Ow, my aching feminism!

  My name is Renitta, though I commonly go by Reni; yes, that's what I look like most days (not pictured are the leggings and bare feet).  If you're here, there's a good chance that you already know me or have interacted with me, either in real life or through social media. Either way, welcome. And thank you. Full disclosure: there was a time in my life when I would have been offended to be called a feminist, but that's a another post for another day. It wasn't terribly long ago either... but again, another day. So why am I doing this? What does feminism mean to me ? *note: this is from a discussion piece on feminism for a course, but it still (and will probably always) applies. Feminism at its core is the notion of equality for all genders. People in popular society associate the word "feminism" with the concept of female superiority. For a while, I found myself offended by the association with even the word. In thinking about the effect that feminism has

  I wrote this as a position piece in support of the fourth-wave feminist tendency toward what is known as "hashtag activism." Shared here because I wrote it and am proud of it, but also because this is relevant to riot grrrls both then and now. Edited and reposted 1/2/2021 because the formatting went all screwy. The content is still the same. Pinky promise. 03/09/2020 The feminism of the 1970s introduced us to the concept of “the personal is political. What does this mean for feminists in 2020? Like its predecessors, fourth wave feminism stresses personal freedom; it is “shaped less by a shared struggle against oppression than by a collective embrace of individual freedoms.” (Sheinin 2016). Feminism’s fourth wave is recognized as the period beginning in approximately 2008. It is motivated and influenced by social media. The prevalence of the Internet presented easy accessibility to feminist media at a global level. It is a continuation of the issues that were present and pre

Books, e-books, and audiobooks This is not a comprehensive list by any stretch of the word. This is more meant to be a reminder to myself of on topic media to add going forward. This is a list of what I own currently. Eventually, I'll update my Goodreads account with opinions and reviews. Audible/Audiobooks Between work, school, and life, I don't have the time to sit down and just read. So the majority of my intake of late is through podcasts and audiobooks. This is the list of what I own as of 3/21/20 Big Girl  by Kelsey Miller Certain Women of an Age Feminasty  by Erin Gibson Girls to the Front by Sara Marcus Hot & Heavy  by Virgie Tovar The Ethical Slut  by Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt Kindle/Google Play/E-books Cherry Bomb  by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna Covered in Ink  by Beverly Yuen Physical Tomes Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls  by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

DISCLAIMER: This blog addresses real issues. There will be topics and language that may make you uncomfortable. I will do my best to warn you, but I am human and fallible.  What is (was?) Riot Grrrl? If you search online encyclopedias for "riot grrrl," you won't get a direct answer. You'll be told that Riot Grrrl Manifesto the topic is referenced in articles such as Sleater-Kinney, Kathleen Hanna, contemporary lesbian, Bratmobile, Joan Jett, and sexual subcultures. Buried on the third page of results from encyclopedia.com is the article that I feel is the best starting point:  The Feminist Movement in the 20th Century: Third-Wave Feminism ( note: that will be my only reference to information from Encyclopedia.com as the information itself did not meet my inclusion standards).  Third Wave Feminism, or know your roots Third wave feminism - and riot grrrl, by extension - is not as clearly-defined as its predecessors. Third wave feminism was a reactionar