Photos by Win McNamee

Written by Jackson Bird. 

This week we’re dedicating the reFRESH to our righteous feminist rage.

What we’re checking out…

The events of this week have been a particularly enraging time to be a feminist, but the Senate Judiciary Hearing on Thursday tipped our rage over the edge. It so bluntly illustrated the hypocrisy of male emotions that it would have been laughable, if it weren’t so infuriating. Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford’s calm account of one of the most traumatic moments of her life, including apologies for not being helpful enough, stood in stark contrast to Judge Kavanaugh’s unrestrained yelling, interrupting, and maudlin tears about the possibility of losing a job he feels entitled to. And we all know what would have happened if Dr. Ford had behaved anywhere near as emotionally as Judge Kavanaugh. Maybe we would’ve sympathized with his performance better if he’d smiled more.

So for everyone who is still as seething as we are, we’re dedicating this week’s reFRESH entirely to our favorite reads and watches from a week of righteous, feminist rage.

Every woman I know has been storing anger for years in her body and it’s starting to feel like bees are going to pour out of all of our mouths at the same time.

— Erin Keane (@eekshecried) June 28, 2018

Our top read for the week is Rebecca Solnit’s piece for The New Republic, “All the Rage.” Seriously, if you only click on one link in this newsletter, let it be this one. We’ll even share some quotes to whet your appetite:

“Women no longer obliged to please men may finally be able to express rage, because we’re less economically dependent on men than ever before, and because feminism has been redefining what’s appropriate and acceptable.”

“How, without idealizing and entrenching anger, can we grant nonwhite people and nonmale people an equal right to feeling and expressing it?”

Solnit also uses the piece to seamlessly review three of our top recent book recommendations on this topic:

• Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister
• Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger by Soraya Chemaly
• and of course, Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by FRESH Speaker Brittney Cooper

Opening up a women’s only gym that only has one class and it’s rage screaming and the wait list is already 3 years long.

— Alison Leiby (@AlisonLeiby) September 27, 2018

We’re in awe of Ana Maria Archila who stopped Senator Jeff Flake in the elevator to demand an answer from him. Mere hours later, he changed his position in favor of delaying the Supreme Court nomination until an investigation can be done. Watch the video here.

We would recommend the Hysteria podcast from Crooked Media on any day, but the latest episode, “Listen to the Lady” is especially validating.

Rebecca Traister wrote an excellent piece for The Cut about how women have been literally and systematically muzzled throughout history–and how the muzzle is finally coming off for good.

We’re living for Linda Sarsour’s jacket in this photo with America Ferrera and Uzo Aduba. Get it from The Outrage.

via Linda Sarsour

Oh and make sure you’re registered to vote while you’re at. Many districts have been culling registrations so you never know when you’ll be mysteriously removed from the register.

In addition to voting, this week has proven that calling your legislators is more important than ever. Maybe you can find a bar near you like Butter & Scotch in Brooklyn, spotted by FRESH Speaker Emily May, who was giving out free shots to patrons who called their representatives.

Lili Loofbourow wrote for Slate about men being more afraid than ever in this #MeToo era of reckoning. We hope it’s not too bold to say it, but good.

Hey political science (and other) women,

Thinking it's gonna be a productive Thursday. pic.twitter.com/EYkchh8xof

— Layna Mosley (@thwillow) September 27, 2018

This TIME piece alleges that women’s rage is “the most powerful engine of 2018” and honestly? We sure hope it is.

Brittney Cooper let some of her rage flow eloquently on WNYC’s The Takeaway in response to Bill Cosby’s conviction and larger intersections of race and the #MeToo movement.

And finally, our reFRESHing talk of the week comes from Inés Hercovich explaining exactly why victims of sexual assault almost always stay silent.

Like what you see? Get the reFRESH in your inbox each week.