The Bitch Theory: An introduction
16/02/2025
At the time you are reading this article, the journal will be live and this will be the first article. It will be quite different from the rest. I want to take this opportunity to thank you, dear readers, this would not be possible without your support.
The Bitch Theory is founded and ran by me, Lily Dorranian (@lilyjj4smine), a (currently) eighteen year old middle eastern butch lesbian in Sydney (Eora), Australia. I’ve always been extremely passionate about liberation and justice for all, and have been a feminist ever since I could form coherent thoughts. This is more than just a project or an outlet, this is an execution of passion, and the start of change. I have and will always dedicate myself to the education and awareness of others, because I believe change is more than possible and more than probable. But this isn’t about me or my passions. This is about us and the community that has been started and will hopefully continue to grow. This is about stories, and how telling them can inspire revolutions and motivate change, it can impact people in the depths of their core, it can shake your beliefs, it will change your perspective, it has the power to move people. This is about how entire systems must be uprooted, entire societies and cultures shifted; this, I truly believe, will have the power to change the world and achieve liberation.
I want to emphasise that The Bitch Theory is welcome to all kinds of feminists, including individuals who aren’t feminists or don’t know where to start. We are a community and there is no pride in shaming or ostracising individuals. We can all learn from each other. There is no change without solidarity, and we must work together to achieve liberation.
In establishing the goals for the future, it is always imperative to look at the past. The Bitch Theory is not a groundbreaking idea, radical feminist journals have existed and will continue to exist. The name of The Bitch Theory itself is a tribute to Bitch: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture, otherwise known as Bitch Magazine, which is a collation of feminist media that was created in 1996 by Lisa Jervis, Benjamin Shaykin, and Andi Zeisler. Bitch changed the media landscape by providing opportunities for writers and engaging in taboo or unspoken discourse about media and pop culture, including queer media.
Our symbol, which is an upside-down horseshoe, is symbolic of many things. The horseshoe is a tribute to the notable suffragette, Emily Wilding Davison, who was fatally injured during her alleged act of protest for women to obtain the right to vote. Davison was a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and was arrested nine times, went on hunger strike seven times, and was force-fed 49 times during her life as an activist for women’s rights. Emily was standing by the white rail near Tattenham Corner, with a flag in the colours of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) tied around her body as a group of horses fast approached, Davison ducked under the railing and tried to grab the reins of King George V's horse, Anmer, some say to attach the flags to the horse. In the course of this, the horse injured her greatly, and she was in hospital for four days before succumbing to the fatal injuries dealt to her.
The horseshoe is upside down to replicate the letter ‘U’, serving as a reminder to both myself and the readers that change begins with YOU.
Finally, our motto: RESIST THE INSIST, is not a reference to anything. It was created by us to inspire individuals to remember and always keep resisting the patriarchy and injustice, no matter what form or medium it manifests itself to you in. It will insist you cower and succumb, it will insist for you to be silent, to be still. The Bitch Theory is not only an online journal but a radical feminist resistance movement, resisting the new waves of oppressive hate that envelop our lives.
The Bitch Theory has goals that extend beyond publications, with hope and plans for legal and societal change and awareness. None of this can happen without you and your support. Again, I thank you for reading this, and I hope that you engage with every issue.
Any non-male is welcome to write for us at any time. We accept creative and non-creative works, as well as resources that you’d like for us to share. It is important that we all have a voice, there is no one person who should harbour all the power. Intersectionality is extremely important, which is why authors from any place are welcomed to write for us. We also accept artworks. See our collaborators page to learn more about people who have written for us and to engage in their work.
Thank you so much for your support.
Resist the insist.
- The Bitch Theory
