"Legroom On An Airplane": 50 Quiet Rebellions That Redefine Microfeminism, One Small Act At A Time

As a teacher I start the day with a picture of a woman on the board, I ask my class to grab their laptops and find out who she is and what she did or does. We’ll have a little history lesson or a lesson about standing up for yourself etc. Women are often written from history, I write them back in. ✌🏼

Not laughing at sexist jokes 😐 I blink like a ferbie and play dumb. It didn’t take much practice because these dudes have like 3 jokes between them all from 1993

Never cleaning the kitchen at the office. It’s nobody’s job, which means it’s not my job.

If you see/meet another woman in passing and you think “wow she’s stunning”, or “she’s so well spoken”, or “I love her style”, simply tell her! Spread love to the women in your space ❤️

I refer to every judge, CEO, lawyer, doctor, detective, and more as “she” by default until and unless I’m corrected.

When they're talking about how great men are at being providers and protectors I like to point out that it's "not all men"

Standing my ground on public transit vs the manspreader, leaner, snorer. Yes I will hip-chuck, shoulder nudge, or clap my hands to wake you up.

Putting my hand up like a traffic cop when male opposing counsel interrupts me in court and saying “stop”

When I'm in the grocery check out and a man is encroaching in my space, I just turn to face them and dead eye stare till they back up.

Looming. Sir, I have been short my entire life. You being taller than me doesn't make you right.

Whenever a male coworker tells me his wife is pregnant I excitedly ask if he’s coming back to work after the baby is born. And then sit in the silence while they work through what just happened

Refusing to default sports to men and requiring a qualifier for women (e.g., basketball and women’s basketball). If the Lakers are playing, I say men’s basketball is on. If I see someone wearing a Red Wings hat, I’ll ask if that’s their favorite men’s hockey team.

In meetings, if someone suggests we take notes/minutes, I offer before the inevitable glance at any female colleagues.

I like to hold doors open for big burley men

I don't know if this is considered micro, but I LOVE loudly pointing it out to anyone that can hear my booming voice, "I SEE YOU!" when they are sexually assaulting one of us with their eyes or when they're looking at underage girls. To watch them cower in embarrassment is one of the most powerful feelings. We're not going to ignore the predators trying to creep all around us anymore. We're calling that sh*t out!

I stopped fake laughing at “jokes” and let them feel the awkward or I’ll ask in a genuine “I don’t get it- what do you mean” kind of way

I stopped listening to a man at work who whines endlessly. I look at him and walk away. If I'm not your mom, wife, therapist, or friend, I'm not carrying your emotional baggage.

I cross my legs so he’s risking getting his trousers’ leg dirty by the bottom of my shoe if he man spreads. Works very well on the ones with suits/work attire on :)

Whenever I attend a gathering I always try to sit in the front and ask questions and speak up. I also would have sat in the back and kept quiet when I was younger.

When I write blog posts for my clients, I sometimes have to pick out stock photos to go with them. When that happens I always choose photos of female professionals. Need a picture of a dentist, here's a woman who's a dentist. Whenever possible, I choose photos of women who aren't white, too.