Politics and Feminism in Bed: How does your guy measure up?

Old White Misogynist vs Old White War Criminal

I’m not in the business of judging other people. I’m too busy living my feminist life to care much about who is–or isn’t– feminist. I hold myself to account, that’s all that matters to me. But there are exceptions. People in power, for instance.

I believe that feminism often lives in the small spaces that we sometimes can’t see. Yet, when it comes to politicians, they can’t be small. If we don’t see it, they’re not doing it. They exist to be in our service–at least in principle! So, how committed are they to feminist ethics? Do they say anything? Do they do anything?!

And with the US presidential elections looming and international politics looking more and more disastrous every day, I’ve been thinking a lot about if/when/how those in power act in favor of women.

I dread tonight’s US presidential debate– and no, I’m not watching it. I hate them both. I’ll be watching the latest episode of House of the Dragon. But for those of us who are brave/crazy enough, here’s a fun little game you can play. Alcohol not included, but strongly recommended!

Using some gender assessment tools online, the awesome Kit Nicholson led the charge in creating questions, a simplified and definitely not scientific quiz, and a grading tool for the old white guys taking the stage tonight–and old (predominantly) white guys (and girls) everywhere.

Here’s the fun part: we didn’t make any of this up. It actually ALL exists in real life and has been said or done before by politicians and other public figures. Yes.

We’ll start off easy. Pick your favorite politician, put yourself in their shoes, and answer the following questions.

Yes or No?

1. Do you refer to your female colleagues as “fucking bitches” whenever you disagree with them?
2. Women are smaller, weaker, and less intelligent than men and therefore deserve to make less money, right?!
3. Do you believe that working women without children are equal to only half a person?
4. Do you think that when a woman says no, she actually means yes? (Locker-room wisdom confirms it, after all?!)
5. Shouldn’t women dress properly when out in public in order to not tempt men?
6. When women leave the house dressed in a way that you dislike, is it OK to kill them?
7. Should women be allowed into important political meetings and discussions — as long as they don’t speak?
8. Women who use oral contraceptives are touched by the devil and should be hanged, right? Amen.
9. Do you agree that the problems facing modern-day countries are just too complicated for a woman in power to handle?
10. Isn’t it more important to focus on how a woman looks than on the quality of what she is saying?
11. Have you ever led or participated in a campaign that was criticized as sexist?
12. Does your social media counter women’s rights?
13. Have you ever described women as radical, angry, loud, hysterical, overbearing, and/or annoying?
14. Have you ever assaulted a woman physically or verbally?
15. Do you remain silent in the face of sexism and other forms of discrimination?
16. Have you ever actively blocked women’s rights legislation?
17. The female reproductive system is only 2 things: (1) a gift from God (2) for the pleasures of men, right?
18. You can support the genocide of those brown people and still be a feminist, right?!
19. Women in your life should submit to you and shouldn’t make independent decisions about their own bodies, do you agree?
20. Do you believe that discriminations against women and others exist for a reason — based on reality?
21. Admit it, you hate feminists, right!?

Calculate how many YES answers your politician received. Here’s the scale:

19–21 = Feminist Antagonist
16–18 = Feminist Adversary
13–15 = Feminist Critic
10–12 = Feminist Bystander
7–9 = Feminist Spectator
4–6 = Feminist Ally
1–3 = Feminist Advocate
0 = Feminist Champion

And now keep reading to find out how your politician scores!

Results: The 8 Feminist Identities

Based on Dr. Barnor Hesse’s 8 White Identities, we created a “feminist spectrum” to benchmark where people fall in terms of their feminist ethics and activism. Not only is this helpful in holding our own elected representatives accountable, it makes for a great reality check to see what some politicians really believe about women’s rights. It’s pretty horrific.

Feminist Antagonist
A ringleader of anti-feminist thought and activity, riling others up against feminist thinking and actively working to combat feminist progress through policy and action. Being anti-feminist is an integral part of this person’s identity.

Feminist Antagonists do some, if not all, of the following:

• They spearhead anti-feminist campaigns that violently critique feminist ideas and individuals.
• They undermine feminist facts and the root cause of intersectional issues.
• They use social media to voice their anti-feminist opinions.

Feminist Adversary
A leader in anti-feminist protests and movements, avidly anti-feminist but only take tangible action in group settings. They are very vocal about their dislike of feminism and feminists, and desperately want to be Feminist Antagonists when they grow up.

Feminist Adversaries do some, if not all, of the following:

• They critique feminist ideas and movements by joining anti-feminist campaigns.
• They lack clear knowledge of feminist topics and the root cause of intersectional issues, taking pride in their ignorance.
• They use social media to spread discriminatory views.

Feminist Critic
A vocal anti-feminist who criticizes the feminist movement but hesitates to join groups of Feminist Adversaries and take tangible action. They are gender critical and will side with Feminist Antagonists–bandwagoning onto the latest anti-feminist rants.

Feminist Critics do some, if not all, of the following:

• They use social media to share the anti-feminist opinions of others–and probably don’t share these views in person.
• They side with the opposition and use negative words to describe strong women.
• They lack knowledge of women’s bodies but will agree with whatever the Adversaries and Antagonists say.

Feminist Bystander
Neutral-negative to feminism, the Bystander does not express any opinions publicly for fear of being seen as extreme. However, when forced to choose, they will typically lean anti-feminist.

Feminist Bystanders do some, if not all, of the following:

• They never engage in feminist demonstrations, discussions, or debates.
• They care more about how others perceive them and will be swayed by the strong-man.
• They dislike strong women, finding them radical, angry, loud, overbearing, and/or annoying.

Feminist Spectator
Like the Feminist Bystander, the Spectator is mostly neutral towards feminist thinking. However, on certain issues, they may align themselves with Feminist Champions. They could be silent feminists or secret feminists, who fear backlash if they speak up.

Feminist Spectators do some, if not all, of the following:

• They fear being canceled for being feminists–especially in spaces where this is the unpopular opinion.
• They care more about how people perceive them than what they believe is right.
• They are more likely to agree with feminist causes that impact them directly but often fail to see the broader picture.

Feminist Ally
A vocal feminist who looks strong online, but can be hesitant to take concrete action. This person tries to “make change from within” but can be scared of appearing too radical. They’ll wear a feminist t-shirt, but not really rock the boat.

Feminist Allies do some, if not all, of the following:

• They are self-declared feminists who look the part–or at least buy the merchandise. GirlPower!
• They tend to shy away from big-issue topics that are “too controversial” such as bodily autonomy and prefer to defend “safer topics” like the gender pay gap.
• They don’t initiate any advocacy, but will attend the occasional feminist event.

Feminist Advocate
The trusted footsoldier of the Feminist Champion who isn’t afraid to join feminist movements or causes. They find comfort in group activity but may be more interested in other social justice issues. They need to step into their fearless leadership to become Feminist Champions.

Feminist Advocates do some, if not all, of the following:

• They participate in public feminist action.
• They make a great second-in-command, strongly connected to feminist groups and causes.
• They voice their radical opinions and can be considered active in the feminist world, but they do not seek the spotlight.

Feminist Champion
The face of the movement, our Champion brings women’s rights and gender justice into everything they do. They are experts in community-building, policy-making, and feminist movement-igniting. More than just advocacy, they push the movement forward.

Feminist Champions do some, if not all, of the following:

• They are the face and the voice of our feminist future, igniting feminist movements and individuals, providing direction for the cause.
• They courageously call out anything–or anyone–anti-feminist and will build campaigns to counter them.
• They are grassroots, intersectional, and fully dedicated to the cause.

So what’s the point here?! Well, a few things. Firstly, any woman who’s ever read a so-called “women’s magazine” (or–in my case–waited in terror at the dentist’s office with no choice but to reach for Cosmo) will know what these quizzes are like. Are you a good lover? Do you know what he’s thinking? Are you dressing to flatter your figure?!

This is our take on the classic! Use it to hold your favorite politician accountable. These days, we are so incredibly far off the mark it’s almost impossible to measure. We’re living in a dystopian age where women’s rights seem like an impossibility absolutely everywhere. Not to mention discriminations against every imaginable minority and identity. Oh yeah, and a genocide. That too. It’s hard to be optimistic. Or even to write a piece that is snarky and might make us laugh.

For those watching the debate tonight–I don’t care about either of them, but hope that you emerged unscathed. As for me, I’ll be safely hiding in Westeros with my dragon.