One Tweet Perfectly Explains the Sexist Double Standard Every Feminist Faces
Why do men get so much credit when they say something feminist?
This tweet from Observer writer Dana Schwartz perfectly captured the sexist double standard regarding men and women expressing feminist views online.
Her tweet pointed out the differences in how women and men are treated when they say feminist things online. When men point out something even nominally feminist, the internet lauds them as heroes. When a woman makes a similar claim, she not only asked to prove her point — often she's subjected to unending harassment.
Take, for example, feminist fave #WokeBae and actor Matt McGorry, who's beloved by his fans for his social justice politics. He does something many celebrities don't bother to do — namely, use his platform to raise awareness about important issues like police brutality and equal pay.
When women say something feminist, they get a horde of internet trolls coming after them with pitchforks — not given a cookie.
Emma Watson is also a young actor who has talked at length about her feminist views. She even launched a campaign to raise awareness about gender equality across the globe.
In contrast to the overwhelming support McGorry receives, Watson has routinely been harassed for her opinions. She has even had to publicly call out the trolls responsible.
Male feminists, like McGorry, didn't invent sexist trolls (in fact, would probably go out of his way to call them out) on the internet who harass women-identified feminists when they point out sexism. But they do benefit from a world that prioritizes the thoughts and words of men over women and, in some cases, gives them more credit for fairly simple or obvious observations.
