I love blogrolls. They are so great! For those of us interested in social justice, they create a web of communication, and allow us to connect with others fighting the good fight. I am so very enthusiastic about the idea of maintaining giant blogrolls that link together everyone talking about an end to gender oppression online.
The trouble with blogrolls is that they appear to endorse everything the linked blogger ever wrote. When there is a division on some issue, as there always will be in any community (Would anyone like to calmly discuss Andrea Dworkin over tea? What? They would not?), the blogroll becomes a statement about “which side” the blogger with said blogroll is on.
If we’re going to be successful as a movement, we need to find a balance between allowing for disagreement amongst ourselves and responding effectively to behaviors that reinforce oppression. At times, even the most thoughtful, committed activists will say something clueless and/or hateful that reinforces oppression. It’s unavoidable, and no one should be forced out of our ever-so-small and vilified community because they make a mistake.
However, when people make these mistakes, they hurt someone. And that someone may feel extra hurt if I, as a member of the “feminist community” (have yourself a good laugh or cry at that one) support their work without comment on the things they have done that others have considered hurtful.
It’s also true that I might disagree with someone’s stance on an issue, even if I don’t think their stance is necessarily harmful. I’m a loudmouth, and I feel the need to comment when this is the case.
So, instead of a traditional blogroll, I’ll list blogs that self-identify as feminist, progressive, or radical below, and link to a review of their stuff, providing you with my loudmouth opinion on their work as a whole. This means that every addition of a blog requires me to read a ton of someone’s work, so it’ll be a slow growing list. However, over time I hope to provide you with the best blogroll this side of the Great Orange Satan.
The roll (In the order I check ’em):
1) Tiger Beatdown (Review is here)
2) Flip Flopping Joy (Review is here)
3) The Curvature (Review is here)
4) Shakesville (Review is here)
5) My Ecdysis (Review is here)
Pathological Narcissist 