We Can Do Better

I’m being totally and completely honest when I say that I as a woman owe so much to that buffoon of an American President.

Canada and the States have been pretty much neck and neck when it comes to the progression of Women’s rights over the last century. We were granted the right to vote (so…we had to be granted…where as men just took it???) first in Manitoba in 1916 followed closely with the United States in 1920.

Luckily for us in 1929 the legal definition of a person in Canada was officially changed to include “persons of the female gender”. What the hell were we before that????

But since 1971 when the Women’s Political Caucus was formed in the States (for those of you who don’t know, because I didn’t before I looked it up; a caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.) there has been only small steps for women. Not that any one is less significant than another. The first woman in space, the first African american woman to win the oscar for best actress, first lady elected to public office. All important steps in our evolution as ‘persons’ in this world. Great victories for the women involved but not all encompassing as the right to vote, or women working jobs normally held only by men during the world wars.

In 2016 that arrogant,  belligerent, reality tv star handed us all a gift wrapped in disguise.

With an estimated 4.3 million attendees at the women’s march on January 21st in the States alone, and an amazing 100 plus cities around the world who also joined in….the newest step to the women’s revolution had clearly taken place.

It was a powerful message that we ‘female persons’ as well as everyone who loves and supports us made clear for Trump and the rest of the world to see. Something that our grandchildren will hopefully read about in their history books. We were suddenly offered an opportunity to really question our roles, our place in the family and work environment, and how we personally as human beings felt about that. It is both a beautiful and unfortunate thing that our bodies naturally take things literally inside of themselves. We are more naturally gentle and compassionate, just like our bodies we tend to take in a lot of emotions, guilt, fear, etc…we are like the cup that ‘male persons’ are taught they should penetrate. Now, of course I am generalizing and not in any way meaning to insult any ‘male person’. It’s like an heirloom passed down through the generations. So I don’t necessarily blame any ‘male person’ who has this attitude that we are inferior, that because of our bodies we are incapable, or that because of our emotions we are not successful leaders. It’s something that was so generously handed to them through their family beliefs, society’s expectations, peer pressure, etc. I do however, blame any ‘male person’ who is not willing to examine it, question it and correct it. A real man is one who would support the women in his life and their choices whatever they may be.

I’ve never been so aware of the roles I have chosen for myself. Yes we are pressured and judged and suggestively nudged in the direction but we also choose it. We are the ones who have chosen to continue on this path of sexual stereotypes. When I say we, I am very aware that many of us have rebelled. Many of us have fought tooth and nail to escape the confines of ‘female person’ definitions who are living their truth to the fullest and who have probably gone through much hurt and desperation and…I can’t even imagine what else…to get there. And I am so proud and grateful for those groundbreaking individuals who are basically paving the way to make it easier for the next generations to accept themselves for who they are.

So yeah, he’s an ignorant dickhead with tricks up his sleeves and an agenda that is clearly not for the better of the American people or anyone else who does not sit within his exclusive billionaire club. But I sincerely thank Donald Trump for waking us up, for his narcissistic campaign speeches that forced us to look deeper within ourselves and for reminding us all that we can be better and do better if we act as one.