XX REVOLT
Using Radical Feminism to Survive & Thrive Under Patriarchy
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Power
As an oppressed class, women lack power. It can usually be felt on an instinctual level, and it can be difficult to know what to do when we feel it.
Girls are socialized from a young age to be helpless and feel powerless. So how can we correct this deep-running (but artificial) disadvantage? By learning how to access what we are told doesn't belong to us.
Empowerment vs. Power
Girls are told to chase 'empowerment' which usually involves doing something within the confines of patriarchal norms. A lot of activities that come with an 'empowerment' label are either going to have women competing against each other or vying for male approval. As Radical Feminists know well, male sexual attention has no value, therefor there is no real advantage in catering to the male gaze. Empowerment is false power - it is gaining the upperhand relative to other females while following the rules of patriarchy. It is a lie.
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Catering to the male gaze - not a source of power
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Power, on the other hand, is denied to females via socialization, even in most western cultures. Possession and use of power is considered 'masculine' in most contexts - having a position of power at a job, self-sufficiency skills like auto repair or competency with power tools, even physical strength itself are all considered "manly". Why? Because one of the ultimate subliminal messages of patriarchy is that power is a male quality, and powerlessness is a female quality.
What IS Power?
Real power is the ability to influence or control one's own circumstances.
Power Differences of Women vs. Men
Women must never forget that we possess the ultimate power within our species - the ability to create new life. This is why males have sought to control in us for millennia. The only advantage males have is brute strength. Extensive research has shown no difference in intelligence or cognitive abilities between males and females (though recent data has shown women tend to outscore males academically).
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Nature gives males a physical advantage, but superior knowledge of physics and anatomy can put the advantage back in your hands.
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For the past few thousand years, males have firmly given themselves the upperhand when it comes to societal and political power. This balance has been shifting thanks to the work of brave women in history. While men still maintain the advantage, women in many countries have more personal power now than ever before in history.
Where Does Power come From?
There are many sources, but they come in two main categories: personal (knowledge, money/wealth, and the ability to physically defend oneself) and societal (community, political, and professional).
Study of power, its sources, and its applications become more nuanced and complex the deeper you go, only the basics will be covered here.
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Even in countries where women have the right to hold office, the governments are usually majority male. Socialization and personal networking play a big part in maintaining the status quo.
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Personal Power
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Knowledge
This is one of the most potent forms of power since once you have it, it can never be taken from you. The better you understand the world around you, the more you can do to turn your circumstances to your advantage. This is also the foundation of every other source of power.
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Money
Many countries still have laws to prevent women from gaining financial indepedence. Having your own means to secure what you need to survive is a must for women who live in countries with that freedom. A shocking relevation of women born into the wealthiest families in the United States is that most of them turn their personal inheritances over to their husbands when they get married. No class of women is immune to financial vulnerability.
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Physical Defense
We are a sexually dimorphic species and men are bigger, stronger, and usually faster than women. We cannot escape these facts. We must acknowledge them and arm ourselves accordingly. Physical fitness, unarmed self defense methods, and defensive weapons should all be considered based on circumstances and needs.
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Old & Busted: sexually exciting men
New Hotness: terrifying them
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Societal Power
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Community
Woman-to-woman grassroots movements have the most potential power for women, as an underclass that is not a minority in number. Organizations created through government or religious institutions will be at the mercy of those patriarchal forces. Book clubs, sewing circles, or any other kind of unofficial group is much easier for women to keep control of (and keep discreet). Remember, it's important to connect with other women, but too much publicity and attention will bring the hostile variety. Patriarchy violently opposes female solidarity everywhere it occurs.
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Political
This is where males have had women cornered for thousands of years (with the help of religion). Women do not have the right to be politically active in every country. Those that do have a duty to be as informed as possible in order to be as effective as possible. For those bold enough, the more seats of political power women hold, the more likely we are to see a tilt in the scales of societal power.
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Professional
Again, men have maintained and continuined to amass power and influence over every professional sector (some that had originally been considered female-only vocations for thousands of years, like brewing beer). "Boy's clubs" continue to persist in every field and facility of every line of work. Keep this in mind when navigating your career. Female mentorship programs exist for many fields - seek them out.
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Weekly Ezine
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Self-Care & Health
Caring for yourself outside while breaking out of the male gaze
Mental Wellness
Coping with the mental impact of being female under patriarchy
Dating, Sex, & Relationships
Navigating intimacy and love with the less-civilized sex
Gaining Power
Forget 'empowerment'. What is real power, and where does it come from?
Male Allies
How males can resist patriarchy, be allies to women, and detox from MRA/incel ideology
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Repository of original feminism-related memes
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Collection of quotes about oppression, liberation, race, and more.
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