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Community Information

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User:feminist (37685) Paid User
Feminist Anti-Oppression Forum
Comforting the afflicted, afflicting the comfortable.
Name:The Feminist Forum
About:Please note that this information page is currently a work in progress. Updates will be announced to the community.

Welcome to LJ's Feminist Forum


Please read the information below prior to joining!

Membership Admittance

ATTENTION: PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP. This link will take you to our "Membership FAQ" and can answer most questions you will have regarding our membership approval guidelines.

The community is presently under moderated membership. When you apply for membership, the moderators will consider several factors, including the age of your livejournal account. Please email us to introduce yourself if you think we might have questions regarding your livejournal account or request for membership. Please consult this post prior to joining the community. If you would like to join the community, please click here to do so. We will review your account and approve or reject your membership request at our earliest convenience.

[info]feminist stance on [info]anti_feminism and other anti-feminist communities
In our continued effort to create productive dialogue, we will be strongly hesitant to admit members of communities in direct opposition to the goals of [info]feminist.

Code of Conduct

Participation in [info]feminist means that you have read and understand these rules. Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse. If you have a question, please email the moderators.

General Guidelines
[info]feminist is for discussion and debate of feminist issues from an anti-sexist, anti-oppression standpoint. This community is an affirmative space dedicated to the examination of both oppression and privilege and the intersections thereof. We are interested in addressing these things in both their theoretical and real-world applications.

This community can get very heated. If you find yourself disagreeing with another member, please keep a few things in mind. Criticize ideas and arguments, not the person presenting them. While we value personal experience deeply, please also be aware that it cannot always be extrapolated into a universal point. Everyone experiences life differently, we need to acknowledge that and work to understand those differences. While jokes and sarcasm (and cursing and anger) are welcome in [info]feminist, please understand that this is the internet, and your joking or sarcastic tone may not translate into text.

Things to note
[info]feminist has a strong focus on education. Members are encouraged to develop an awareness of the privileges they posses, unlearn prejudiced beliefs, and learn new perspectives. This means that the community does not qualify as “safe space” for marginalized people. You can rest assured knowing personal attacks and deliberately bigoted comments are not ever allowed under any circumstances, but be aware that some people will inevitably and unintentionally say bigoted things, out of ignorance, during their learning process. When this happens, we don’t ban - we educate. There is no prerequisite saying one must be completely enlightened and prejudice-free before joining the community, but it is necessary for one to be committed to growth - to examining one’s own beliefs, critically and with an open mind.

Specific Un-allowed Acts

• Baiting - making inflammatory statements for the purposes of provoking a reaction - is not allowed. If you link to an article or bring up a question, please be sure to include your opinion.

• Derailing - bringing up instances of bad things happening to privileged people in the middle of a discussion about similar bad things happening to the marginalized - isn't cool. Yes. Life can suck if you're a man/white/straight/able-bodied/etc. But we do not need to discuss it within a post about the trials of the oppressed. It can be beneficial to discuss these things, but please consider making a new post.

And always, examine your position on the metaphorical map. Most of us are both oppressed and privileged in a myriad of ways. While this is a feminist community, being about women does not give us leave to ignore all of the OTHER factors that affect womens' lives.

• Macros - use of image macros: JPGs, GIFs, or other imbedded/linked images that serve as approximations of one-liners. These often offensive pictures contain abbreviations like 'WTF' or 'ORLY' paired with the picture. Use of such images is never appropriate, nor productive and will result in a warning from the mod team.

• 001. Sexism/Sexist Language
Sexism = Prejudice + Power
Both institutions and individuals can be sexist. Sexism can be as plain as the belief that women shouldn't be educated; or as complex as the array of stereotypes, attitudes, and power inequalities that perpetuate rape culture. None of this is acceptable in [info]feminist. Comment-freezing, notes, warnings, and/or banning will apply to sexist statements. (We assume that membership in [info]feminist means that posters are aware of and reject sexism. If you have questions about a comment or post that you wish to make that may or may not be sexist, please feel free to email the moderators.)
Reverse Sexism
We do not recognize "reverse" sexism, ie the idea that women are capable of acting thinking in a sexist manner toward men. The reason for this is that women do not, as a group, hold privilege or institutional power over men. While women may be individually prejudiced against men, and may even act against them, it is an instance of prejudice, not sexism.
Sexist Language
Sexist and misogynistic language is not welcome in this community. Gendered slurs - words traditionally used against women, such as bitch or slut - are acceptable ONLY in a reclamatory sense. Using them to degrade other women is not cool. Additionally, condescending terms of "endearment," like honey or sweetie are also frowned upon. These words are frequently used to demean participants in debates, and we ask that members think about their intent before using them.

• Victim/Survivor Blaming
Victims and survivors are not to blame for their trauma, whatever they did or did not do. The response of a victim/survivor to hir trauma should not be used to invalidate their situation. The responsibility for a crime belongs to the criminal, not the victim/survivor. Period.

• 002. Racism/Racist Language

Racism = Prejudice + Power
Racism can be institutional or individual.
In the West, the institutional power generally belongs to white people. And just as men benefit from male privilege, white people benefit from white privilege. This can be difficult to accept. There is a certain tendency, particularly in America, to view ourselves as "colorblind." That, in and of itself, is a privileged idea. White people may ignore the effects of race, but people of color are faced with them every day. The 'playing field' is not level.

We recognize that there are parts of the world in which white people do not hold institutional power, and that there are parts of the world in which white people do not live. It is important to note that institutional power is a major force in racism, and to understand the histories of colonialism and imperialism that may impact non-white racism. That said, racism in one part of the world does not excuse racism in another part. IE, if people in Country X are racist toward people from Country Y, it does not justify or mitigate people in Country Y being racist toward people from Country X.

Reverse Racism
Reverse racism is not a valid concept. Those who do not wield institutional power cannot be racist, although they may be prejudiced or discriminatory. For more information, read this.
Racist Language
Racial slurs will not be tolerated in [info]feminist. Statements that imply that marginalized people are to blame for the effects of racism are similarly unacceptable. This is victim-blaming, pure and simple. For more information on racist language (in particular) which will get you a warning please consult this post.

• 003. Classism/Classist Language
Classism and Classist Language
Classism and classist language is not acceptable in [info]feminist. Classism is any form of prejudice or oppression toward people who are in or are perceived to be like those who are in a lower social class, especially a lower socioeconomic class, within a class society. Do not assume that others have had the same experiences and opportunities you have had, including but not limited to money, social status based on money, education opportunities, employment opportunities, health care, reproductive rights, etc.

Example: "She should have used birth control!"

• 003. Ableist Language

Ableist language is not acceptable in [info]feminist. Discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities, this is including of those with mental disabilities

Example: "That is just Crazy!"

• 004. Reclamation

Reclamation: The community supports the reclaiming of language by the people it has been used against, and consideration will be given to this type of usage. Please consult this post for more information and/or examples.

Please consult this post for further rules.

The Code of Conduct is a work in progress as of May 16, 2006. Updates will be announced.

Mod Notes, Warnings and Bans
All Mod Notes, Warnings and Bannings are frozen to prevent commentary on the mod action (to keep the discussion on point) if you have a question about a mod action please email the mods.

• Mod note: A mod note may be the precursor to a warning, or just a note to a member or the community in an official capacity.

• Mod warning: Notice of a rule violation. Three mod warnings means your activity in the community will be under review by the mods.

• Temporary ban: Member's posting access is removed for 1 week to 2 weeks depending on the situation. If the member continues to break the rules after their posting access has been reinstated, this means permanent membership will be under review.

• Permanent ban: Member is removed from the community because of continued rule violation. The moderation team reserves the right to ban at their discretion.

[info]feminist Courtesy Guidelines

Posts
• LJ-cut: All images, long posts, posts containing graphic content, and posts that have been cross-posted to more than three communities should be placed behind an lj-cut with suitable labeling. Suitable labeling includes a warning of 'triggering' material. Issues such as rape, abuse, harassment, or other graphic descriptions of crime require an 'lj-cut' with a brief explanation of the materials within.

• Quizzes / Surveys / Memes: Are not permitted and will be deleted. Polls are acceptable and are not covered under this guideline; however, a LJ-cut tag should be used if the poll exceeds a suitable length.



• Local Events and Charity posts: Posting about a local event or fund raising for a charity, even if feminist in nature, is not allowed. The purpose of [info]feminist is to have feminist based discussions. Posts about local events and charities do not open up discussion about an issue. As well, remember that members of the community are from all over the world, and it is impossible to have posts advertising feminists events from every city the community has a member in.

• Links: When linking to a personal livejournal, members are required to obtain the permission of the original author, and to indicate that they've done so in their post to this community. Links to other livejournal communities will not be permitted. Please Note: Community Promotions are not allowed in [info]feminist. We are currently in the process of assembling a list of related and sister communities. Please check back.

• Icons: Please use icons that are inline with the community rules (no sexist, racist, able-ist, or otherwise oppressive language). Also - please consider the topic when using an icon. Perhaps having an icon of a dead body would not be appropriate in a domestic violence post for example.

• Comment handling:
Deleting comments is not allowed, except in the following cases:
~You messed up your html.
~You want to fix your grammar or spelling.
~You posted a comment in the wrong place.

Please make a note in your new comment about why you deleted your previous comment. That way if someone replies to it before you delete it, we'll know why there's a "deleted comment" in the middle of a thread.

If you misworded something along with making a grammar or spelling mistake, you can tack that onto the bottom of your comment as an 'ETA' or EDIT. Do not change the intent or message of your original comment. Remember, we're accountable for our words even if we regret them later.

Repetitive comment deletion by the commentor or a poster may warrant banning. You won't be banned for deleting a comment or two, but if it becomes a habit, it's something we may consider as it disrupts conversation and inhibits understanding of just what the heck is going on. Never delete mod notes/warnings/ban notices.

Keep comments enabled on all posts. Comment screening is strictly prohibited. In addition, thread freezing is reserved for moderator discretion only. Please consult this post and this post for more information and/or examples.

Do not post/comment on behalf of non-members
Current members are not allowed to post on behalf of non-members, either in the form of comments or lead posts. Feminist has moderated membership for a reason: in order to keep this space productive (in terms of fostering feminist dialog/activism), we (the mods) regulate who is and is not allowed to participate in it. Current members posting on behalf of non-members is totally counterproductive to this aim.

Comments may only be edited for the purpose of fixing grammar/spelling/HTML. As with comment deletion, any member who edits a comment in order to change its meaning/content will be, at least, issued a mod warning. Repeat incidences of breaking this rule will lead to a temporary ban of one month from the community, with the possibility of further action, according to the rules regarding banning.

• Post Deletion:
~You may not delete a post to circumvent or hide a mod note, warning, or request to reword portions of your post to be less offensive.
~If you would like to delete a post for another reason, please email the mods and get mod approval first. It will most likely be okay.
~If a moderator deems that your post is inappropriate for the forum, we will leave you a mod note explaining why and then delete the post ourselves. Examples of when this might occur include but are not limited to: posts asking for homework help, posts containing memes/etc, or repetitious posts that offer no new info about a topic already posted about on the board. More info about inappropriate posts can be found below.

• Repetitive Posting: We urge you to check at least the last 50 posts to ensure that you're not duplicating a recent news bulletin. New entries about the same event are fine if each of them adds something new to the community's collective awareness. A moderator will delete any entry judged as not meeting at least one of the conditions detailed above. Any author of such a piece will be notified via comment or e-mail before deletion. (Consult this post for further detail on this policy.)


Minimization
[info]feminist has roughly 3000 members. With this great number of people, we are bound to disagree on the multitude of issues within feminism(s). We're also bound to value some mini-causes more than others and find some issues to be of particular importance while others are not. This is completely natural.

While we differ greatly in what we may find "important" within feminism, we should never make another feminist feel as though zir own personal causes/complaints/issues are not important. With this in mind, we are adding the following guidelines for discussion within the community.

Some issues are definitely more important and further reaching than others. (For instance, I think we can all agree that women being murdered is a lot more important than the colors people choose to clothe their babies.) However, this does not mean that smaller issues are not worth discussing! If you genuinely believe that certain issues are so small that focusing on them is a waste of time, posting to say so is a waste of time! A better strategy would be for you to start a new post about what you feel is an important issue, and simply not engage with the posts you feel are time-wasters. It is not appropriate to criticize the importance or lack thereof of a pre-existing thread. If you don't think it's worth talking about, then don't talk about it!

Please don't try to write off things as "too little to matter." While you might not find a particular joke, phrasing, or interaction offensive, if a member posts about something that was bothering zir, chances are zie was posting in order to gain support and encouragement. While you may disagree with the severity/importance of an event, it's important not to duplicate the unsupportiveness the poster is probably receiving elsewhere in zir life. Try to put yourself in zir shoes. If you simply cannot say something supportive, refrain from commenting.

People have different priorities, in terms of which issues to focus on, and it's impossible to get everyone to agree. But we can each focus on the issues that are personally meaningful, relevant, important, etc. to us and strive to maintain an awareness of the issues/activism other people are involved with, supporting each other whenever possible. What's important is recognizing that everything is connected.

If a person is focusing on an issue that you feel is so small as to be irrelevant, instead of criticizing zir, consider the following:
A) Focusing on a "small" issue does not automatically and always mean one is not simultaneously focusing on other ("bigger, more important") issues
B) Engaging in activism in relation to a "small" issue may propel a person to engage in "bigger and better" activism. You never know what a person's niche is going to be.
C) Just because you don't feel something is important, doesn't mean it's not important to anyone.
D) Any action a person takes to create positive change in the world, no matter how seemingly small, is worthy.



Companion Communities

• [info]feminist_101: For the basic questions and for HOMEWORK HELP. From this point on, homework help questions will no longer be permitted on [info]feminist. (i.e., "I need opinions for a class." "I need help with a topic for a paper." "I need to take a survey." You get the point.) This is also where you should direct beginner questions. ("What is privilege and why is it bad?" "What is feminism?" etc.)
• [info]fem_activism: For local activism posts. We are respectfully asking that you please move the majority of the activist posts off of [info]feminist. Basically, unless the post is directed to an entire country or is a letter writing/internet based project, we are asking that you do not post it here. The problem with those posts being here is that, obviously, not everyone is accessible to New York City or Houston or Los Angeles, etc.
• [info]16steps: A community focused on feminist sobriety support. Many women facing a drug or alcohol problem find that AA is not the place for them and aren't aware that there are other alternatives.

Companion Feed

• [info]feministreading: The Feminist Forum's Official book list. The list is through Library Thing and the feed will show any new books added to our book list. Please add it to your friends list!

Moderator Operations
Moderators do not post a public record of deleted posts, banned users or unbanned users. The user/s affected will be notified. Any questions regarding another user's member status or the disappearance of a post should be directed, in email, to all of the moderators. Please also e-mail the moderators with issues regarding other members' conduct or questions about moderator actions. Any posts made to ask such questions will be removed. If you have questions or comments, please email all the moderators to ensure a timely response. Please consult this post for more information and/or examples.

Contact Information
The Moderators can be reached at feminist.mods@drunkenatheist.com.

If the above address bounces mail back, please click the below link to send mail to each of our individual email addresses:

LJ Feminist Mod Team

Please use this address for all questions or comments. Thanks!
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