False Gods and Faux Feminists

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I am usually reluctant to publicly call out women, because certain men have already cornered the market on that. When I call attention to some men’s bad behaviour, they quickly retort “yeah, but some women are just as bad.” I hate to admit it (really hate to), but they’re right.

And I would go one further. The women who know what it’s like to fight through the thickets of sexism, misogyny, harassment, and discrimination and yet still won’t help other women. Well that’s far worse.

I think Madeleine Albright put it best:

“There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

But it’s not always easy to identify these women. They often masquerade as role models, philanthropists, and mentors. They made it to the top, they’re on the boards, they’re on the stage, they win the awards. But when the cameras are off, behind closed doors…they’ll throw a bitch under the bus.

Every time one of “those” women wins an award, or is publicly lauded for her efforts in “breaking the glass ceiling”, I cringe. Because it sends a message to all the women they’ve stepped over or left out in the cold to get there.

The message: This is how you get ahead.

No, it’s how they get ahead.