Name: Ron Hogan
Gender: Male
Occupation: Author and public speaker
1.) Are you a feminist?
I am.
I am.
2.) What does feminism mean to you?
Feminism goes hand-in-hand with dealing with several other forms of disparity in areas such as (but not limited to) ethnicity and sexual identity. Just as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees "no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," I believe we have abroader social and cultural obligation to ensure that nobody is denied an opportunity to advance himself or herself to the best of their abilities -- and that can cover everything from equal pay for equal work, equal opportunity for education, equal protection from harm, or the equal right to marry the one you love* or to serve in your nation's defense with honor and pride.
Feminism goes hand-in-hand with dealing with several other forms of disparity in areas such as (but not limited to) ethnicity and sexual identity. Just as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees "no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," I believe we have abroader social and cultural obligation to ensure that nobody is denied an opportunity to advance himself or herself to the best of their abilities -- and that can cover everything from equal pay for equal work, equal opportunity for education, equal protection from harm, or the equal right to marry the one you love* or to serve in your nation's defense with honor and pride.
3.) Who is one female (other than your mother) you admire, and why?
I'm going to cheat slightly and name two women: First, Betty Crow, for having the courage to become the woman that she knew she was always meant to be, and then Helen Boyd for sharing the story of her marriage to Betty with the world and becoming a powerful advocate for other couples like them. (See helenboydbooks.com for more information, or read My Husband Betty and She's Not the Man I Married.)
4.) Are there enough women in leadership positions in your field?
I'm going to cheat slightly and name two women: First, Betty Crow, for having the courage to become the woman that she knew she was always meant to be, and then Helen Boyd for sharing the story of her marriage to Betty with the world and becoming a powerful advocate for other couples like them. (See helenboydbooks.com for more information, or read My Husband Betty and She's Not the Man I Married.)
4.) Are there enough women in leadership positions in your field?
5.) Are men and women being paid fair and equally in your field?
Book publishing actually does have a number of women in leadership positions throughout the industry. I can't speak to whether there's a disparity in compensation between men and women in publishing -- I hope people will share any information either way in the comments section -- but I suspect that, as you get past the largest, most corporate publishers in New York City, the smaller independent presses are less likely to even have the luxury of being able to overpay men simply for being men.
Book publishing actually does have a number of women in leadership positions throughout the industry. I can't speak to whether there's a disparity in compensation between men and women in publishing -- I hope people will share any information either way in the comments section -- but I suspect that, as you get past the largest, most corporate publishers in New York City, the smaller independent presses are less likely to even have the luxury of being able to overpay men simply for being men.
6.) How do media generally portray women? What is a good example of this?
The reality shows are among the worst offenders: When Mr. T had "I Pity the Fool" last year, everybody thought it was so amusing that he would show up and tell people how to run their lives and their businesses. Tabatha Coffey goes from "Shear Genius" to "Tabatha's Salon Takeover," and the general consensus is that she's a controlling bitch. And this isn't just a matter of the audience coming to a prejudicial conclusion -- the shows are designed by the producers to generate exactly those responses.
The reality shows are among the worst offenders: When Mr. T had "I Pity the Fool" last year, everybody thought it was so amusing that he would show up and tell people how to run their lives and their businesses. Tabatha Coffey goes from "Shear Genius" to "Tabatha's Salon Takeover," and the general consensus is that she's a controlling bitch. And this isn't just a matter of the audience coming to a prejudicial conclusion -- the shows are designed by the producers to generate exactly those responses.
7.) What can men and women do to reduce violence against women?
One of the first steps that we can take is for our criminal justice systems to underscore the gravity with which they treat cases of violence against women by investigating those cases swiftly and efficiently. The stories we hear over and over about unprocessed rape kits send a powerful, even if unintentional message -- these cases are not a priority to us.
One of the first steps that we can take is for our criminal justice systems to underscore the gravity with which they treat cases of violence against women by investigating those cases swiftly and efficiently. The stories we hear over and over about unprocessed rape kits send a powerful, even if unintentional message -- these cases are not a priority to us.
8.) If you work, how do you balance work and family, or how do you plan to balance the two in the future?
I actually do much of my freelance work from home, while my wife works in an office, so we are able to split the domestic work effectively.
I actually do much of my freelance work from home, while my wife works in an office, so we are able to split the domestic work effectively.
9.) What is one thing you’d like to see happen for women in the next 5-10 years?
Since I'm hoping for two terms of Obama/Biden, I suppose it won't be until 2016 that we have another opportunity to elect a woman for president or vice-president, but I do believe it won't be much further off than that.
Since I'm hoping for two terms of Obama/Biden, I suppose it won't be until 2016 that we have another opportunity to elect a woman for president or vice-president, but I do believe it won't be much further off than that.
10.) What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to young girls today?
Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something. If you try and fail, at least you've done so on your own terms -- and maybe you'll learn something that'll help you succeed on the next try.
Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something. If you try and fail, at least you've done so on your own terms -- and maybe you'll learn something that'll help you succeed on the next try.
*Emphasis mine, as this is all too timely today, unfortunately.
Updated: See how his wife answered the same questions here.
The Undomestic 10 is a 10-question interview with men and women about feminism and how we can improve it. The Undomestic 10 welcomes anyone and everyone to shed light on how our society views feminism (even those who don't self-identify as feminists). So if you think you have something interesting to add to the mix, don't hesitate to email me at amanda(dot)recupido(at)gmail(dot)com.
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1 comments:
It's sad for me to say that this perspective and thoughtfulness from a guy is not just "refreshing" but almost stunning. That said, I have hope for our country.
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