To the Editor,
I am writing to say how deeply disappointed I was to read Eric Francis Coppolino's article on the #MeToo movement for the Planet Waves section in February. I found his words on this subject incredibly offensive. He promotes a victim-blaming mentality, as when he condescendingly reminds women that they already have a voice and are just failing to use it. He shows greater concern for the well-being of accused abusers than for their victims, as when he claims that boys are afraid to ask girls out lest they be seen as predators (as if dating is not much more dangerous for women than for men) or when he says that he would "stick to patriarchy" rather than live in a world where men are held accountable for sexual violence. The entire article displays a shocking level of ignorance, an unwillingness to understand the effects of trauma, and a complete lack of compassion for victims.
I have been a devoted reader of Mr. Coppolino's articles and often pick up a Chronogram just for his horoscopes, but after reading this I am sure I will never read anything of his again. It is disappointing to me that Chronogram, a magazine I have always loved, would put its name behind such a misogynistic piece of writing.
Of course, everyone has the right to express their opinions, even offensive ones, but that does not mean your magazine has to allow itself to be used to support a violent system. I suspect that if Mr. Coppolino had used his astrology column to go on a racist or homophobic or anti-Semitic rant or to disparage any other less-privileged group, it would have been unlikely to have been published. Unfortunately, much of our society still seems to be more permissive towards misogyny than other forms of oppression. I would have expected Chronogram to have a higher standard.
I have always enjoyed your magazine but I must admit that I feel less interested in reading it after seeing this article. I hope that in the future you will make more responsible decisions about who and what you choose to give a platform to.
—Nick Taylor, Kingston
