kirsty burow
Jul 20, 2017 · 1 min read

URG. I hear you. I want to say “Don’t punish yourself, it’s hard enough being a woman,” because I truly believe that women — that feminists— shouldn’t be judged by their “failings” (which is not at all to imply that this is a failing on your behalf, rather that we should do away with the notion that we should live up to any one thing in particular). But I struggle with this issue, too. I want to feel healthy, energized and on those days eating well and going for a run make so much sense — what a great life goal! Other days, I want never think about food or exercise again in protest of all the pressure I (we?) feel to look attractive/thin/like-the-world-says-we-should-if-we-are-to-matter. I want to be enlightened and not care, but I grew up in that same world and internalized all that shit before I even knew how to drive a car. Even just thinking this deeply about how you want to be in the world — rather than accepting a notion of “womanhood”— suggests to me that you’re a pretty rad feminist. So I have no helpful suggestions for you, but I wanted to let you know that really appreciate you writing about this: thank you! Finding solidarity among women is protest in itself, I think. And if you figure out the secret to shirking the male gaze, please please please tell me ;)

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    kirsty burow

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