Feminists For Choice

So, I’ve refrained from posting on the confirmation hearings as of yet because of general frustration. Watching the questioning process has left me nauseated. Listening to a bunch of racist bullies call a wise latina woman a racist bully, just doesn’t sit too well with me. With that being said, I guess it’s time to talk about it.

Is it just me, or is this confirmation process literally a manifestation of sexist politics? Many senators at the hearings have been questioning Sonia Sotomayor about warrantless accusations that she’s “hot-headed” and “temperamental.” Code for: a woman with an opinion who refuses to be trampled over like a doormat. Because you know, when men in politics act with convinction and strength, they are applauded and idealized. Of course when a woman acts the same way, she’s a cut-throat, bitchy, irrational human being. This double standard that places women as either mute and subordinate, or domineering and over bearing is getting old, real fast.

Peggy Drexler is spot on when she identifies this as age old gender bias. Despite the fact that the job of any judge is to be direct, forceful, and skeptical, women are demonized when meeting those expectations. Honestly, it has alot to do with male privilege and the fear of losing power and influence over the world. Patriarchy fetishizes male characteristics at the expense of women’s experiences and perspectives. Having strong, independent thinking women step into positions of high authority and power, scares gender traditionalists. It’s no coincidence that the same people pushing women back into the kitchen, are denying them access to positions of power in politics. These strategies are one in the same; sexist attempts to sustain patriarchal order. I mean for real, women are either being ridiculed for displaying the same characteristics that male politicians are celebrated for having, or they are attacked for highlighting what they can contribute to politics as women.

A great example of that is the debate over empathy and social identity. Apparently having a comprehensive understanding of your own social location is unheard of to rich white men. Since when is it a negative thing to look at the world differently because of your own experiences? Men have been doing it for centuries; it just so happens that their experiences have inspired them to create and sustain a political structure that benefits a few at the expense of many, and effectively keeps power in the hands of rich, white, heterosexual men. So Judge Sonia Sotomayor is suppose to be ashamed and apologize for a statement about her social location? Its bullshit. Not to mention the fact that this obsession with one remark by Sonia Sotomayor is out of place and unecessary. Why aren’t we discussing her 17 years of judicial experience? Or the near 3,000 cases she has ruled on. Of course when it comes to women, their records don’t matter. Apparently what really matters is their outfit choices and their temper.

Why is it that the public shrugs off temporamental behavior by male politicians? I mean, if we are going to look to the Supreme Court for an example – don’t look further then Justice Antonin Scalia. Everyone seems to shrug off his routine outbursts, particularly his angry letters to newspapers that criticize him, as just an aspect of his political passion. This really sickens me. Its perfectly acceptable for a man to get angry, because its just an extension of his passion for the law. On the other hand, if a woman gets angry, she’s a bitch and she’s undermining her position in the legal system.

A few examples of the bitch-pushover double standard to watch out for:
Women take it personally, men brush it off. Women ask questions, men make statements. Men negotiate, women placate. Women nurture, men take charge. The litany of stereotypes that place women in ugly double standards are endless and they all have the same objective: push women out of the political sphere so that they will stay in their place.

On a less skeptical note, Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been handling this process brilliantly. She has this calm confidence about herself and has clearly proved her ability to withstand the sexist criticism by Republicans. The inspiring nature of this nomination has really been lost in all the crap surrounding this process. Lets not forget that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court, and that is incredible. Despite what Republicans want you to believe, diversity on the bench is extremely important. This is a country that is made up of diversity, and it’s high time we stop being represented by one group: white, heterosexual men.