Why the Term “Karen” is Sexist

Just clarifying some things in case you support feminists

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When we call a woman “Karen” because they spoke up for themselves in a way that might annoy some people, it not only insults people all over the world named Karen, but it blatantly discourages women from standing in their power.

I’m mad.

You might even call me a Karen for writing this. That’s fine. I have lived my whole life in fear of being the “Karen” in any situation, long before the term was coined. Not being empowered to speak up for myself calmly and rationally has left bottled up anger within me, ready to explode. My concerns that have gone unvalidated have been stuck within me in an unhealthy way. Ironically, these occurrences make me more likely to act like the classic “Karen” by having a public outburst.

The era of the term “Karen” must end because it shames women who want to use their voices to speak their truths. When one woman filmed on social media goes viral because she is yelling at someone and going ballistic, this shouldn’t mean that all women must suffer. It’s derogatory to generalize in this way.

But it’s not just that. We know most women don’t act crazy in public. The real problem is the people who use the term to describe coworkers, acquaintances, and neighbors simply…