On Hugo Schwyzer
Out of all the men that have ever abused/raped me, many of them were addicted to one thing or another. It didn’t mean a damn thing when it came down to it. A lot of people in my life have been addicted to things and even more have had mental illnesses. However, none of those other people addicted to things have ever hurt me. I cannot separate the abusers in my life by looking at if a person is addicted to something or not. Addicted people have hurt me, addicted people have never touched me.
Hugo Schwyzer is an abusive person. He’s also an addict. The two do not, in my experience beget one another and they are not mutually exclusive. They shouldn’t be treated as either. He is two things. He is also a man that is rapidly becoming the center of feminist discourse, something I have a major problem with. I’m tired of men getting to say half-concocted, elementary level versions of ideas that women have been saying for decades upon decades to no avail, but they seem revolutionary when they come out of men’s mouths. I’m tired of men getting to tell me about the way my sex and gender are viewed and abused. I know. You don’t have to tell me. Let me tell you how it feels to have your lover try to murder you, because I don’t think you know Hugo.
Excellent and thought-provoking commentary, presented without additional comment.
Hugo is gross. I didn’t even know who he was until recently, and then everyone on my Twitter feed started lavishing him with praise. Ugh. STOP. IT.
Had no idea about any of this; I’ve found his writing very admirable but if this is true it is obviously masking a lot of sickness. Will have to read up on this.
As someone who has Hugo Schwyzer as a professor, adviser, collaborator, and friend, I agree that he has made more than a few inexcusable mistakes in his past. He’s always been open about his flaws and his past, particularly in the hopes that other people can learn something from them, whether it’s about infidelity, unethical sexual behavior, boundaries, addiction, or other. He’s 100% committed to living his feminism and being accountable now, but if you still want to judge him for his past crimes, that’s up to you. (You may also want to read his post about the event that a lot of people have decided to call him a murderer for.)
In my interactions with him and through my struggles, he’s been nothing but appropriate and supportive—but not overbearing, and definitely not one word of mansplaining. As a 20 year-old female student and feminist, I’m willing to give my support to and vouch for Hugo, and hopefully that adds credence to the good person he is now.
