United Sisters: Glossary of Terms
adult allies- adults who share
our feminist values and support US. We love them.
armies and legions- our vision
of the way that girls everywhere will come together, support
each other, and rally behind the label of United Sisters.
backlash- the societal reaction
against feminism. This happens because feminism does not benefit
those in power and it frightens them. So, they lash out, portraying
feminism negatively and discouraging men and women from calling
themselves feminists. Beware of backlash.
beauty- something that every
human being possesses. Essentially, beauty is strength. There
are a number of different types of beauty; physical, spiritual,
and inner beauty. Each of these are incredibly important.
bra-burner- a negative image
of feminists stemming from backlash- that is, that feminists
are angry, bitter, selfish, bra-burning lesbians who don't
shave their legs. None of these things have anything to do
with feminism. It's just silly.
center/margin theory- refers
to the treatment and general mentality about those in the center
(meaning financially comfortable white Christian heterosexual
men) as opposed to those in the "margins" (meaning
women, the poor, and all racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities.)
changing the common experience for grrrls-
this is what we are seeking to do. By "common experience" we
mean everything from inequities in school to peer/sexual harassment
and rape to inequitable representation in government. We want
grrrls and women to be treated well and fairly in all areas
of school and society.
changing the world one girl at a time-
our philosophy on organizing for grrrls. we are seeking to
change the world for grrrls and women everywhere simply by
reaching one girl at a time. Every time you change once grrrl's
perception or experience, it sets off a ripple effect that
will continue to bring change, ultimately, revolution.
consensus- everyone coming to
a decision on an issue through discussion.
femininja- a feminist who secretly
is a trained ninja. you never know a femininja until you're
flat on your back and she's walking away.
feminist infrastructure- refers
to our vision of how feminism will grow and become more powerful.
the feminist infrastructure is built upon the generational
connections between adults and grrrls. in this way the second
wave and third wave wave of feminism can link arms and accomplish
more together.
filling your cup- being in a
comfortable environment with people who care about you. being
understood. being able to express yourself and talk about whatever
is on your mind without having to face consequences. being
around people who identify with you and share your values.
gender equity- equality means
sameness, whereas equity means fairness. therefore gender equity
means fairness for all genders.
generational connections- refers
to connections between the grrrls themselves, college women,
and adult allies. these generational connections lend significantly
more power to grrrls groups like United Sisters.
giving girls a place to stand-
in order to thrive, grrrls need a place where they can be themselves,
be trusted, and be powerful without being punished. this is
a big part of what US does.
girl power- refers to the power
inherent in any girl. this does not have to mean sexual power,
despite what the Spice Girls may have told you.
grrrls who share our values and grrrls
who share our values and don't know it yet- this
is who we are seeking to reach. we support those grrrls who
identify with feminism and gender equity issues as well as
those who haven't yet found the strength to claim those values,
but could potentially be United Sisters in the future.
keeping everyone on the same page-
making sure everyone knows what is going on within a group
and not talking over anyone's head. a general policy of inclusion.
making it up as we go- our philosophy
on how to bring about feminist revolution. there isn't any
precedent for this kind of thing thing so we're just making
the rules up as we go along.
a new language- we have noticed
that the existing accepted vocabulary is sadly lacking, especially
where grrrls and women are concerned. for this reason, US has
begun to develop a new language to use with each other- as
you can see from this amazingly breathtaking glossary.
outrageous acts and everyday rebellions -
tools with which to subvert the patriarchy passing the baton-
refers to adult allies giving girls trust and authority and
allowing them to reclaim their power in order to strengthen
girl power and feminism in out society.
personal as political - according
to feminist theory everything that is personal can also be
political. there fore personal revolution is also political.
If you bring together a bunch for a common cause, you have
a political movement, get it?
reclaiming our power - society
uses numerous tools in order to take away the power of girls.
we are taking it back.
subvert the patriarchy- taking
political action to alter the imbalance of the power dynamics
in society. a phrase written triumphantly on the bathroom wall
of Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville by Hedda Steinhoff
in 1996. We can only hope that its still there.
sustainable activism- activism
that is both effective an fulfilling and does not lead to burn-outs.
we are always trying to figure out how to accomplish this.
Its all about balance.
"The best thing to do with power
is to give it away." - the words of a brilliant
woman. In organizing for girls, giving power away makes everyone
more powerful.
Third Wave - most people are
familiar with the first wave of feminism in the 1920's and
the second wave in 1960's. today's young feminists are part
of the third wave. what can we say, feminism is an ocean.
US- abbreviated form of United
sisters. waiting in the wings- we are secure in the knowledge
that there are scores of girls who share our values or will
come to share our values and are waiting to be a part of something
like United Sisters
WRC- the Women's resource center
at the University of Maine.
zine- a mini magazine usually
produced rather inexpensively by an individual or a small group.
zines can be made about anything., using any type of writing
or artwork.
Back to United Sisters
