Radical feminism is a broad term that includes a variety of ideological groups. Stemming from “second wave” feminism in the 60s, radical feminism has evolved over time, but still has some generally identifiable traits.
First, it is a type of political movement known as “reactionary.” While all political movements are “in reaction” to particular social forces, reactionary movements tend to have single, isolated goals that are often self conflicted. This is because reactionary movements see the symptoms of oppression, and target those symptoms without necessarily targetting their causes.
In the case of radical feminism, you can simplify it down to its roots as, “patriarchy causes women to suffer. Therefore, if we do the exact opposite of patriarchy, women will stop suffering.”
This, however, ignores the fact that women’s suffering is not the result of “wearing makeup” or “having sex with men,” but being forced to wear makeup or have sex with men.
As a result, “not wearing makeup” and “having sex with women” are not solutions. If women are being forced to do something, then this will create suffering. What they are being forced to do matters less than the actual forcing.
Radical feminism is also a type of political movement known as “authoritarian.” This means that radical feminism discourages individual choice, and argues that the value of any given action is rooted in how well it adheres to the standards of behaviour upheld by an authority. This authority may be a single person or a class of people. Defying the authority is considered unacceptable behaviour.
Reactionary authoritarianism is the way radical feminism acts. As for the beliefs it acts upon, they are widely varied. Radical feminism as an ideology has existed for well over 50 years, and has had plenty of time to fracture, recongeal, mutate, and individualize.
Beliefs associated with radical feminism include but are not limited to:
All men benefit from the oppression of and oppress all women.
Patriarchy is the cause of all other oppression. By reversing patriarchy, all other oppression will also disappear.
Men are inherently oppressive.
All sex with men, or with anyone they cast as being men, is exploitative and a form of rape.
While these beliefs sound extreme, they are usually presented in much more palatable manners. For example, rather than saying, “sex with men is always rape,” they will say, “women deserve better in life than to have unsatisfying sex with men.”
While the second statement is fairly harmless at a surface level reading, that is by design. By popularizing the harmless sentiment of, “women deserve better,” radical feminists have an easier time leading vulnerable people, especially teens and young adults, to accept subsequent claims such as, “women deserve better, because men are worse. They can’t help being worse, they just are. And people who are worse deserve ridicule. And men are, of course, anyone with a penis. So men who ‘pretend’ to be women are especially bad because they’re trying to take advantage of the greatness of women.”
And so on, and so forth.
This induction is why radical feminism depends so heavily on dogwhistles, and why allowing radical feminist dogwhistles to proliferate is so ultimately dangerous to anyone radical feminists dislike.
And radical feminists generally dislike trans women, sex workers, trans people in general, and men of color worst of all.
XOXOX
💮 Yazminx 💮
I always like this post for introducing people to radfem ideas and the harm they can cause:
It’s a summary of how radfem ideology works and how it is spread, and what kinds of dogwhistles they use. Hopefully that helps!
Oh yes, that’s a very good one, thank you! I tend to lose track of my links to it.
Which is a bit ironic, since that series of posts was part of my inspiration for making this blog and helping to explain the prevalence of radical feminist code words.
“For women, the national reckoning on sexual assault — and its backlash — isn’t just a political moment or a cultural shift. It’s an unraveling of the lies this country tells itself about women’s progress. It confirms feminists’ worst fears about men in power and how poorly they think of us.”
Before y’all say, “I hate Texas for not electing Beto O’Rourke” please know these things:
1. Record numbers of Texan voters came out to the polls to vote because of Beto.
2. Because more Texan voters went to vote, more democratic votes were cast in other important areas.
3. Beto lost by the slimmest margin seen in Texas in 25 years meaning CHANGE IS COMING.
4. If you lived in Texas, you would know Beto was not expected to win and the fact that he got the large number of votes that he did is incredible.
Thank you Beto for all you’ve done to unite the people of Texas and across the country. Maybe this will get y’all to change y’alls minds about hating Texas.
Also: The Texas Board of Education is now in the hands of the Democrats.
This is a hell of an opportunity.
Wait really? THAT’S AN INCREDIBLE AND HUGE DEAL!! Texas has the largest school districts in the country. They basically say what textbooks contain and textbook makers go by what texas says because that’s where the $$$ is.
Sadly, once we include the seats not up for election this year it’s still in Republican hands, but this is a good hope for the future nonetheless.
I made a page of this on the main site, but want to hear some words folk have said? Let’s cut and paste what’s currently up there…
“Really couldn’t have enjoyed DIE #1 more than I did. Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans are a powerful merging of talents. Feels like a well-oiled team that’s been working together for years. Image Comics continues to innovate.” -Rick Remender (Deadly Class, Low, Black Science, Seven to Eternity)
“DIE is wonderfully nerdy and emotionally complicated and… utterly beautiful.” – Graeme McMillan, The Hollywood Reporter
“So I read DIE today and it’s something special: clever, chilling, beautiful, and surprising. IT’S REAL GOOD AND I THINK YOU SHOULD GET IT.” Ryan North (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Dinosaur Comics, How To Invent Everything: A Survival Guide For The Stranded Time Traveler)
“Emotional evisceration awaits. I cannot recommend this highly enough” -Margerite Bennett (Animosity, Bombshells)
“I’ve had the pleasure of reading DIE from Gillen, Hans & Cowles and it’s everything I love about comics. It’s such a great concept for a series.” – Gerry Duggan (Deadpool, Analogue, Dead Rabbit)
“Do you wish that IT had fewer clowns luring in sewers with balloons and more RPG sessions that cause kids to disappear for several years? Then DIE by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans is the comic for you! Also, I got to test-play the RPG the book is built around and it’s SO FUN.” – Jody Houser (Stranger Things, Faith, Doctor Who)
“A smart, gripping story about fantasy, gaming, aging and things that can’t be said. Pre-order now and beat the rush.” – Al Ewing (Immortal Hulk)
“DIE is gaming glory reflected in a broken mirror, nostalgia gone wrong in a story that’s oh so right.” – Jim Zub (Conan-Red Sonja, Dungeons & Dragons)
“DIE is a compelling drama, filled with secrets and lies. It has the reliable wit and grace one expects from Gillen along with rich and stunning artwork by Hans, who is without a doubt delivering her best work to date. Gorgeously rendered, perfectly constructed, DIE is a fantastic new series that pulls the reader into a new world, in more ways than one.” – Declan Shalvey (Moon Knight, Injection, Return Of Wolverine)
‘This excellent work is about human beings, as seen through the lens of Dungeons and Dragons, which in a time of wandering monsters is surely the best possible instrument.’ – Paul Cornell (Saucer Country, Doctor Who)
“Fantasy is seductive, beautiful, worth obsessing over, and something that will destroy your life. Die doesn’t just want it both ways, it insists that both ways are the only way to have it…. It’s another fucking masterpiece” – Elizabeth Sandifer (TARDIS Eruditorum, The Last War In Albion.)
“I Love it. DIE #1 was an excellent first issue. Tons of hints about who these characters are and what they’ve been through. I’m DIE-ing to know more about the mysteries ” – Matt Wilson (Paper Girls, Thor, The Wicked + the Divine)
“I read DIE and I did not die! Except maybe a little bit from sheer goodosity. Beautiful and moody…” – Si Spurrier (Doctor Aphra, The Dreaming, Coda)
“Fantastic” – Ray Fawkes (Underwinter, Gotham by Midnight)
“Utterly gorgeous book about being kids, growing up, the games we play and other secrets “I can’t say.” This should absolutely go to the very top of your pull-lists.” – Ram V (Batman Secret Files, Paridiso, These Savage Shores)
“Soooooo Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ DIE is something ABSURDLY special. Really an incredible book.” – Mags Visaggio(Eternity Girl, Kim & Kim, Sex Death Revolution)
“I just read Stephanie Hans and Kieron Gillen’s first ish of Die, and blimey, it’s really good! Like, “NO BUT NO I NEED THE NEXT ONE RIGHT NOW!” good. Hans has taken her epic cover art style into an entire comic, and it looks just beautiful.” – John Walker (Rock Paper Shotgun)
“DIE is clever and thoughtful and you should definitely read it.” – Grant Howitt (Spire, Honey Heist, Hearty Dice Friends)
“A wonderful, beautiful, heart-wrenching comic.” – Jamie McKelvie (Young Avengers, The Wicked + the Divine)
Speak to your retailer this week to pre-order a copy and such things.
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