Sylvanna Devlin

It’s time to stop surfing the wave started in the sixties and swim with the other fishes. What the hell does that mean? Women’s suffrage in America started in 1848 with a meeting of the minds. 

Women gathered and protested, built ships when men went to war, then bounced back into the iconical fifties, that were only good for straight white men but are remembered fondly by people who weren’t born yet. 

But then the sixties happened. Protests, books, bra burning that is used as an insult akin to flag burning. (Come on). We were afraid of being called “bra burning feminists” So tougher women wrote the books and took the heat. But at that point women were groomed to compete for men and tore the shit out of each other. TERFs probably formed out of jealousy for yet another woman to compete with – got to tear her down somehow. First wave feminism.

Second wave feminists ditched the anti transgender rhetoric and became inclusive. Still afraid of the non insulting insult of being called a bra burner, many women needed second wave feminism but women who lead the charge were still “manish”.  

Now men are joining the feminism and suggesting the softness they want to have part of them isn’t softness at all but love, caring, and tenderness. #metoo should be joined by #mentoo but there is a battle that men are encroaching on women spaces and topics.

But if we want change we need all voters on board and very soon straight white old voters will be in the minority. Let’s be fair, some women don’t seem to be helping us much by clinging to exclusivity and accusing male feminism (yes that’s a thing) of just more men grabbing the spotlight.

Look that spotlight is there. You want it? You fucking take it. But women are still afraid the more power they have the more powerless men feel and won’t have them. Have these women met men? I mean yes. There are (in all five genders) those more wary of strength so many hide their power from their partners. While others only take it by cutting others down.

Which is where third wave feminism comes in. We have women, gender queer, a-gender, gender fluid, and men. Equality looks a little different from just wanting to fucking be able to vote. And all second wave really has established is they’re not TERFS and they don’t “burn bras”. Bet you would have if you needed to. But you don’t. Those women you mock took the heat and the singledom so you can sit there distancing yourself? I think not. 

Third wave feminism is solidarity. It’s reaching out a hand to all genders and flooding places with applications. It’s pulling women up with them not stepping on their backs and it is indeed already happening.

It’s realizing women have power and numbers but need to solidify what we want. Which is frankly a women president.

But women lead from behind. They focus on cooperation and lifting others. While Men politicians tend to chomp at the bit in front – some scoffing at the input of others. Third wave feminism is saying our way counts too. Hilary Clinton was the kind to encourage and tried to enter a “Man’s world” with a mix. Her history said no, you share. Her attitude was “No. I’m in charge” and everyone went “Oh really?” But she was up against Obama first so fuck her frankly. It wasn’t the right time.

What we need is for women – all of us. To fucking vote. We need minorities to have access to polls and the poor not need to wait in a fucking long ass queue just to scribble on some paper or hit some dots.

Though I’m digressing a little. Third wave feminism accepts that the power is there but that means drawing the heat and some of the other genders would like to take that fire on and still be considered a part of us. It’s Trans inclusive, it’s friendly to men caregivers, it’s everything we already are starting to see, but haven’t yet identified.

Good job folks, the future is here. Let’s be less afraid of it.