine how exhausted I am dealing with sexism and misogyny. Every. Single. Day.
Hopefully, Rodger’s “day of retribution” will be a wake-up call to society. Women need to gather together in solidarity with the #YesAllWomen movement. Meanwhile, men need to acknowledge their male privilege and recognize the sexism that women face every day. With such recognition, men should then act as women’s allies and actively advocate for gender equality because silence and complacency help preserve the current misogynist culture. The #AllMenCan movement in support of #YesAllWomen, in addition to the inversion of the #NotAllMen hashtag, is an excellent example of such a needed effort on the part of men.
Being a feminist is being a humanist. We’re all people. #AllMenCan
#notallmen are standing up to sexual violence and misogyny….and that’s the problem.
Moreover, society needs to teach boys how to treat girls respectfully, as well as redefine the notion of masculinity by encouraging boys to be empathic and express their emotions healthily, in contrast to upholding current macho ideals that promote insensitivity, foster violence, and reify patriarchy.
Started reading the #YesAllWomen tweets b/c I’ve got a daughter, but now I see I should be reading them b/c I’ve got two sons.
Meanwhile, during this social movement to empower women and dismantle the pervasive misogynist culture of the status quo, it is also important to address other issues underlying the massacre, such as mental illness and gun control.