We Need to Speak Up Against Sexism in Every Context

By Megan Liema

A recent article on Huffington Post ('Liberals Are Sexist Too', by Emily Peck, Mar 6 2017) made me think.

We often think of sexism as being associated with conservatives. But then, liberals and leftists have not been immune either, of course. The difference is that, many progressives have had a double standard, letting sexism go unchallenged as long as it originated from the left.

We need to put an end to this. Not only should sexism always be challenged, a double standard will only discredit any further action against sexism.

We don't need to be personally sympathetic to the politics of Sarah Palin or Kellyanne Conway. But still, sexism is sexism, and it is never acceptable. It should be as simple as this.

Should Feminists Boycott 'Beauty And The Beast'?

Guest Post by Megan Liema

With Disney's Beauty and the Beast hitting the cinemas soon, there's been a lot of talk about the feminist 'implications' of the film. A lot of this has centered on the character of Belle, played by Emma Watson. But the idea that Belle's relationship with the Beast is unhealthy is also being discussed a lot. Some people say that the relationship looks abusive, and some even say that Belle must have developed 'Stockholm Syndrome'. As a result, a few people have even said that, as feminists, we should boycott the movie.

My response? Relax people! It's just a story. 'Tale as old as time', really. It doesn't mean anything in particular, and doesn't need to be overanalysed. Just relax and enjoy the movie!

Being a feminist means supporting and fighting for equality. But we only need to fight the real fights in life, which is surely not every moment of life. Sometimes, we can just accept things as they are, too. There's nothing un-feminist about this.