drst:
“There are the occasions that men—intellectual men, clever men, engaged men—insist on playing devil’s advocate, desirous of a debate on some aspect of feminist theory or reproductive rights or some other subject generally filed under the heading: Women’s Issues. These intellectual, clever, engaged men want to endlessly probe my argument for weaknesses, want to wrestle over details, want to argue just for fun—and they wonder, these intellectual, clever, engaged men, why my voice keeps raising and why my face is flushed and why, after an hour of fighting my corner, hot tears burn the corners of my eyes. Why do you have to take this stuff so personally? ask the intellectual, clever, and engaged men, who have never considered that the content of the abstract exercise that’s so much fun for them is the stuff of my life.”—Melissa McEwan, of course, on the terrible bargain. My life as a woman, as a queer person, as a fat person, is not your thought experiment. (via sanitywatchers)(via cocoku)(via bitterbuffalo)(via reelaroundthefountain)(via rubyvroom)(via bubonickitten)(via femtastic)
Plus, I’m usually inclined to believe that the person playing devil’s advocate is just using the term devil’s advocate as a shield to prevent them from having to take responsibility for arguing something they actually believe, but which they know they will be negatively viewed for believing. If I have the courage to stand up and say what I actually think about something, even when I’m being attacked on all sides, so should you, fucker.