by Thought Catalog (Editor), Kylie Cheung (Author)
In a series of 12 essays, The Gaslit Diaries identifies the cynicism young feminists often face when they express their opinions for what it really is: gaslighting. And this gaslighting does more than poison our dialogues. It often places women in life-or-death danger, and stunts much-needed progress on women's rights by suggesting that we as a society have already reached the finish line, and those who continue to protest oppression are just unhinged "social justice warriors."
From the migraine epidemic that disproportionately affects women, to the correlation between anti-abortion laws and rising U.S. maternal death rates; from mounting advocacy for men accused of sexual violence, to the persistence of the gender wage gap, women's everyday experiences within the patriarchy-and demands that we "prove" these experiences-have shown us the gendered nature of credibility. The adage "believe women" isn't just about sexual assault: It's about women's condition, experiences, and the broad subversion of our voices.