Talking to My Grandson About Feminism
“I want you to know why I am a feminist; so I could endure the life I was given.”
My grandson is thirteen years old and anxious to protect the rights of those at risk; in his world that means Trans rights. Upon hearing me comment negatively about the effect of this movement on women he became unnaturally gruff with me.
He and I have always shared a special relationship based on love and respect. I wanted him to understand my feelings and ideas.
“I want you to know why I am a feminist; so I could endure the life I was given. Being a little girl is sometimes a frightening thing. As a little girl I was abused, molested, raised in poverty. By the time I was almost grown I had no idea what to do. Just about then the Feminist Movement was getting started and talking about how women were important in themselves and had the right to be equality. Self esteem allowed me go to college and be the first in my family to graduate. It helped me raise your mom.”
“Before the Women’s Movement nobody was paying much attention to women getting battered and killed by their partners, but after women could escape to shelters.Nobody talks much about this anymore but that’s just some of what feminism means to me and why I have to keep working to help other women and girls.”
He asked me, “Those shelters that was a long time ago, right?”
“Yes, 1980’s”
He was shocked. “It must have been in, say 1910, or something.”
“No, these few privileges, laws, are quite new. Trans are now demanding that men that self- identify as women are allowed to come into these special spaces, where women and there children who have been traumatized try to heal from the actions of men.”
I gave him the statistics that 95% of the women are killed or abused at the hands of men.
In the end, my sweet grandson will make his own mind and decisions about this and many things, but now, he has more to consider.
- Cathy
Letters From the Front is a series from WoLF curating stories from women about how “gender identity” ideology has impacted them. We’ll share new letters, submitted anonymously, each week. Write in to share your own story!
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