Hey, Bitches

It's International Women's Day.

I can almost hear the collective eyeroll from the multitude of people who think this day is ridiculous because it's 2019 and they don't feel that there is gender inequality any more, but the thing is, there is.

Yeah, we can vote. We can work outside the home and we can not get married or not have children and we can take birth control and have abortions, but in all these situations, we're still degraded. Always questioned, always judged. I recently saw an article written on a woman in her 30's that is the CEO of a company, and the fact that this is news is kind of alarming. It's amazing to see and I wanted to high-five her, but also, seeing women in positions of power should be the norm.

And then there is the unwed and the childless. Treated like they are shriveling away, like they're a carton of milk about to expire. Hey girl, I see you out there. Sure, some people have life partners and that's great, and yes, we have the incredible ability to make a human in our body, but just because you can do something, that doesn't mean you should. Let us reflect on the timeless words of Fat Amy; "Well, sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think 'Mmm, better not'." If you can't stand the thought of spending the rest of your life with someone, or the thought of having a baby makes you want to vomit, or you just plain have things in your life that are more important to you than either of those, you probably shouldn't do them. And that's ok, because at the end of the day it's your life, and if you go to bed at night and you're happy, you're killing it. I have a few friends who have chosen not to have kids, or chosen to have only one, or have no interest in getting married, and you know what? I go to bed and I go right to sleep at night, because how they live their life is none of my business and as long as my friends are happy, it doesn't affect me one bit. And it shouldn't affect anyone else, either.

So let's move on to the reproductive rights. Otherwise known as my hill to die on. I fear that the fight to choose what we do with our bodies will never be over. It's improved, yes, but it is still ongoing. I could write for days about why having access to safe birth control and safe pregnancy termination is so necessary, but for today, I will leave it at this; women are going to have abortions anyway. Especially the terrified ones. Taking away safe access only endangers them. They will find some way to terminate and they will be at risk for bleed, or infection, and they can, and will, become incredibly sick and could possibly even die. This is reality. Access to birth control, sexual education, and responsible, respectful men will reduce our need for this service. So maybe instead of marching around in the cold attempting to shame women who are exercising their right to choose, put all that pent up energy and all that free time into being proactive. And maybe instead of questioning whether or not teenagers should have IUD's (like that time it was the Question of the Day), keep your mouth shut and respect the fact that these girls are protecting themselves from unwanted pregnancy and therefore not getting into a situation where these difficult choices have to be made.

Finally, the reality that derogatory terms for women still exist is proof in and of itself that gender inequality is alive and well. We are "a handful". We are bossy, mouthy, saucy. We're "out of line". We are disrespectful, masculine, lesbians (like that's a bad thing). Man hating sluts, whores, and bitches.

All those terms boil down to the one thing that the people who are using them are afraid to admit: we are intimidating.

So happy International Women's Day. To the loud mouthed bitches who won't stay in line. To the sluts who have the audacity to make choices about their bodies and enjoy sex like a man. To the bossy handfuls, and the disrespectful whores who wear the pants (who doesn't like pants though, all the same. I'll never understand that one. I mean, leggings... come on). To the saucy girls who don't smile or pray enough.

"Well behaved women seldom make history". Live your truth. Even if it's a problem. Especially if it's intimidating. We are the descendants of the marchers and the bra-burners and the fighters. We come from good stock who have brought us this far. So keep going.

But first, take a minute, because this is your day.