I’m embarrassed. Not for anything that I did, but for the institute of higher learning from which I earned my undergraduate degree, Washington University, which has apparently lost all sight of common sense or decency in deciding to award an honorary degree to Phyllis Schlafly. Yes the same Phyllis Schlafly that got all bent out of shape at Feminist Peace Network because, wait for it, we support International Women’s Day.
WU is giving her the award because she is “a national leader of the conservative movement.” Okay, just go ahead and get the barf bag out now because as Feministing points out,
“What they fail to mention however, is that she is also an anti-feminist leader who believes married women can’t be raped (“By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don’t think you can call it rape.”), that there should be bans on women working in nontraditional fields (like construction work or firefighting), and – oh yeah – that the ERA is dangerous.”
Feministing also helpfully provides these emails to lodge your protests:
Jane Stone, coordinator of the Board of Trustees
It should also be pointed out that the commencement address is being given by everyone’s favorite on-air misogynist, Chris Matthews and that only 2 of the 6 honorary degrees being given out are being given to women. I’d like to think that things have changed since I got my degree, and that was a VERY long time ago, but clearly they have not.
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Katha Pollitt’s most recent Nation column on this topic is also superb: “Backlash Spectacular.”
[...] This is the woman who came on the talk shows in the 1970’s declaring that, if the ERA passed, our sons would die by the truckload because the women in combat with them would be more worried about breaking their nails than rushing out to save them. This is also the woman who said there’s no such thing as marital rape because a woman agrees to sex when she takes vows. I don’t recall that particular vow. I wonder what church she attends. No man has ever hated women more, and yet Washington University will honor her because she’s a “leader of the conservative movement.” (Washington University Tells Its Female Grads They Are Second Class Citizens) [...]
HI Lucinda,
Phyllis Schlafly getting an honorary degree is indeed a travesty. One wonders if Adolf Hitler, were he still alive, would now be racking up honoraria as a “former world leader”.
I think it’s important that as many of us as possible register our outrage. Thanks for providing the links for us to do so.
When Joy of Resistance is on-air again after the WBAI May fundraiser, we will be sure to carry this story in our feminist news.
Fran Luck
Executive Producer
Joy of Resistance, Multicultural Feminist Radio @ WBAI
99.5 FM, NYC