Actor Mark Ruffalo’s Sharp, Smart Response to ‘Ignorant’ Non-Feminists

Actor Mark Ruffalo. (Wikimedia/ CC BY-SA 3.0)

In a bold, eloquent statement, “Avengers” actor Mark Ruffalo has hit back at what he terms the “‘I am not a feminist’ Internet phenomenon.”

“First of all,” his Tumblr blog piece reads, “it’s clear you don’t know what feminism is. But I’m not going to explain it to you. You can google it. To quote an old friend, ‘I’m not the feminist babysitter.'”

The post continues: “You’re insulting every woman who was forcibly restrained in a jail cell with a feeding tube down her throat for your right to vote, less than 100 years ago”.

Further, it argues, “You’re undermining every woman who fought to make marital rape a crime (it was legal until 1993).

“You’re spitting on the legacy of every woman who fought for women to be allowed to own property (1848). For the abolition of slavery and the rise of the labor union. For the right to divorce. For women to be allowed to have access to birth control (Comstock laws). For middle and upper class women to be allowed to work outside the home (poor women have always worked outside the home). To make domestic violence a crime in the US (It is very much legal in many parts of the world). To make workplace sexual harassment a crime.”

It concludes: “In short, kiss my ass you ignorant little jerks.”

Originally posted in March, the post has gained attention following a Reddit Ask Me Anything interview.

Ruffalo is known for his advocacy of women’s rights. In 2013, he penned an open letter about his mother being forced to have an illegal abortion, arguing that her experience — and the experience of many others — showed that women are treated as second-class citizens.

–Posted by Roisin Davis