Girl “Gangs”
So a lot of people have been asking me why I have this huge beef with the concept of girl “gangs” being appropriated by this riot grrl subculture and here’s why:
so i feel like the concept has been appropriated a lot from this kinda hood mentality, equating a group of girlfriends who fight off misandry and are into the whole DIY culture with this riot grrl/feminist statement ( and theres nothing wrong with that), with what real gangs are (cycles of violence, poverty, as a result of racism and classism) and young teen girls roles in those gangs.
It turns something serious and dangerous, and used as a means of survival, into this cutesy afterschool special and thats not okay. Considering how young women are initiated into gangs (you know, being raped or “jumped” in) , the deadly real life consequences these gangs have, appropriating that very real struggle…it just doesnt sit well with me.
Also, more often than not I see white girls appropriating the concept of “gangs” which is ironic because girls of color are most at risk to the harsh reality of being initiated into this dangerous gang lifestyle. If anyone is in the right to call their girl groups a “gang”, it’s girls of color. Girls of color can reclaim girl “gangs” as something positive in our lives; our tightknit group that lurks the night defending other girls, punching sexist assholes, being rude bitches, DIY culture with a riot grrl and feminist statement… we are rejecting what the threat of what ”gangs” has meant our entire lives and creating a safe space for us to fight back against sexualized violence, poverty,racism, and classism.
There are also alternatives to calling your tightknit riot grrl group a “gang”, it also doesn’t mean these girl groups aren’t in your face and strong and powerful and collectively fight the system, there’s just a huge difference between that and romaniticizing gang life.
It’s like…
you ain’t about that life, sit down
(via karnythia)
@8 months ago with 796 notes
