Parenting

My Words Scare Men And Empower Women

by Liz Chao
PeopleImages / iStock

I know when something I’ve written has hit the high note that I wanted it to, for two reasons:

1. Women from all around the world reach out to me to say how much my words resonate with them and inspire them to write their truths.

2. Men slither out of the deep caves of the interwebs to aggress, threaten, curse, mock, and patronize.

This is how I know that what I’m writing is having an impact; my words scare men and they empower women.

My words scare men because men know that with women’s empowerment comes our liberation — freedom from men’s violence and an end to the oppressive systems that were built by men to keep us disenfranchised.

My words scare men because my following is growing. My voice is getting louder, stronger, and more identifiable. Every day, more women are joining me and making it known that they will not stand by while racism and misogyny is enacted against them and around them.

My words scare men because they know that solidarity between all women and feminine-identifying folk will spell the end of the patriarchy. The internet is where feminists of all genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, and social classes congregate to share our truths, empower and inspire each other. It is also the only place where men cannot enact physical and sexual violence against us to silence us, no matter how hard they try.

My words scare men because I demonstrate the resilience of feminism and feminine-identifying people. Men are not courageous enough to bare their deepest vulnerabilities. It is easier for them to attempt to tear down what women are doing and writing, as opposed to creating something in their own image and face judgment.

My words scare men because their necessity relies upon our sexual, economic, financial, political, and cultural repression. Men know that as soon as women realize that we can satisfy our sexual and other desires without them, their power of us will be defeated and they could become irrelevant.

My words scare men because they cannot handle my rejection. I am a sexual being but my voice and every other part of me says that they cannot have me and they cannot understand why or how this can be possible.

Men, I know that you are scared and this is why you yell, scream and cry “not all men” to prove to us that you are still here. But your treatment of women is a self fulfilling prophecy because the more you aggress — passively and actively —  the more invisible you become.

You know that the abuse is wrong and that it cannot continue, yet many of you still don’t say a word. Your silence is complicity and proves your irrelevance.

How about you show us that it is “not all men” by treating us with the empathy, respect and humanity that we deserve?

How about you show us that it is “not all men” by demonstrating that the ones who troll, yell, scream, and threaten are not representative of you all?

There is no need to be afraid to do better, to speak out, and speak up for what is right.

There is no need to be afraid because when women are liberated you will be liberated, too.