How To Start A Feminist Club
I will always remember the day when I confided in my best friend that I wanted to make a feminist club, that decision has been life changing and I will never be able to express how grateful I am to her for not just helping me with the group, but being my partner.
The idea came to me when watching the film The Punk Singer (2013), which is a documentary about the amazing singer and activist Kathleen Hanna, who is the reclaimed founder of the riot-grrrl movement in the 1990s. Through watching the film, I learned about how she hosted monthly meetings in places such as libraries, roller rinks, and houses, where they would talk about feminism and the current issues facing women at the time.
This idea just fascinated me because what she organized not only reached the women of her area, but similar groups were also formed around the country and abroad. Her message transcended her city and changed the lives of so many people. She is a remarkable woman who evolved the 3rd wave of feminism and set the stage for the 21st century.
“I think that the Internet is really cool because a lot of young feminists don’t feel like they have to reinvent the wheel…That one girl who’s in the class and says that something is sexist doesn’t have to feel alone” said Hanna.
We both appreciate her efforts in feminism, although we decided to take what she did and tweak it for the girls and teens of today. We started an Instagram page called Girl Talk this year and are still amazed by how many people share the same views as us, along with how many people sadly don’t agree. Our club started as just an idea, a cotton-candy cloud suspended above our heads, where we dreamed of a place where girls could feel comfortable, safe, and free to talk about their problems. Instead we made our dream come to life and ever since our lives have been better.
That dream came to reality the night of our first meeting. It was at a bowling alley during July of this past summer. We bowled, ate cheap fries, talked about feminism, discussed with a non-feminist who came with one of her friends, and even skyped a girl who followed our page. It was a night full of inspiration and laughter that I will never forget. It was the first time that we felt confident in the group and actually felt like we could actually be leaders. On the way home, we looked into each other’s eyes and telepathically said “We can do this”, I knew then and there that this club was no longer just a fantasy.
Now we have a following on Instagram of over 3,500 and we are still growing daily. We are also starting the club at our school and the application process is complete. Our first in-school meeting will be during the month of November and it’s been such a long journey, I can hardly believe where we are now. Feminism has been the most important thing in my life for years and it feels so surreal to actually walk in the footsteps of the women who inspire me every day. I encourage all of you to find something that you are passionate about as well!
Without further ado,
My 5 steps to create a feminist club
1) Decide whether or not you are going to be all inclusive: Our Girl Talk group is an “intersectional feminist” club, which basically means that we look through all lenses and perspectives (such as age, race, class, sexuality, ability, etc.) when talking about female oppression. You can just simply start a “feminist” club, but it makes it more interactive and progressive when you at least look at feminism through more than one lens.
2) Create a name - what are you going to call your group: “Girl Talk” is actually supposed to be ironic, it kind of reminded me of the film 9-5 (1980) and the TV show Golden Girls (1985-1992). I wanted to take a popular saying that people use against women to dismiss their conversations as vain or unimportant, and turn it into a powerful message. We talk about important issues (not that make-up and fashion should ever be considered shallow or only girl topics), but we wanted to create a space where girls could feel comfortable and confident in speaking about serious problems. Think of something that relates to the issue you are most vested in, or something like “Feminism is for Every-BODY club”, because puns are always great.
3) Start a social media page - How to get your name out there: If I haven’t made it abundantly clear, social media is your friend. It is so amazing to share your message with people from all around the world and to feel connected with people you haven’t even met in person. Create an Instagram, Twitter, and/or Tumblr where you try to post daily about your cause. Discuss ideas with others and allow your friends and people in your area to learn about the group.
4) Learn as much as you can about the cause beforehand – remembering to prepare for debating is crucial: The most helpful and important advice/step I can give is to…know the facts. The last thing that you want to happen is have a situation where you are unable to come up with a rebuttal. Feminism does not solely revolve around arguing, it’s a conversation, although you will most-likely have your fair share of debates. Unfortunately not everyone believes that women should be equal. Fortunately, if we all join in this movement together, we can create a world where people are free to be whoever they want to be.
5) Set a date, pick a location, and advertise - let the people know when and where you are meeting: Our first real effort of advertisement was giving out flyers to our friends and class mates. Another fun thing you can do is create a logo, we designed ours on paper and then showed it to one of our computer-art savvy friends who transposed it to digital and it made us feel so legitimate. I highly encourage having one, but it’s absolutely optional. Pick a day that you want your first meeting to be, choose a day that is open for as many people as possible. Also find a place you can host your gatherings. School are your best bet, and if you can get into them I would honestly say it’s worth it. If not, try your local coffee shop, library, book store, park, bowling alley, or even at one of your houses. Overall, it’s about your conversations, not where you are.
I wish you all the best, good luck!
