It started in a bar, surrounded by a bunch of entitled white dudes explaining why it was such a shame that “pretty girls” were interested in dating other women. As the men got drunker, their reasoning got grosser, and we got angrier.
This was something that was ALWAYS happening to us. Why? We spent the rest of our evening talking about the wage gap, taxes on tampons, how respect for women is measured in “attractiveness”, trans visibility, pronouns, masculinity in language. I mean.. it went on and on. And from this stream of consciousness, the Feminists of Salem were born. By the time we left the bar, there were over 75 members on the brand new Facebook group.
We are lucky enough to live in a city filled with some of the coolest little aliens this side of the O Zone, with some of the broadest and kindest minds, and bringing them together to meet was thrilling. These gatherings quickly became a safe space, a place to talk about pressures we felt in the workplace, or things in mainstream media that have been bothering us. We are surrounded by artists and healers and makers and shape shifters. Our goal, while still extraordinarily ambiguous, is to empower and educate, to create a dialogue about what in our society is still lacking, and provide vocabulary and understanding for those without. We are looking to “re-right the world” (zine still pending).
The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 5/10 @ 7:00pm at HausWitch, where we will begin planning an art exhibit/show featuring the bad ass feminist warriors of Salem. You do not need to be a resident of Salem to play! Just come with an open mind and heart and a burning desire to smash the patriarchy!
