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It’s Not Nice to Foul Mother Nature, Should We Dis-engender Her/Him/Them(?) to Help?
A gender reveal party for Earth?
It is well known that President Trump in his zeal, (or possibly just base baiting campaign) to put “America First” took steps to withdraw from the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. Most thinking people, genuinely worried about the fate of our planet and all it concerns: food, equality, war, pollution, energy independence, storms, floods, fires, and more still believe we should stand up and defend the old girl.
Many original native faiths, as well as current creation-care based religions revere our Mother Earth, our Pachamama, or our girl Gaia. Pope Francis has penned moving rhetoric, and Neil Young has rock and rolled “Who’s gonna say that she’s had enough?”
Over all, it is safe to say most people think of Earth as a “she.”
But what if our personification of Earth as a female has actually hindered our progress? What if the conflation of a female planet and the centuries old assignation of sexism to human women is part of why we can’t muster up enough R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
I have to admit, this idea was not one I had given much thought. However, I’m thinking about it now. Upon examining how I, a feminist, regard, revere, and even love women and my home planet…