Sam Baker

“WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT ALL THE CARING WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BIRTH CONTROL WE ARE ANGRY THAT THE WORDS MOTHER AND WOMAN ARE OFTEN TAKEN TO BE ONE AND THE SAME THING WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT THE PAIN EVERY BLOODY MONTH WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT DOING ALL THE CHILDCARE AND HOUSEWORK AND PARENT CARE AND DOMESTIC LOAD-CARRYING WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT TAKING ALL THE CAREER RISK WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT BEING PAID LESS AND DOING MORE WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT BEING EXPECTED TO BE SEXY AND MATERNAL AND FECUND AND YOUTHFUL AND THIN BUT NOT TOO THIN AND CURVY BUT NOT TOO CURVY AND BASICALLY JUST VISUALLY APPEALING SO MEN GIVE US AIR TIME WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT ALL THE TIMES WE WERE TALKED OVER OR PUT DOWN OR UNDERMINED WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT BEING JUDGED AND FOUND WANTING WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT BEING MADE TO FEEL GUILTY ABOUT EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT HAVING TO PROVE OURSELVES OVER AND OVER AGAIN WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE’VE PUT UP WITH THAT WE KNOW WE SHOULDN’T HAVE PUT UP WITH BUT WE THOUGHT WE HAD TO WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT HAVING TO PRETEND ALL THE FUCKING TIME THAT WE’RE NOT ANGRY AND WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT HAVING TO SMILE SMILE SMILE LOVE IT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN.”
― Sam Baker, The Shift: Join the Menopause Revolution