Caitlyn's image of women

Caitlyn seems to think being a "woman" means, on a daily basis, pain, hours of preparation to look "womanly", having many "beauty" enhancements, etc.

"Nursing Clio" http://nursingclio.org  in her blog today spoke to "make-up, a necessity or a pleasure? " the blog was stimulated by a comment from a woman who said "oh, i have to get a pedicure" during a discussion of it being warm enough for sandals. I like NC's self-questioning list for why she may be applying make-up. ............I think this is a good feminist attitude.

"So I am taking a stand for self-aware beautifying. Here is my stab at codifying my personal guidelines for assessing each element of my own beauty regimen:

• Does it provide more pleasure than pain?
• Would I rather spend the time/money on this than something else?
• Are my beauty practices damaging to people/things around me?
• If I feel I “need” to do this, would I feel the same way if I were a man?
• Have I tried skipping this part of my routine, or this aspect of self-presentation, to see how it feels to go without, and realize that the sky won’t fall?
• Am I appreciating other people’s appearances, and talking about beauty, in ways that support others’ self-expression?

For me, this means that Brazilian waxing is out, nail polish and lipstick are occasional, and face powder with SPF is routine for summer. I admire friend’s glitter toenails and salon highlights, but I don’t use them myself.........." 

JP again: I am confounded about what happened to our 70s fight for women to be comfortable in their dress and appearance. All around me i see women in shoes and clothing that are obviously making them phtysically uncomfortable. WHY? There are obviously many outfits and shoes that we can wear that are perfectly comfortable. Are they so influenced by society, media, men, that they are willing to pay for their approval by being in pain, embarrassed, unable to sit down, unable to stride across a room, or run from an attacker? By the way striding across a room, rather then shuffling along because your dress is too tight or your heels too high, is much more sexy and powerful, if that's what you are going for! 

It's too bad that Bruce lived in a household of women who taught him that glamorous, time-consuming accessories, and painful accoutraments are what make him a woman. 

Woman hero of WWII

More from Elder Chicks blog

ElderChicks.com shared A Mighty Girl's photo.

6 hrs · 

Sounds like fiction, but it's not.

A Mighty Girl

At age 23, British secret agent Phyllis Latour Doyle parachuted into occupied Normandy in May 1944 to gather intelligence on Nazi positions in preparation for D-Day. As an agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), Doyle secretly relayed 135 coded messages to the British military before France's liberation in August. For seventy years, her contributions to the war effort have been largely unheralded but, in December, the 94-year-old was finally given her due when she was awarded France's highest honor, the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. 

Doyle first joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force at age 20 in 1941 to work as a flight mechanic but SOE recruiters spotted her potential and offered her a job as a spy. A close family friend, her godmother's father who she viewed as her grandfather, had been shot by the Nazis and she was eager to support the war effort however she could. Doyle immediately accepted the SOE's offer and began an intensive training program. In addition to learning about encryption and surveillance, trainees also had to pass grueling physical tests. Doyle described how they were taught by a cat burglar who had been released from jail on "how to get in a high window, and down drain pipes, how to climb over roofs without being caught."

She first deployed to Aquitaine in Vichy France where she worked for a year as a spy using the codename Genevieve. Her most dangerous mission, however, began on May 1, 1944 when she jumped out of a US Air Force bomber and landed behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Normandy. Using the codename Paulette, she posed as a poor teenage French girl. Doyle used a bicycle to tour the region, often under the guise of selling soap, and passed information to the British on Nazi positions using coded messages. In an interview with the New Zealand Army News magazine, she described how risky the mission, noting that "The men who had been sent just before me were caught and executed. I was told I was chosen for that area (of France) because I would arouse less suspicion."

She also explained how she concealed her codes: "I always carried knitting because my codes were on a piece of silk -- I had about 2000 I could use. When I used a code I would just pinprick it to indicate it had gone. I wrapped the piece of silk around a knitting needle and put it in a flat shoe lace which I used to tie my hair up." Coded messages took a half an hour to send and the Germans could identify where a signal was sent from in an hour and a half so Doyle moved constantly to avoid detection. At times, she stayed with Allied sympathizers but often she had to sleep in forests and forage for food. 

During her months in Normandy, Doyle sent 135 secret messages -- invaluable information on Nazi troop positions that was used to help Allied forces prepare for the Normandy landing on D-Day and during the subsequent military campaign. Doyle continued her mission until France's liberation in August 1944. 

Following the war, Doyle eventually settled in New Zealand where she raised four children. It was only in the past 15 years that she told them about her career as a spy. In presenting the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour to Doyle, French Ambassador Laurent Contini commended her courage during the war, stating: "I have deep admiration for her bravery and it will be with great honor that I will present her with the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, France’s highest decoration."

To read more about Phyllis Latour Doyle's incredible story, visit The Telegraph at http://bit.ly/1I1nvi2

For an excellent book about both famous and little known women heroes of WWII, we highly recommend "Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue," recommended for ages 13 and up, at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii

A complementary book telling the stories of heroic women of WWI was also recently released: "Women Heroes of World War I: 16 Remarkable Resisters, Soldiers, Spies, and Medics" at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-i

For two highly recommended novels about women resistance fighters of WWII, both for ages 13 and up, check out "Code Name Verity" (http://www.amightygirl.com/code-name-verity) and "Rose Under Fire" (http://www.amightygirl.com/rose-under-fire). 

For more books about girls and women living through the WWII period, including numerous stories related to the Holocaust, visit our "WWII & Holocaust" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/…/history-biograp…/history-world…

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