Today is International Women’s Day, so named in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, wherein women protested against adverse working conditions. To honor this day, this post is dedicated to women who read, women who write, and fierce strong women who aren’t afraid to give voice to things like poor working conditions or other atrocities visited upon the females of our species. Women like Rowan Layne, though she may only exist within the pages of my Other Worldly series, because she is a reader, writer, and fearless leader.
When I set out to draft a fictional series addressing sociopolitical issues and eschewing misogyny and bigotry, it was important to me to represent with a strong outspoken woman over fifty who not only overcomes personal adversity, but advocates for others.
Rowan Layne is a woman who forges a path for other women, and who doesn’t sit quietly by simply because a particular injustice isn’t currently personally befalling her. Rowan Layne faces challenge and adversity head on with both her mighty pen and her fearless voice.
My Other Worldly feminist protagonist is adept at giving passionate speeches, including addresses to members of the US Congress as well as the UK Parliament. Last week my blog post involved an interview with Rowan Layne using questions suggested by Writer’s Digest magazine. This week I thought I’d ask Rowan what she thought of President Biden’s State of the Union address last night. Word has it she was cheering and howling (discombobulating her cat) and generally feeling quite feisty and validated during and after that historic speech, so let’s see what she has to say this morning.
Where you satisfied with last night’s SOTU?
Satisfied? I was over the moon. At my age, I can unequivocally state that it was the absolute best State of the Union address heard in my lifetime. It was electrifying. Invigorating. Inspiring.
What was your favorite part?
There were many, but the clincher for me was when the president dressed down the rightwing justices of the Supreme Court (at least the ones who could be bothered to attend), which hasn’t been so very supreme these past few years. He reminded them, in case they somehow didn’t know, that women are not without electoral and political power in the US. He warned them that they were fixing to find this out.
Boy howdy! November can’t come soon enough. We women have had it and are not going to stand meekly and quietly by while misogynists run roughshod over our existence, including the three progressive women justices who unfortunately have to deal personally with these corrupt Christofascists. Can you imagine? Talk about adverse working conditions!
What was your least favorite part?
Having to watch the smirky, smarmy punkish facial expressions of the pathetic Republican excuse for a Speaker of the House. That little man actually sat there and rolled his eyes like a ten-year-old. His immature and unprofessional behavior was only highlighted by our badass, fierce strong female vice president seated next to him. Her demeanor was professional and poised. Kamala Harris is everything Republican women and men in Congress are not. At one point I decided that the reason the Speaker of the House didn’t stand when Vice President Harris did is because he quickly realized she dwarfed him. Both in stature, and in every other way. It’s time that small men step back and let strong experienced women forge ahead. Because, as an ancient proverb says, those who say it can’t be done shouldn’t interrupt those who are actually doing it.
One more thought on our stellar female vice president. All y’all who keep posting on Twitter your ideal Democratic presidential candidates for 2028 need to quit with the all-white male fantasy teams. Your misogyny is showing, and it isn’t a good look for you, especially younger men.
Also, enough with the ageism directed at both men and women, including our brilliant and benevolent president. Biden is a decent human being. Apparently too many take that for granted and have already forgotten what it was like to have a sociopathic deranged monster in the White House. I haven’t forgotten. Integrity matters. Last night’s SOTU was a stark contrast from the past, pitting intellect and integrity against utter depraved idiocy. Kindness against cruelty. Candor against pathological and prolific lies.
Did you have any other questions for me? Because I have one for every American eligible to vote.
In November, will you cast your vote in favor of democracy and the rule of law, or will you vote for proliferating power of men who behave worse than ten-year-olds and think women are their personal property existing only to serve them?