Light Work by Dear Patriarchy
An intersectional feminist guide for women trying to survive the (corporate) world. Jen & Lisa are sisters with over 2 decades spent working in the male-dominated industries of Construction, Tech and Finance. They delve into the pitfalls and the gas-lighting people who identify as women experience in the patriarchal construct of traditional corporate environments, sharing their personal experiences along with statistics relating to how misogyny, racism, queer-phobia, fatphobia, ableism and other forms of discrimination present in the workplace. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re not getting ahead at work (or getting as far as you want), they'll explore why (spoiler alert: it’s not your fault) and what you can do about it.
Light Work by Dear Patriarchy
Mini-breakdown: Eugenics & Forced Sterilization
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Welcome to episode 19(ish) of series 3 where Lisa does a mini-breakdown on eugenics and how it relates to reproductive healthcare, specifically forced sterilization. She starts by explaining what eugenics, and scientific racism, is at a high level, touching briefly on Margaret Sanger & Planned Parenthood as well as the inherent ableism of eugenics. She goes on to talk about how, in the wake of SCOTUS overturning Roe vs. Wade, many people are suggesting that boys & men (presumably cis-het) should be given vasectomies until they are “fit” to be a father and how this idea is on the slippery slope to eugenicist beliefs. She runs through the recent history of forced sterilization in the USA & Puerto Rico (including that it is still legal to forcibly sterilize disabled people in 34 states) and how allowing systemically racist, ableist government systems to determine who is “fit” to be a parent is taking a massive step backward. She closes with a reminder that being branded with the title of “wokeness” should not deter us from actively working to be on the right side of history. We need to continue to educate ourselves, try to always use inclusive language (because words & language matter), and put in the work every day to protect the civil rights of all those around us, not just the people who look like or identify the same way as we do. We hope you’ll continue on in this fight.
These articles were used to inform this discussion:
- Eugenics & Scientific Racism
- Margaret Sanger's Connection to Eugenics
- America's "Forgotten" History of Forced Sterilization
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from a Feminist author.
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.