One of the most honorable aspects of the feminist movement is how women have redefined what “bitch” means. This word, though typically associated with a “bad” word your grandmother doesn’t want to hear, is now a term of female/feminine empowerment. There’s a popular video on YouTube explaining the different variations of “bitch” depending on the tone and inflection of the word.
Primarily, though, “bitch” has been used by both men and women to negatively describe a woman who comes off as “aggressive,” but a better synonym for “bitch” would actually be “assertive.” People have asked why assertive men earn and maintain power, but assertive women are negatively classified as a “bitch.” Since we’ve learned how gender is perceived and understand that assertiveness is typically associated with masculinity (and submissiveness is associated with femininity), women must still fight for equal treatment and respect. A “bitch” can mean a woman who disagrees with a man or a woman who says “no,” so we can see how this applies to the workplace and on the streets.
Contemporary female pop, rap and hip-hop artists have used the term in their songs to appropriate power to themselves, and if a movement wishes to be widely perceived by the public, the movement earns a majority of its success through pop culture and music. Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, Lizzo and other popular artists have made it known that they are a “bitch.” Because rap and hip-hop still remain a male-dominant profession, these women have made it known that they won’t stand for sexist discrimination, and if being a “bitch” is how women earn their position of power, then “bitch” is what how we self-identify.
Reclaiming a term isn’t a new phenomenon. Language, as a whole, continues to redefine itself, whether it’s slang, politically correct language, or through reclaiming “bad” words. Women have been shamed for accessing power outside the realm of femininity, particularly in the 1970s, at the height of the Second Wave Feminist Movement. Likewise, in the 1990s, “Bitch” magazine was established as “a feminist response to pop culture.”
Reclamation is typically initiated within marginalized groups of people, communities who have experienced oppression both verbally and systematically. If communities can ignore and reclaim a term used to shame, ignore and hurt, then the next step is simply overstepping the limitations society has placed from them.
As a rule, you’ve heard men say they refuse to call women a “bitch,” because of how hurtful that word is. If someone gives you the pass, then fine; social rules are defined both generally and individually. Queer men have that pass from me, simply because they experience gender violence as much as I do.
In the case of “bitch” and other reclaimed words, that word still holds its power over a community, especially when used negatively. The history of these words are powerful and can still hurt the communities fighting for equality. Remember to be mindful and respectful, and learn to accept that a community’s fight for equality can be individually exclusive to your own experiences.
