#NormalizeLadyRage

[untonuggan]

There's a post on tumblr about Lady Rage that is worth a read. (cn: gifs, cis-centric in that it doesn't explicitly deal with trans issues but touches briefly on "other marginalized groups" specifically women of color, but I think the form of socially accepted anger they speak to is relevant to many and I did not note open transphobia just more...writing from an AFAB perspective? ANYWAY IDK DECIDE FOR YOURSELVES IF THIS IS FOR YOU).

DM: How often my friends and I seem to ask each other permission before we actually admit that we’re experiencing anger. “I know ___ was just trying to help, but isn’t this email weird?” or “I’m sure I’m blowing this out of proportion….”, etc. etc. I sometimes feel like IT TAKES A VILLAGE [of HARPIES and SHREWS and VALKYRIES and VIRAGOS - every last one of them terribly, terribly shrill] for a woman to admit that she is feeling mad!

DS: Yeah, there’s our feminine socialization in action right there. “Is this emotion that I’m having actually the emotion that I’m having? Am I authorized to have this emotion? I’ll need that emotional authorization form filled out in triplicate before I can actually experience it without feeling bad.” This is a huge benefit to back-channel communications with fellow ladyfriends. It’s almost worthwhile to get mad, if only because of the loud communal cackling I get to do by processing that anger with my pals. And I do think there’s something valuable about the way women respond in undercover, subtle & funny ways to the ridiculousness we witness daily. For one thing, so much great art has arisen from feminine rage. For another, I don’t want to go around actually Hulking out all the time, but I do want to acknowledge my negative feelings more honestly in public. I think. I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this.

the h/t #NormalizeLadyRage on Twitter also has some good content and hopefully someone will storify that shit.

also touches on fandom, dismissal of female fans, and HULKING OUT.