Texas Mayor Shuts Down Sexism Over 'Wonder Woman' Screening

Masculinity can be so fragile. If you need proof, look no further than Austin, Texas, where grown men are literally threatening to sue the city after a local movie theater announced an all-female screening of Wonder Woman. One man even took the time to write a letter to the city's mayor expressing his outrage that a theater would reserve all of its seats for "the second rate gender." Luckily for us, the mayor is kind of a badass. Austin Mayor Steve Adler wrote a hilarious open letter completely shutting down the sexist outcry.

"In the future, should your travels take you to Austin, please know that everyone is welcome here, even people ... whose views are an embarrassment to modernity, decency, and common sense," Adler wrote in a letter that he posted to his website and has since been widely circulated on social media.

Adler was responding to a letter sent to his office by a man who really just couldn't handle the fact that a theater would have the audacity to celebrate a film about female empowerment by providing a women-only space to enjoy it. The letter writer threatened to boycott the city and challenged Adler to "name something invented by a woman."

"The notion of a woman hero is a fine example of women’s eagerness to accept the appearance of achievement without actual achievement," the man wrote. "Women learn from an early age to value make-up, that it’s OK to pretend that you are greater than you actually are. Women pretend they do not know that only men serve in combat because they are content to have an easier ride. Women gladly accept gold medals at the Olympics for coming in 10th and competing only against the second class of athletes."

I honestly have no words. But apparently, Mayor Adler had plenty. You can read his full response here.

Dear Mr. Ameduri,

I am writing to alert you that your email account has been hacked by an unfortunate and unusually hostile individual. Please remedy your account’s security right away, lest this person’s uninformed and sexist rantings give you a bad name. After all, we men have to look out for each other!

Can you imagine if someone thought that you didn’t know women could serve in our combat units now without exclusion? What if someone thought you didn’t know that women invented medical syringes, life rafts, fire escapes, central and solar heating, a war-time communications system for radio-controlling torpedoes that laid the technological foundations for everything from Wi-Fi to GPS, and beer? And I hesitate to imagine how embarrassed you’d be if someone thought you were upset that a private business was realizing a business opportunity by reserving one screening this weekend for women to see a superhero movie.

You and I are serious men of substance with little time for the delicate sensitivities displayed by the pitiful creature who maligned your good name and sterling character by writing that abysmal email. I trust the news that your email account has been hacked does not cause you undue alarm and wish you well in securing your account. And in the future, should your travels take you to Austin, please know that everyone is welcome here, even people like those who wrote that email whose views are an embarrassment to modernity, decency, and common sense.

Yours sincerely,

Steve Adler

The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin announced in May several all-women screenings of the new Wonder Woman film — complete with an all-women staff — to celebrate the powerful female protagonist's big-screen debut. Screenings will begin this week, and all proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood.