Battle Born Feminists

Here’s a pdf with the following books by Audre Lorde:

Zami: A New Spelling Of My Name (1982)

Sister Outsider (1984)

 The working title for right now is Dyke 101. It’s basically gonna be a small collection of art, writing.etc. taking the form joke instruction manual/list on how to be a lesbian. I’ll be looking for 2d art, poetry, photos, (short) comics, writing, basically anything that can go in a digital zine. Hell you might even be able to submit playlist or two if you pretty it up enough. Think of it as a not-so-serious instruction manual you wish you’d had when you were first coming out. Everything needs to be able to fit on a page everything will need to fit on an 8.5 x 11 page or two. 

There are some conditions:

Gotta be a lesbian (this obviously includes detrans/reidentified lesbians and the transmen/mascs who identify as lesbians) (duh)

Try to be funny! This is a fun project! Celebrating us!

Try to keep it like Pg-13-ish for this first round (yonic art is fine)

If you think lesbians not liking dick is evil or some sort of political wrong then this isn’t the project for you. I’m not kidding.

i always see lil ask memes floating around and i personally love asking n answering questions and finding out more about the people who fill my dash so i decided to make an ask meme just for us radfem ladies <3 xx 

ya’ll know the drill, put the numbers in an ask box to get the question answered and reblog for some supportive (and maybe a lil curious) peeps in ur box! (also feeel free to ask me any of these, goes without saying)

how did you find radical feminism & what was your first impression of the movement? 

when did you begin to call yourself a radical feminist? 

how long have you been a radical feminist?

were you previously a lib fem? 

who is your favorite tumblr radical feminist?

radical feminist must reads? (or must watches?) 

best experience as a radical feminist?

worst experience as a radical feminist?

your opinion on what the most pressing issue for the feminist movement to solve. 

best radical feminist meme.

radical feminists you look up to?

favorite herstory moments? 

how does your country affect your viewpoint of feminism? 

do you believe liberal feminists are feminists?

what was your Peak Trans? 

what do you do for women in your everyday life? 

suggestions for baby radfems?

favorite feminist artists/art pieces? 

your feminist anthem (can be a song, poem, speech, book, etc.)

what parts of radical feminist do you agree with most passionately? 

what parts of radical feminism do you disagree with? 

what parts of radical feminism confuse you (or confused you when you first learned about them)?

are you GNC? how does this affect your viewpoint of feminism? 

are you LGB? how does this affect your viewpoint of feminism? 

are you mentally ill? how does this affect your viewpoint of feminism? 

how does your race affect your viewpoint of feminism? 

what do you wish radical feminists talked about more?

what do you wish radical feminists talked about less?

do you have more radfem friends online or in real life?

your liberal feminist pet peeve. 

are you “out” as a radical feminist? 

how do you feel the issue of gender should be tackled?

how do you feel the issue of sex work should be tackled?

how do you feel the issue of male violence should be tackled?

how do you feel the issue of kink should be tackled?

best thing about being a radical feminist?

worst thing about being a radical feminist?

do you like discourse? 

when were you most proud to be a woman?

something you wish you could tell your younger self. 

‘To you, my Father, who do you hate girls? With the same hatred you hate our Mothers…’

In the village of Umoja in Kenya, men are not welcome. In fact, they are banned. In Swahili, one of Kenya’s official languages, Umoja means unity. It is a safe and inspirational refuge for 50 women and 200 children. Umoja was founded in 1990 by female survivors of rape and sexual violence. It has also become a haven for women fleeing sexual and domestic violence, and welcomes people fleeing female genital mutilation, child marriage, and more.

‘I wouldnt wish any Maasai girl to go through what I went through.’

The local Samburu culture is patriarchal where historically women are seen as property. Beading is culturally significant and the women are able to support themselves by selling crafts. Protected by a wall of thorns, the village is self-sufficient and the women run their own lives. Despite resistance from local male-run tribal groups, the village continues to grow. Life is frugal, but the women own the land the village is on and proudly call Umoja their home. A beacon of light for women, Umoja has inspired other women-only villages in Kenya. 

Check it out!

He is a year younger than me. 

We are children. My dad calls me to go outside with him to help fix the car. He needs me to find him a wrench in the garage. The garage is always filled with spiders and he knows I’m afraid. My brother is not. He’s inside playing video games. He doesn’t have to help look. He never has to help look. “You’re better at finding things.” 

Practice makes perfect. 

Mija, serve your brother.

My maternal grandma comes up to visit. The house is still a mess. I juggle honors classes, caring for the baby, caring for my brother, the bulk of the chores. Something had to give. My grandma looks at the house and then at me. “I could just beat you!” She growls. Nothing is said to my brother.

Later, she is helping make dinner. She brought a chicken and wants to show me how to cut it properly. I don’t want to. I’m tired from all the cleaning. She threatens to kick me. My mother says nothing about it. Just “You’ll have to learn to cook for when you have a husband!” My brother continues to play with his toys. 

I drop my honors classes.

Mija, serve your brother.

We’re in high school now. The washing machine has broken. It’s been broken for weeks. We’ve run out of money and can’t afford to go to the laundromat. My dad arranges for his sister to pick us up and take us to his parents house so we can use their washer.

I’ve done my own laundry since I was 12. I wash, dry, and fold and then put them in my hamper. I then decide to go on a walk. I come back hours later. “Thanks for leaving me with all the work!” My mother snaps. My brother is playing with our cousin.

I will not serve my brother. He can serve himself.

I put myself through college. I want a STEM degree. My days revolve around homework, notes, clubs, work. I no longer have time for all the housework. I will not sacrifice my education, my glimmer of a chance out of this nightmare. 

My brother lives on Youtube. He stays on Netflix until the sun rises. He is glued to the couch with the Playstation controller in his hands. Dishes are crusty. The laundry goes undone. The trash piles.The cat shits behind the chair because the litter is too dirty. He doesn’t want to pull his weight around the house.

My parents vent in frustration.