On rape culture, part 2

We are participants in a society that conditions male people to feel entitled to the bodies of female people. This is what we mean when we talk about “rape culture.” We are not referring to some generalised culture of entitlement; we are talking about a gendered phenomenon, rooted in a structure which positions female people beneath male people. This does not mean that other forms of rape do not occur – indeed, they can be said to occur as a replication of the same dynamic, diminishing other bodies by treating them “as if female,” that is, penetrable – but it does mean that we are not dealing with utter chaos. There is something tangible. It does not have to be this way. There is a cultural belief system that can be challenged, on behalf of all survivors, if only we dare to speak.

–Glosswitch, Do All Feminists Think Like Rapists?

Quote of the day: Feminism On A Larger Scale

I expected radical feminists to be hateful bigoted people. They are not. Almost every radical feminist I have met cares deeply and wants the world to be better for everyone, but first and foremost for women. They do not silence women from speaking our own experiences.

No longer am I a lone individual woman in a world whose rules do not make sense. I am learning ways to understand the world that offer explanations on a larger scale.

Kate Leigh, Leaving Liberal Feminism

My blog welcomes all women, whether they are feminists or not.  But you all need to know that I oppose the demonization of radical feminists.  Most of the people who call them “extremists,” “bigots” or denounce them as “hairy legged lesbians“, (as if there’s something wrong with being a lesbian or a mammal with body hair), have never read any radical feminist literature or listened to any speeches given by radical feminists.  They have passively accepted the hateful attitude of society towards radical feminism.  Society hates radical feminism because radical feminists believe that the social system is oppressive to women and needs to be changed from the ground up to create a society where no one has power over any other.  That’s a scary thought to people who have it pretty good and don’t want to rock the boat.  It’s a scary thought even to people who think the system is flawed, but that reform can change it enough to make it fair.  And it’s a very scary thought to people who prefer to retreat into “individuality” where all their choices are “empowering” and immune to any critical analysis. Critical analysis of how we got here and what we’re doing about it is crucial to creating a better world.

Don’t accept what society tells you.  Investigate for yourself and make an educated decision.