I was 18 when I started working at Procter & Gamble. While school had its share of cliques and cruelty, it was a mere sidestep to the discrimination and pettiness women faced in Corporate America.
Becoming a feminist was something attributed to me when I voiced my opinion. I remember being called into my supervisor's office when I dared to wear expensive blue jeans into the corridors of the hallowed grounds of the Paper Division Building. I knew that would happen and I prepared my argument beforehand. I won that battle...my first pushback on the establishment. I was also told I would never be a manager. When I resigned, I was a manager and appreciated the support that both men and women gave me in that battle. It took over 20 years, but that burr haircut white male in HR had to eat his words. 

As I started my career as an artist and writer, inequality between the sexes and ethnicity was and still is abundant. Women artists do not get nearly the same treatment as men. This statement won't make me popular or sought after, but not calling attention to it will only allow for the inequality to continue.   Think about the workshops you have attended. Was the instructor a male? What was the distribution of men and women attendees? When you are asked to name current Master Artists, how many of them are women?  What's the answer to this? On a personal level I can try to be more inclusive.  However, it isn't like I haven't tried in the past to bring attention to this. There is definitely discrimination and if you become vocal about it, you are labeled a troublemaker and in some cases, you are exorcised.  I have even heard the male artists are considered to be professional artists while women are considered to be hobbyist. The very principles that caused the inequality in Corporate America is cited as the basis in the Art World as well--women will have children or should be in administrative roles. Sound familiar? Additionally, the art world and artists created silos. Cliques are created and rarely do we peek outside that silo. So, there, feminist me said it out loud. Now that it has been said, it's time the publishers, creators, instructors, and all of us  to recognize it exists and start to address it.  By the way, publishers, doing a single article on women every year or more doesn't satisfy the inequality. 

I support and fully believe that the ERA needs to become an amendment to the Constitution. Without it, it becomes easier to erase the progress we have made to date. Just look at the current discussions: autonomy over our bodies, our right to vote is being threatened (SAVE Act), lack of respect (equality) in the workplace continues, discrimination against women (regardless of ethnicity) are just a few issues off the top of my head. The fight for equality is becoming harder for each generation  of women to come.

I knew who Gloria Steinem was, but to be honest, I was so busy fighting injustices in my corner of the world that I can't say I was a true follower of hers. It is only in retrospect that I actually saw what she was doing and why some male coworkers called me a feminist. It was meant as an insult, but I always smiled and thanked them. I smiled as I saw that anger and hate creep across their faces. I still smile to this day. If I planted one seed that made them think about how they treated women-- their wives and daughters--and strangers, then I accomplished something. 

What is feminism:
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern societies are patriarchal—they prioritize the male point of view—and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. Efforts to change this include fighting against gender stereotypes, breaking down traditional gender roles, and improving educational, professional, and interpersonal opportunities and outcomes for women. A person who advocates for feminism is known as a feminist.

As I started my career as an artist and wr iter, inequality between the sexes and ethnicity was and still is abundant. Women artists do not get nearly the same treatment as men. This statement won't,'t make me popular or sought after, but not calling attention to it will only allow for the inequality to continue.  What's the answer to this? On a personal level I can try to be more inclusive.  However, it isn't like I haven't tried on the past to bring attention to this. There is definitely discrimination and if you become vocal about it, you are labeled a troublemaker and in some cases, you are exorcised.  The art world and artists are silos. We created our cliques and rarely peek beyond that. So, there, feminist me said it out loud. I challenge all of us, from publishers to creator to pop our heads out of our silos and challenge ourselves to be more open and inclusive.

So, rest in power and peace, Gloria.  Thank you for challenging the status quo, picking up the torch of the Suffragettes, and making women think about our presence in this world--who we want to be, and how we want future generations of women to be treated. The last few years must have been painful for you to witness and you didn't stop speaking out. I can only hope that I can in a small way play tribute to you through my character in my books.