NOM

A blistering pair of articles appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday and today that highlighted what I believe is a bigger problem of white privileged misogynistic men, heavily influenced by LDS culture, creating and perpetuating a rape culture in higher education.

Both articles were blistering. And, such articles are why the SL Tribune won a Pulitizer.

I would love to hear comments from anyone who has a chance to read the articles.

For my part, I marveled when I got a chance to read some of Brigham Young and how he really treated women. He was a jerk -- the epitome of someone who was a narcissist. Joseph Smith was one as well; the way he treated Emma -- my heart breaks for that woman who was a victim of an evil man who was a wolf in sheep clothing. Brigham paid homage to Joseph as long as needed, and when gone, took his place with whatever was required.

I believe this culture -- this privileged misogynistic mind set -- continues to permeate the church and has influenced and filtered down into institutional bodies like USU and BYU. Nothing much has changed -- the legacy of JS and BY continues.

Thoughts?

Misogyny is inherent in Mormonism. It is baked in. When males control everything in an organization, that organization will be irredeemably male-centric, and blind to the perspectives of women. There's no getting around it.

Which is why you have the irony of a culture that is obsessed with sexual purity that is so demeaning to victims of sexual assault - the organization has no way of understanding the perspective of a female sexual assault victim. When you hear that talk about LDS girls falsely claiming rape after sex, when Logan cops cover for USU athletes, etc., it is because the male perspective is the default. Men protect other men. Men stand in solidarity with each other. How women feel doesn't count for much. They are seen as a source of pleasure, a source of temptation - but not as people who count.

Behind the friendly smiles there is all kinds of ugliness in Mormonism. The misogyny is one of the most loathsome.

Since the Tribune and its religious articles are inaccessible to those without a subscription, could you cut and past the articles or some excerpts?

I was in a bit of a power struggle these last few weeks. I want to ignore - and in my mind I can usually ignore - that I'm the only female faculty in our department. Our dean, VP etc. are all male, in meetings with other universities whose leadership and faculty are all male.... meeting after meeting where I was the only female. If you nod your head and agree everyone is all smiles. Any criticism, and bam - locked out. The higher-ups are trying to sign a deal that would really hurt my department - younger guys just trying to get their names on a partnership who do not understand how to barter, and do not understand what they were signing. The partner started emailing me directly, and we went back and forth on our own (even though I was told by my boss not to email anyone). I want what is best for everyone - not trying to be a pain, but what they were signing was not going to be a successful program or partnership - as shown by so many previous examples. I had not felt that in a few years. I was able to temporarily halt the partnership and am hoping a few things get fixed, but now all the guys at my school are giving me the cold shoulder.

My first real job I showed up in steel-toe boots, and a lumberjack shirt.... they still tried to confine me to secretary work. One day I was asked to carry a bag of dirt over to the ball mills to get ground down - I did it myself rather than giving it to others, and that started my path to working the fluidized bed, heavy liquid separations, hauling buckets of acid around and mixing haz mat materials up.... god. have to put your ethics on hold to join much of the boys world.

It is not just BYU - sexism is alive and well in America.

moksha wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 16, 2021 10:25 am

Since the Tribune and its religious articles are inaccessible to those without a subscription, could you cut and past the articles or some excerpts?

For those of us blocked off by the Tribune paywall, posting the information here counts as good works that lead directly to the Celestial Kingdom. Just check off the credit box for helping the poor and informationally needy and post below.