I am a feminist I’m a proud vocal unashamed feminist so when you think
unashamed feminist so when you think
unashamed feminist so when you think about feminism what comes to mind do you
about feminism what comes to mind do you
about feminism what comes to mind do you think about de la Mina’s women fighting
think about de la Mina’s women fighting
think about de la Mina’s women fighting for reproductive rights or maybe about
for reproductive rights or maybe about
for reproductive rights or maybe about women fighting for the vote or maybe
women fighting for the vote or maybe
women fighting for the vote or maybe even bra-burning
even bra-burning
even bra-burning which by the way didn’t take place to me
which by the way didn’t take place to me
which by the way didn’t take place to me feminism is about female empowerment
feminism is about having the same
feminism is about having the same opportunities and chances in life as men
opportunities and chances in life as men
opportunities and chances in life as men have and not being held back by the mere
have and not being held back by the mere
have and not being held back by the mere fact that we were born female to me
fact that we were born female to me
fact that we were born female to me feminism looks like this and like this
feminism looks like this and like this
feminism looks like this and like this and even like this that’s a little
and even like this that’s a little
and even like this that’s a little unexpected right romans novels and
unexpected right romans novels and
unexpected right romans novels and feminism a lot of people would like us
feminism a lot of people would like us
feminism a lot of people would like us to believe that these through on
to believe that these through on
to believe that these through on opposite ends but what if I told you
opposite ends but what if I told you
opposite ends but what if I told you that everything you think you know about
that everything you think you know about
that everything you think you know about Romans novels is wrong I am a feminist
Romans novels is wrong I am a feminist
Romans novels is wrong I am a feminist and until I was studying at university I
and until I was studying at university I
and until I was studying at university I too believed the lie that there was
too believed the lie that there was
too believed the lie that there was nothing as unfeminist of Romans novels
nothing as unfeminist of Romans novels
nothing as unfeminist of Romans novels that was until I ran into this quote by
that was until I ran into this quote by
that was until I ran into this quote by Mara maha Rodale Romans novels have been
Mara maha Rodale Romans novels have been
Mara maha Rodale Romans novels have been and still are too dangerous books that
and still are too dangerous books that
and still are too dangerous books that show women again and again that they’re
show women again and again that they’re
show women again and again that they’re worth it to me this changed the world
worth it to me this changed the world
worth it to me this changed the world because really most people think of
because really most people think of
because really most people think of things like this when they think of
things like this when they think of
things like this when they think of Romans
Romans
Romans novels and yeah that the covers with the
novels and yeah that the covers with the
novels and yeah that the covers with the flowy hand women with bosoms nearly
flowy hand women with bosoms nearly
flowy hand women with bosoms nearly falling out of too tight dresses and men
falling out of too tight dresses and men
falling out of too tight dresses and men hawking over them grabbing them the two
hawking over them grabbing them the two
hawking over them grabbing them the two things that come to mind generally
things that come to mind generally
things that come to mind generally aren’t feminism and strong female heroes
aren’t feminism and strong female heroes
aren’t feminism and strong female heroes but would you be surprised if I told you
but would you be surprised if I told you
but would you be surprised if I told you that actually these covers are a
that actually these covers are a
that actually these covers are a marketing ploy these covers were created
marketing ploy these covers were created
marketing ploy these covers were created for the store owners that would be
for the store owners that would be
for the store owners that would be selling these books because Romans
selling these books because Romans
selling these books because Romans publishers early on realized that if
publishers early on realized that if
publishers early on realized that if they wanted their books in the hands of
they wanted their books in the hands of
they wanted their books in the hands of as many women as possible they had to
as many women as possible they had to
as many women as possible they had to sell them at grocery stores and at the
sell them at grocery stores and at the
sell them at grocery stores and at the time the people running the grocery
time the people running the grocery
time the people running the grocery stores were largely men so they did the
stores were largely men so they did the
stores were largely men so they did the one thing that they thought would work
one thing that they thought would work
one thing that they thought would work really well they appealed to the male
really well they appealed to the male
really well they appealed to the male sexual fantasy and it worked it works so
sexual fantasy and it worked it works so
sexual fantasy and it worked it works so well but right now
well but right now
well but right now romance is a single largest fictional
romance is a single largest fictional
romance is a single largest fictional fiction genres sold worldwide on Amazon
fiction genres sold worldwide on Amazon
fiction genres sold worldwide on Amazon today at this moment
today at this moment
today at this moment 40% of all ebooks old Romans novels and
40% of all ebooks old Romans novels and
40% of all ebooks old Romans novels and if you didn’t know that I’m not
if you didn’t know that I’m not
if you didn’t know that I’m not surprised I didn’t know it at first
surprised I didn’t know it at first
surprised I didn’t know it at first either but for a book that is generally
either but for a book that is generally
either but for a book that is generally thought of as inconsequential or fluff
thought of as inconsequential or fluff
thought of as inconsequential or fluff that’s quite a range 40% of all ebooks
that’s quite a range 40% of all ebooks
that’s quite a range 40% of all ebooks and Romans novels are largely written by
and Romans novels are largely written by
and Romans novels are largely written by women for women about women and their
women for women about women and their
women for women about women and their lives lies that throughout history have
lives lies that throughout history have
lives lies that throughout history have largely been ignored our stories our
largely been ignored our stories our
largely been ignored our stories our footnotes in the stories of men if were
footnotes in the stories of men if were
footnotes in the stories of men if were lucky but not in Romans novels Romans
lucky but not in Romans novels Romans
lucky but not in Romans novels Romans novels talks to women in Romans novels
novels talks to women in Romans novels
novels talks to women in Romans novels women are
women are
women are heroes and this puts Rome’s novels in
heroes and this puts Rome’s novels in
heroes and this puts Rome’s novels in the unique position to talk about things
the unique position to talk about things
the unique position to talk about things that really matter to women
that really matter to women
that really matter to women Rome’s novels were able to talk about
Rome’s novels were able to talk about
Rome’s novels were able to talk about controversial topics like birth control
controversial topics like birth control
controversial topics like birth control interracial relationships or simply the
interracial relationships or simply the
interracial relationships or simply the right to marry who you want but Eva
right to marry who you want but Eva
right to marry who you want but Eva closer to home things like leaving
closer to home things like leaving
closer to home things like leaving abusive relationships overcoming mental
abusive relationships overcoming mental
abusive relationships overcoming mental health issues or even sexual freedom and
health issues or even sexual freedom and
health issues or even sexual freedom and I would like to make a note on this idea
I would like to make a note on this idea
I would like to make a note on this idea of romance novels and sex because Romans
of romance novels and sex because Romans
of romance novels and sex because Romans novels are often discarded as not as
novels are often discarded as not as
novels are often discarded as not as good literature often because of the sex
good literature often because of the sex
good literature often because of the sex in them explicit sex on the page but
in them explicit sex on the page but
in them explicit sex on the page but really showing female positive
really showing female positive
really showing female positive portrayals of female sexuality that have
portrayals of female sexuality that have
portrayals of female sexuality that have nothing to do with the male gaze or a
nothing to do with the male gaze or a
nothing to do with the male gaze or a virgin paradigm how can that be bad
virgin paradigm how can that be bad
virgin paradigm how can that be bad in a world where we are constantly
in a world where we are constantly
in a world where we are constantly bombarded by images of male sexuality in
bombarded by images of male sexuality in
bombarded by images of male sexuality in celebrating that I refuse I refuse to be
celebrating that I refuse I refuse to be
celebrating that I refuse I refuse to be shamed for reading positive portrayals
shamed for reading positive portrayals
shamed for reading positive portrayals of female sexuality and Romans wouldn’t
of female sexuality and Romans wouldn’t
of female sexuality and Romans wouldn’t exist without women saying I refuse
exist without women saying I refuse
exist without women saying I refuse because there’s no story in a woman who
because there’s no story in a woman who
because there’s no story in a woman who follows what Society of wants of her
follows what Society of wants of her
follows what Society of wants of her Romans novels feature women with dreams
Romans novels feature women with dreams
Romans novels feature women with dreams and aspirations that are beyond what her
and aspirations that are beyond what her
and aspirations that are beyond what her family or society would like her to do
family or society would like her to do
family or society would like her to do so she will go for that dream and along
so she will go for that dream and along
so she will go for that dream and along the way she may find a partner male or
the way she may find a partner male or
the way she may find a partner male or female who will not only love her for
female who will not only love her for
female who will not only love her for her dreams but who will support her
her dreams but who will support her
her dreams but who will support her every step of the way and she will sir
every step of the way and she will sir
every step of the way and she will sir her partner every step of the way – and
her partner every step of the way – and
her partner every step of the way – and this supportive system that Romans talks
this supportive system that Romans talks
this supportive system that Romans talks about does not just take place inside
about does not just take place inside
about does not just take place inside the books
the books
the books Romans authors have for centuries been
Romans authors have for centuries been
Romans authors have for centuries been able to be financially independent of
able to be financially independent of
able to be financially independent of their husbands of their families and
their husbands of their families and
their husbands of their families and even if their husbands were to gamble or
even if their husbands were to gamble or
even if their husbands were to gamble or drink away the family funds she was able
drink away the family funds she was able
drink away the family funds she was able to keep them off the streets she was
to keep them off the streets she was
to keep them off the streets she was able to keep her family out of the poor
able to keep her family out of the poor
able to keep her family out of the poor houses to financially support her family
houses to financially support her family
houses to financially support her family and I’m one of them I am a Roman soldier
and I’m one of them I am a Roman soldier
and I’m one of them I am a Roman soldier I live this same dream the same lives as
I live this same dream the same lives as
I live this same dream the same lives as so many women have before me and so many
so many women have before me and so many
so many women have before me and so many women will after me we write I am a
women will after me we write I am a
women will after me we write I am a feminist and I’m a Roman soldier and I
feminist and I’m a Roman soldier and I
feminist and I’m a Roman soldier and I do not believe that Romans novels are
do not believe that Romans novels are
do not believe that Romans novels are oppressive or inconsequential
oppressive or inconsequential
oppressive or inconsequential I believe that stories about women
I believe that stories about women
I believe that stories about women taking life into their own hands taking
taking life into their own hands taking
taking life into their own hands taking their destiny into their own hands I
their destiny into their own hands I
their destiny into their own hands I believe that that is at its core
believe that that is at its core
believe that that is at its core feminist even if romance does not use
feminist even if romance does not use
feminist even if romance does not use words like feminism or female
words like feminism or female
words like feminism or female empowerment their core ideas of women
empowerment their core ideas of women
empowerment their core ideas of women who aspire to something and who will do
who aspire to something and who will do
who aspire to something and who will do everything in their power to get there I
everything in their power to get there I
everything in their power to get there I believe that is feminist I believe there
believe that is feminist I believe there
believe that is feminist I believe there is nothing more feminist there’s no
is nothing more feminist there’s no
is nothing more feminist there’s no fictional genre more feminist than
fictional genre more feminist than
fictional genre more feminist than Romans novels so if you need a little
Romans novels so if you need a little
Romans novels so if you need a little pick-me-up or a little bit extra
pick-me-up or a little bit extra
pick-me-up or a little bit extra encouragement or if you simply need
encouragement or if you simply need
encouragement or if you simply need something comforting to read men
something comforting to read men
something comforting to read men anyone who needs just a little extra
anyone who needs just a little extra
anyone who needs just a little extra just a little extra love read a romance
just a little extra love read a romance
just a little extra love read a romance novel thank you
novel thank you
novel thank you [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment