What do we feel when our nation’s athletes win an Olympic medal? We would definitely feel happy and proud that our athletes achieved such a huge accomplishment. However, in South Korea, a 3-time Olympic gold medalist is being subjected to hateful comments from anti-feminists as her “short hair” somehow equates to her being a feminist, reported REUTERS.
Short hair = feminism?
An San is a 20-year-old archery athlete won a total of three Gold medals in archery for South Korea in Tokyo 2020. Despite her outstanding achievement, the athlete has been facing immense backlash from certain netizens of male communities. It all started when a netizen asked why An San’s hair was short and she replied by saying that it’s comfortable, reported Koreaboo. The answer was deemed unsatisfactory as some male community groups think of short hair as being a symbol of feminism. This is fueled by the fact that An San had used several phrases that were deemed to be feminist actions too, even when the phrases were used by young people of all genders.
Believing in this so-called “evidence”, male community sites started putting malicious comments on her social media posts and inbox. According to AFP, Some of the netizens said that she needed to be stripped of her Olympic titles as she is a feminist while others echoed the following statement:
“We didn’t train and feed you with tax money so that you can commit feminist acts.”
Since receiving these comments, An San included a little line in her Instagram bio saying that she will not be checking her inbox.
Support comes in for An San
Many women have come forward on social media and posted pictures of them sporting a short haircut in support of the archer. They include actress Koo Hye-Sun and lawmaker Ryu Ho-Jeong who was the country’s youngest MP but was once under fire for just wearing a dress to parliament.
Taking to Twitter, a woman lawmaker, Jang Hye-Yeong said:
“Even if you win an Olympic gold medal with your own skills and abilities, as long as sexism persists in our society, you get insulted and asked to be deprived of your medal just because you have short hair.”
“We are facing a strange day in which Korean archery is now the best in the world, but the national dignity is thrown to the ground because of sexism.”
능력주의가 세상을 구원할 듯 말씀하시던 분들, 세상에 2030 여성에 대한 성차별은 없다던 분들, 지금 안산 선수가 겪는 일에 대해 어떻게 생각하시는지 궁금합니다. 아무리 능력이 있어도 여성에 대한 차별이 사회에 만연할 때, 여성 개인에게 어떤 일이 벌어지는지를 우리는 지금 목도하고 있습니다.
— 장혜영 (@janghyeyeong) July 29, 2021
In recent years, many women have fought for their rights and to not be confined by the patriarchal society by fighting to legalise abortion, organising a widespread #MeToo movement, and taking action against spycam videos secretly filmed in public places.
Unfortunately, it seems as though strong backlash always follows and feminism is yet again framed as women being ‘selfish’ and ‘anti-men’.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
Also read: “Tolong diam boleh tak?” M’sians Are Calling Art Harun A Sexist For Silencing Female MPs
