At this point, if you are a feminist you are probably aware of the absurd squawkings of Phyllis Schlafly, the anti-ERA, hyper-conservative, anti-feminist activist–her most recent offense being an op-ed authored for the Christian Post about how us poor feminist are going to die alone if we get equal pay.
No, really. She actually believes it. From BUST’s blog response to the op-ed:
The most shocking and insulting words perhaps are these: “the pay gap between men and women is not all bad because it helps to promote and sustain marriages.” The pay gap is lowest amongst millennials; under Schlafly’s absurd reasoning, this is the direct cause of statistically fewer marriages in this generation.
Well, there is a young woman who wants to say something about all this. Her name is Madison Kimrey, and she is a twelve-year-old political activist that speaks and thinks like a grown-ass woman. Here she is addressing her home-state of North Carolina about voters’ rights:
Kimrey is obviously not one to take a back seat when an adult makes some nutzo claim about her generation, or bashes a cause she is passionate about. So, she penned an open letter to Schafly about how damaging her very backwards claims are to young women, and the fight for a more equitable future.
Here are some prize excerpts from the letter:
“I’m a teenage girl who has been reading about you quite a bit in the news lately. It seems to me that you have absolutely no idea what women of my generation are all about. I can understand that because I often deal with older people who think that their generation is superior and my generation is the worst thing ever just because we’re different. Really though, I think since you want to be all up in the public eye, it would really do you a lot of good to understand things from the perspective of one of the young women who will be taking over this country soon.”
“Making choices in our lives as young women is kind of like finding that favorite bra. Not all of us are going to fit into the same kind and not all of us are going to find the same style attractive. We all deserve to have as many choices as possible, and as women, we shouldn’t be judging the choices made by other women. Choosing a bra is a very personal choice and is none of anyone else’s business. We should be, as women, looking for ways we can expand the choices both for ourselves and other women, just as Megan Grassell did when she started Yellowberry. Equality doesn’t mean women will all make the same choice. It means women will be treated the same no matter what choices they make.
This brings us to the idea you have that women shouldn’t have equal pay because it will make it more difficult for them to find husbands. What you’re doing is attempting to limit my choices, and I don’t appreciate that. Let’s get one thing straight here. When I’m thinking about what kind of career I want to have, it’s a lot like shopping for a bra. I want to find something that fits me and appeals to me, and I’m not thinking about pleasing a man. Anyone who wants to be my partner in life is going to have to truly respect me, appreciate me for who I am, and honor the choices I make.”
“I believe that my daughters will look at history and see women like you the same way I see women who tried to prevent us from getting the right to vote.”
Kimrey for President!!! Be sure to check out the full letter here, and remember to never underestimate the power of tweens and teens with a strong mind and empowered voice!
Thanks to Liberals Unite, via Women’s Media Center
Image originally from darthmadison’s YouTube
