Hello again, delightful Readers!
[Edited on February 18, 2015: Unfortunately, Guerrilla Feminism is no longer a space I consider to be a safe one. I have written more about the issue here if you should like to take a moment to review it, and I will be writing more on the issue at a later time. This post will be left up for transparency.]
Folks, I am an enormous feminist. No exaggeration. I'm always online every day, reading articles on social activism and spreading the word about social issues in our world. My feed is almost exclusively made up of fellow activists sharing their sources, as well, and we all work together to build a community of awesomeness. But! I used to think, as a child and young adult, that there wasn't really much left to rebel against or much that we needed to improve upon. In fact, in my first college United States history course, we learned about the women who fought for women's right to birth control and how pivotal that moment in time was for women here in the United States, and I distinctly remember telling my therapist that week, "It's so inspiring! I almost wish there were something to rebel against now because there really isn't much left to do today!"
Hoo boy, was I wrong.
There is SO. MUCH. WORK. TO DO!
[Image Description: A compilation of five images, each addressing a different issue: MRA's, Anti-choice, Black Feminism, Intersectional Feminism, and Street Harassment.]
Guerrilla Feminism is one of the best damn sites out there you could ever hope to see. It's been crucial to my growth as an intersectional feminist; without their extraordinary guidance by example, I would more than likely be one ignorant fuck still focusing on myself and my own feel-feels entirely way too much. :]
Guerrilla Feminism (or GF for short), founded by Lachrista Greco, is a no-nonsense, no-coddling intersectional feminist group led and moderated by powerful, thoughtful, critically thinking people who aren't afraid to call people out and to be called out. They are loud and unapologetic in their social criticisms of and attacks on oppression, and they don't give a damn about kicking up a fuss or if it hurts your privileged feelings. They are incredible people, y'all. :]
GF focuses on fighting oppression in all forms. One of the things they frequently say is--
[Image Description: A screenshot of a Facebook status from Guerrilla Feminism that reads "GF will always take side of the oppressed. Always." The status has 229 likes.]
--and they do. They fight racism, misogyny, transantagonism, white supremacy, homoantagonism, ableism, sexism, fat antagonism, genocide, classism, and so much more. If there is someone out there working to oppress a group of people, you can be sure that Guerrilla Feminism is there fighting to make it clear what's happening, to make it clear that it's wrong, and to make it stop. They are a powerful force to be reckoned with.
GF has also helped me grow past such ideas as the concept that "femme = weak," or the idea that being girly or feminine or effeminate is an inherently bad thing (I was frequently guilty of saying things to deliberately separate myself from "girly girls" with statements such as "Hell yeah, I'm not like other girls!" Luckily, I've learned that this is not okay and really just hurts everyone.). They've highlighted the fact that my white privilege prevents me from seeing things the way a woman or person of color would; that is to say, my experiences as a white transperson with a femme-reading appearance are still extremely privileged in comparison to those of women of color and especially those people of color who are trans, and that's something I have to own and recognize and strive to work against. They have shown me the damaging and exclusionary effects of using ableist language, and they have educated me about the problematic, exclusive behavior and situations I encounter and use on a daily basis and how to improve myself and these situations.
In short, they've shown me that despite my disadvantages, I still have privilege, and I need to use my privilege to break down these barriers that I am inherently complicit to.
[Image Description: White background with a shooting yellow star with a trailing rainbow behind it. In black bubble letters, there is text that reads "Check Your Privilege" above a line of circles with holes in their middles.]
If ever you have been searching for a site that is full of compassionate, open-minded, caring people, this is the page for you. It is instrumental to the feminist and social justice cause.
One word of advice: Guerrilla Feminism is not a place for feminist "beginners"-- that is to say, they "don't do Feminism 101." They will not tolerate bigotry of any form, and they have zero qualms about dropping the banhammer on people who present problematic comments and behavior to their community. So my advice to you is that if you do go on their page, READ THEIR COMMENT POLICY FIRST. Once you've read it, I encourage you to stay, learn, and listen more than you speak or engage, and even when you feel competent enough, if you are ever uncertain about anything you want to share, research your heart out on the subject, educate yourself, and DON'T POST IT UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO THINK AND REFLECT. And always post in a respectful manner. Do not expect them to coddle your feelings or worry about how their words will make you feel. That's not the point of GF.
So go forth, my eager Reader! Go learn on Guerrilla Feminism about all the change you can help bring about for the good using your very own super powers! The world needs us to help change it for the better.
GF Web: www.guerrillafem.com
GF Facebook: facebook.com/guerrillafeminism
GF Instagram: instagram.com/guerrillafeminism
GF Tumblr: guerrillafeminism.tumblr.com
GF Twitter: twitter.com/guerrillafem
GF Pinterest: pinterest.com/guerrillafem
What are some of your favorite intersectional feminist pages or groups that you follow? Or do you have one of your very own? Share them below (with links if you are able) so we can check them out!
Until next time, fair Readers!
Mischief Managed~
Jessi
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