Archive | feminism

Gabriella
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My Feminism Is Better Than Your Feminism

A few months ago I went on a little rant about the use of the word “bitch” by “feminists.” You can read the full article “Why Do We Call Ourselves Bitches” but the gist of it is - how do you “reclaim” a word that was never yours to begin with?

If you’ve spent any time online in the past month then you probably heard about Supreme suing MOB over the Supreme Bitch trademark. In the counterclaim MOB claims that Supreme is misogynistic and touts MOB products as “unapologetically feminist”.  Now, just because someone alleges something in a counterclaim doesn’t make it true - it’s just that person’s version of the facts.  But I just find it difficult to listen to this bullshit any longer.  MOB has no business calling anyone misognynist - it’s like the pot calling the kettle black.

In the MOB answer and counterclaim, MOB states:

Central to MOB’s message is the reclamation of the word “bitch,” a term used to denigrate women, particularly those who spoke and acted counter to “conventional” feminine characteristics of passivity and acquiescence. MOB - which stands for “Most Official Bitches” - embraced and celebrated these so-called undesirable characteristics of strength and assertiveness, and in the tradition of other historically oppressed minorities, re-appropriated the epithet from its abusers.

MOB Answer and Counterclaim #122, p.14.

I don’t agree with that. But ok, MOB says they are reclaiming the use of the word “bitch” as an expression of power. So WHY did MOB create designs that use the word “bitch” as an insult directed toward other people?? It’s clear in the following designs that the intention is to INSULT not EMPOWER.

married to the mob bitch better have my money

married to the mob money over bitches

married to the mob bitches get stitches

married to the mob other bitches just front

married to the mob bitch relax

That’s not all. MOB further denigrates itself by basically calling the wearer a prostitute, simulating sex with a gorilla and labeling the wearer a cunt - probably the worst insult you could call a woman.

married to the mob will fuck for chanel

married to the mob men are the new women

married to the mob cunt

And let’s not forget my all time favorite. “Men Are the New Women.” I remember when this first came out and I was completely dumbfounded. I could not comprehend how the statement “Men Are the New Women” was feminist in any way. Perhaps (if you are not completely coherent) it may seem as an empowering statement. But, please ladies, lets think about the actual words and what they mean. You are basically insulting men - by calling them WOMEN. HOW IS THAT EMPOWERING TO WOMEN? {microphone drops}

married to the mob men are the new women

Some may say I’m being really harsh. Perhaps I am. But this hypocrisy has been going on for far too long. I don’t doubt that MOB’s intentions are good - I just don’t think there’s enough thought going into the messages being perpetuated in the spirit of “empowerment.”

Here’s a look at works by other designers that are actually positive and about empowering women - what I define as feminist…

StopObjectification Charms by Norma Kamali
norma kamali empowered

Standout pieces from DIMEPIECE
dimepiece womanhood collection

ain't no wifey

treat your girl right

And we all know I’m a fan of Herstory - here’s a great one from HELLZ.
hellz herstory

You don’t need to insult other people to make yourself stronger. If you do, then you’re no better than your “oppressors”. I realize that there are many types of feminism and that all feminists are not the same. I just don’t think it’s ok to spew hatred toward women and call yourself a feminist. Just my two cents.

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Gabriella
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Happy International Women’s Day 2013!

5 generations of women

Happy International Women’s Day! Celebrate the women in your life and the achievements of women around the world throughout history.  As we celebrate the women around us let us all not forget the fight we have ahead of us for all women globally.

Posted in feminism, life, news Comments (2)

Gabriella
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Makers: Women Who Make America


March is Women’s History Month and there’s no better way to start off the month than with Makers: Women Who Make America, three-part documentary celebrating the contributions of women throughout history. Makers takes us through a historical journey exploring the women’s revolution - one that has taken place in public and private life. Though many of us have not had to deal with the obstacles discussed here, there is still much more work to be done. I hope you find this as inspiring as I do and I wish you a wonderful Women’s History Month.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


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Gabriella
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VAWA, V-Day and One Billion Rising - Stop Violence Against Women

vday one billion rising
In 1994, Congress enacted the Violence Against Women Act into Federal law. VAWA, as the act is called was drafted by then Senator Joe Biden and the act “provides $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposes automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allows civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted.” (Wikipedia). Every few years VAWA needs to re-authroized and in 2011 authorization was allowed to lapse due to opposition by conservative Republicans who opposed protections for same-sex couples and undocumented immigrants.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted 78-22 to reauthorize VAWA and now it’s up to the House of Representatives to do the same. Some conservative republicans continue to oppose VAWA on grounds of same-sex couples, undocumented immigrants and Native American Tribal Courts. How anyone can oppose VAWA is beyond me. Has it come to the point where we can’t agree to protect women? ALL women?

What is V-Day? from V-Day Until the Violence Stops on Vimeo.

It seems fitting that this is happening in the midst of V-Day and the One Billion Rising Movement. V-Day “is a global activist movement to … stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery.” (V-Day) Fifteen years strong, every Valentine’s Day local volunteers and college students produce benefit performances of The Vagina Monologues and other works to raise money for anti-violence groups in their communities. To find a local V-Day event visit the V-Spot site.

To mark its fifteenth anniversary, V-Day has organized the One Billion Rising Movement - the name inspired by a disturbing statistic: one billion women - one of every three women on the planet - will be raped or beaten in their lifetime. Tomorrow, V-Day is “inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out, DANCE, RISE UP, AND DEMAND an end to this violence.” There are many events organized and you can find a local One Billion Rising event on the One Billion Rising website.

This Valentine’s Day join women across the world to rise up and make a change. If you can’t find an event close to you - or even if you do - if you want to make a donation please visit the donation page on the One Billion Rising website.

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Gabriella
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France Outlaws Ban on Women in Pants

coco chanel marlene dietrich

Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich in Trousers

French lawmakers have struck a 200-year old law preventing Parisian women from wearing trousers.  The law passed in 1800 prohibited women in Paris from “‘dressing like a man’ unless she received permission from the local police.”  While exceptions were made to the law for women who were holding a bicycle handlebar or the reigns of a horse in 1892 and 1909, it took over two-hundred years to overturn the law.  The law was not enforced with any form of regularity in recent history but overturning the law was a gesture by the new French government to “do right by women.”  It’s about time!

This is just one of many examples of surprising laws that are still on the books.  Fortunately, most are not enforced but when you hear about them they are nonetheless jaw-dropping.  They are a nice reminder that “we’ve come a long way, baby.”  Now, we just have further to go.

Source: The World

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