Guide for foul-mouthed feminists

Feminists like to cuss too! But some cuss words are misogynist, some are deliberately feminist, and others are in the process of being reclaimed. What's a feminist to do?

This is a brief field guide to cussing the feminist way. User beware - if you piss people off, and say, "But Geek Feminism said I could say that," we'll just laugh at you.

Use proudly

• Douche, douchebag, douchenozzle, etc. - douches are unnecessary tools of the patriarchy, fuck them
• Cockbiter - instead of cocksucker, which makes the act of giving a blow job shameful

Try to avoid

• Any form of fuck that assumes penetration is a bad thing for the receptive partner

Don't use

Unless you're making fun of people who use these words in a sexist way...

• Bitch
• Slut
• Bugger - homophobic

Being reclaimed

Reclaiming is done by people who are in the group who are disparaged by the word. If you aren't a woman, you have to wait until women have made progress on reclaiming the word before you can use it.

• Cunt

Open for discussion

• Motherfucker - gender specific, but based on incest taboo rather than patriarchy?
• Fuck in general - has several meanings and usages, some of which are misogynist and some of which are not
• Dick and friends - associates a specific body part with patriarchy-related badness, but cismen are in power - okay now but eventually obsolete? There is the additional concern about associating penises with bad things, which can be alienating for trans*femme people

Neutral

• Shit
• Damn
• Hell
• Ass
• Asshat
• Assclown
• Piss, piss off
• God's teeth