I’m not so good at coming up with hashtags OBVIOUSLY but I am a good judge of character.

A terrible, awful, sexist, icky (not to mention poorly written) article dropped on a beer website last night. I am linking you to the petition to STOP the bad guy because I don’t want to give more clicks to the actual bad guy.

I doubt there is much more I can say about this but I do have some advice for folks in general. So here are some tips from Dr. TeacherPatti (I really do have a doctorate):

1. If it isn’t about you, offer support and be an ally. If the next article from this guy featured him in blackface ranting about how (insert any oppressed group here) takes away his joy of beer, I would need to remember that I am not the targeted group. So I should NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES make it about me! I should, however, share my outrage at the racism and offer my support.
   1. In the present situation, it is not okay to say “well gosh I’ve never witnessed sexism!” when you are a white guy. It’s not about you and what you’ve witnessed. Instead consider saying something like, “well, gosh I’ve never witnessed it but why would I? I’m a dude!” Maybe add “and I will check my male friends if I hear it/see it.”
   2. Yes, yes, not all men, I know. But it’s not about that. It’s like if we are talking about how glioblastoma winds its way around your brain and just keeps growing and you bust in “MY SKIN CANCER DOESN’T DO THAT! NOT ALL CANCERS!” Yes, we know. We are talking about a specific thing that does not involve you.
   3. If you need to insert yourself, then offer your support as an ally and/or offer ideas on how you will use your privilege and your voice to shut this shit down.
2. If you want to go the “free speech” route, you absolutely can! But–
   1. Freedom of speech, as the term is commonly used, applies to a governmental agency suppressing your right to say something. So if I say how much #45 sucks, and one of his doofy kids busts in here *on behalf of the government* and throws my ass in jail, well, they are trampling on my freedom of speech. If the doofus is just butt hurt that I insulted his father and wants to try to fight me, he will very quickly find himself flat on the floor but he will not be encroaching upon my freedom of speech as the term is meant.
   2. Freedom to say what you want to does not mean freedom from consequence. See above. Lil’ #45 wants to fight me and maybe gets a punch in (hahahahhahahaha I can barely even type that without laughing) but he’s still not legally suppressing me so long as he’s acting as an individual.
3. Maybe just don’t say anything. Sometimes it’s better to just to say nothing. We don’t need to know how you think this guy is getting a raw deal or the WIMMIN R BITCHEZ or whatever. You might not get the support you think you will get.

All of this being said, I want to express my extreme gratitude to the brewers, the advertisers, the drinkers who have said “this shit stops here.” A few years ago, a beer person posted something on their FB page about how “I like my beer like I like my violence–domestic.” The few of us who expressed horror were quickly shouted down by men and a few women. (Remember ladies, there is NO SUCH THING AS THE COOL GIRL! Telling other women that rape jokes/abuse jokes are okay will not save you in the end.) I feel like a tide has shifted and this pleases me. A delicious, malty, stouty, foamy tide. Thank you for standing up.