OPINION: Being anti-gossip makes you anti-women

Gossip isn't inherently bad, and it most definitely isn't talking behind people's backs. Gossip is an important tradition, and being able to do it without shame can help to protect women. Not everyone has the same definition of what gossip is, but to me, gossip is talking with your friends about the things going on around you and in your community. Have you noticed that traits, trends and behaviors associated with women are often ridiculed? Think about how we, as a society, make fun of or ridicule people who say 'like' a lot as filler when they speak. Consider how enjoying collecting and wearing makeup isn't usually considered a hobby, but collecting tools and doing woodworking or working on a car is. Gossip is the same. It's a practice traditionally performed by women, and that is why it's seen as a negative act. Women are told not to gossip, which often protects men. When we shame gossiping, or refer to it as a sin, it leads to women not speaking up, not talking with their friends about their lives and getting mistreated by men and not telling anyone. Shaming gossip is an idea produced by men to keep themselves from consequences and from the public eye. Women don't tell people what men have done to them because they're so worried about being labeled as someone who gossips, which can lead to men continuing their behavior with other women. Men have been working actively against women and women's rights for centuries. We had to do something about it. As a result, men demonized gossip, regaining control over us. Oral tradition is also how we have passed down stories, which is still the case today. There are stories about my family members that aren't well documented, but I know them. I used to tell fictional stories on the playground that were passed down to me by my sister. I've never seen them written; it was just something we shared verbally. 'Down by the Banks' is a super common playground game that we probably all played, but people in different areas say it differently. These are oral traditions, which are closely related to gossip. We, as women, need to exchange our experiences and gossip to keep tradition alive and to keep each other safe. Keep getting together with your female friends and keep gossiping. If we're going to be stereotyped as being talkative and chatty, we might as well double down.