I quite agree with you that in many ways this is unconscious, but it’s worth mentioning that a huge number of women in the United States literally and explicitly advocate for their own subjugation. The US really is made up of many different worlds and experiences. People raised outside the world of conservative Christianity often have little idea what goes on inside church doors.

But because Evangelical Christians have become such a powerful political force and probably will remain so for a while, peeking behind those doors is likely a good idea.

For the most part, Evangelical Christians believe and teach that women are to be subject to men. Explicitly. They don’t apologize for it. They teach children, and by they I mean women teach children, that God has ordained for men to make all the final decisions in families and churches. They teach that God did not create women to be leaders.

They teach that while it’s not necessarily a sin for women to work outside the home, God doesn’t want women to work outside the home if they can avoid it.

They don’t usually call this subjugation, by the way, even though they will quote a famous bible verse that uses the word “subject” in most English translations. They say God created men and women to have complementary roles.

Your points about unconscious beliefs are very important, especially for people who consider themselves liberal and progressive. But we should always remember that a significant plurality in the United States, and right now a very powerful plurality, believe and teach male supremacy consciously. And they are fervent about it. Unfortunately, because of how their religion works, they believe very strongly that they are responsible for enforcing these beliefs and even for legislating them.

They don’t always say the quiet part out loud in public. But if you go to one of their churches, you’ll hear it loud and clear.

Since they are dominating state legislatures around the country, this has profound implications for public life in the United States.