As the cornerstone of the Northwest, Washington has a rich and colorful women’s empowerment history. As a frontier town inside of a frontier state, Spokane has it’s own unique feminist heritage to boast. Making a comeback from the housewifery of the 50’s, a lecture society called the Spokane College Women’s Association was founded in 1963 (the same year that Betty Friedan published the Feminine Mystique) and still operates to this day.
In the 70’s a Spokane chapter of NOW became active and responded with outrage to the reprehensible comments of then Police Captain Richard Olberding. The very existence of this small group of ~26+ active women raised eyebrows all around the city. The undeserved reputation of Spokane NOW as a bra burning Bloomsday running band of Amazons prompted these sardonic shirts:
As the eighties marched on Spokane’s NOW eventually fizzled, but Seattle NOW is still going strong and is ready to seed upstarts on our side of the state. While Spokane is home to a healthy variety of women’s professional societies including NAWIC (National Association of Women In Construction), NAPMW (National Association for Professional Mortgage Women) and the more visible NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) these groups tend to be mostly made up of mature women and feel fairly conservative and routine. Portland and Seattle have The Link, which is a social society for professional women of all walks, but Spokane is sadly lacking in this flavor of organization.
On the other end of the age spectrum we recently witnessed the brief birth and death of the Spokane Women’s Collective. True to form among Spokane’s anarcho-punk youth circles, the organization was entirely spontaneous, horizontal and refreshingly defiant of the regional stereotype.
As a next step in this unfolding history I propose the first ever Shrinking Violet Society. Primarily composed of women in their 20’s and 30’s, SVS would serve as a social outlet, a civic booster club, and a support network of similarly interested women friends. We could volunteer as the “official cheerleaders” of the Lilac City Rollergirls and Fighting Marmots women’s rugby. We could phone bank at PPINW and volunteer to encourage girls to pursue science with WIBIT at Tincan. Craft parties, clothing exchanges and book clubs would be par for the course. Shopping buddies and workout partners would be in bountiful supply.
Women in Spokane have unique abilities to accelerate postive social change in this region and beyond. We could start with our friends and outreach to groups like the Spokane Modern Girls Meetup. We could help existing local charities and create new ones, bringing a Rock’n'Roll camp for girls to Spokane.
We can do it, and our modern boyfriends/husbands/brothers/sons and dads will support us all the way!
Tags: Community · Creative Culture · Social Observations · Spokane Pride · Sports Culture28 Comments
28 responses so far ↓
This is great. I remember growing up and my good friend’s Mom would wear the ” Lady’s Sewing Circle…..” shirt. That is awesome. I has been a while since seeing that logo. I like this. I like what you have come up with here.
You are amazing…you keep blogging….and keep blogging…I kinda forgot about mine….this last few weeks has been insane…weather…family…plumbing…etc…
Keep it up..I enjoy reading every morning or so.
A friend of mine (and her husband) are members of the Spokane chapter of NOW. I don’t know how large or small the group is so maybe they haven’t fizzled out completely.
I think this sounds like a wonderful idea. There are very few, if any, woman ’s groups in Spokane. Save, The Red Hat Society. I would absolutely support this movement, as the women I know are not competitive harpies, but a sisterhood of loving women.
Strength in numbers.
Dawn
I think it sounds fantastic. I would love to be a part of this and to see how it all works out in the end. Women need women and it would be wonderful to ignite a sense of camaraderie among women here in Spokane!
I would love to participate. I have a few girlfriends that would probably love it too, especially if it had to do with art!!
I think that there is a lot to share and learn from each other. I would love to have any kind of gathering here in my home.
I really admire your initiative and drive for community projects. I think with the right amount of outgoing (and savvy!) ladies, this org could work!
It would be cool to jump start a collective with a fun get-together and propose new programs – political, creative, and social. I bet I could rally up more Whitworth girls to join in.
Thanks,
Julia
Creating and sustaining a community in Spokane, that works at inspiring and transforming the connections between people in that community, is a powerful and much needed instrument for progress. I must say that I would not attend any society that was gender exclusive. I do agree that a hurtle for women uniting is competitiveness, and we must overcome this to effectually communicate and create solutions that positively affect our community. However, we must not create more divisions between people by sending the image of inequality. Having a member’s only society does this. We must not.
I can see where Ashley is coming from because we all know that cliques are for the elitists, especially if it’s just a small anarcho-group of people not bounded by legal documents. But if it’s a legitmate nonprofit org, I think that’s different because it safely welcomes diversity according to its mission. You don’t have to be a women to be a womens studies major, and I think the same would apply here.
Re: Ashley, Julia
Personally I am totally with you on the men and membership angles.
Men:
To me feminism = gender equality and a women’s society certainly doesn’t have to be for women only. I think calling such a group a women’s society still makes sense, however, because women have historically faced overt oppression in our culture and therefore making their empowerment and support a focus is positive and doesn’t in any way imply that men have not also suffered from gender stereotypes and divisions.
If a feminist guy sincerely wanted to participate I’d be thrilled to welcome him in to the activities and discussion. Maybe he could be supported in starting a movement where it is popular for Spokane men to identify as feminists. Sadly that is currently not the case. I’ve polled quite a few of my progressive young men friends and only after you explain “feminism = equality” will they admit their feminism. Only 1/12 guys polled said “yes I am a feminist” without further definitions. (Disclaimer: This is obviously anecdotal…)
When I threw a women’s clothing exchange we didn’t invite any guys because people wanted to feel free to randomly change clothes in the middle of the room. Had a guy showed up I would have invited people to try things on the the bathroom or a bedroom or whatever. When we did craft parties mostly women and a few men were invited. Predictably mostly women and a few men showed up. Plus if we are going to be a booster for the LCRG and Marmot Rugby it is fun to have guys dressed up in cheerleader outfits!
Membership:
I would want a group like this to evolve organically. First regular activities, then some further vision shaping and division of duties, 501c3 status eventually, and then only when you get paid staff or are regularly spending money on events does the complexity of membership make sense.
Membership is used to motivate greater commitment to an organization and I think that is a legitimate strategy and can be done without discrimination. I strongly believe that if a person can not afford to buy a membership outright then a sliding scale is offered and there is also an option to earn membership (and resulting benefits) through volunteering.
Regarding men and feminism –
Now, as only one of somewhere over 3 billion males in this world, i can in no way pretend to “speak for men” regarding feminism. i also typically don’t identify directly as a feminist, although after explaining to people that i am a pro-feminist gender equalist, that point tends to get across.
Perhaps it is hard for many of us to engage in substantive dialogue with our sisters out of either some sort of unresolved guilt with our complicity in the myriad of oppressions still faced by women today. Or perhaps it is out of an ignorance that believes that the issues surrounding feminism and patriarchy are strictly “by women, for women.” i would certainly hope that the progressive men of our community would rally around such an organization – as i certainly will, but i fear it might take a while before it would be more fully embraced, based upon my own experiences here. For instance, at the Bioneer conference this year there was a wonderful discussion on women in leadership that featured the mayor, a dear friend and mentor, and an acquaintance of mine. Out of a full classroom of probably over 40 people, i was one of four men present.
Or perhaps we are simply lazy. One often wonders.
i do hope that an energy and excitement is created around this group, and that good things come about through it! Also, i may know a guy or two who would be interested in participating and have much to contribute.
I have often discussed with you starting groups centered around some of the ideas mentioned in this post.. in particular an artist group and/or book club.
The Shrinking Violet Society encompasses a broader range of interest and builds a foundation to branch out from. I do not have that kind of foundation on my own, that is- relationships with enough young people who have similar goals to my own.
I truly love the idea of being involved in a kind of young diverse community that forces me to grow in ways i wouldn’t necessarily do by my own interests, but also allows me to forge new relationships there by making it possible to build more focused groups within the community.
I like this idea of a group of women getting together and I remember reading a little bit about the SWC this summer being a supportive group of women that care about each other. It took me a long time to warm up to the idea, and now I understand it is no more?
If it’s okay to ask, because I have no idea what happened with SWC, what happened? Why the “death of”?
I really like the idea of starting a rock n’ roll camp for girls here (or a girls’ composition camp, or something along these same lines).
I would also be interested in meeting other ladies who are interested in starting a women composers/songwriters association. Yes, I think there are some issues with having a gender-specific club like this, but I do think that women musicians can use the support of other women because there is some sexism out there that still exists in the music world, especially in the areas of jazz, rock, and composition.
I wish my daughters joined up with more grrls like this. They each have the instincts, but not yet the concrete connections. It’s not easy for normal people to make time for activism, even on the subjects they yack about every day. Thanks for your leadership.
Don’t be shy about yelling in mixed company, too. Some men can listen.
Love it. Count me in, especially for craft nights and clothing exchanges. Brilliant.
RE: to your email
I would be involved in something like this. I really did enjoy the clothing exchange. It would be fun to get an activity like that going once a month or twice a month. This especially to mingle with like-minded women in the area and gain support for other more specific interests or activities.
hey I think it’s a great idea. I’d love to have a group of gals meet about once a month or so to dish and plan and scheme our schemes to take over the world and run it sustainably…
lemme know when!
anna marie martin
I LOVE THE IDEA OF ROCK CAMP FOR GIRLS!
and all the other ideas. but that one brings tears to my eyes and warms my little heart.
I think that a women’s group is much needed in Spokane. The idea of getting rid of that stereotype of competitiveness between gals in this town is what excites me the most. I would love to be a part of this movement!
I am sparked with enthusiasm about this group idea. I would be absolutely pleased to join, and I know quite a few of my friends that would hop on the band wagon as well. If weather permits, I would be interested in helping out in any way that I can.
Pros: I often meet girls in passing, whether it be at a retail location, or a coffee shop, and after our often short banter, I sometimes wish I had the guts to just up and say “hey, you seem like a really cool person, want to hang out sometime?” I know that might sound weird, but I honestly feel like we aren’t given the opportunity to meet some really fantastic people on a more personal basis. I think a group such as this could bring more girls together in an environment that wouldn’t be socially awkward, thus helping build stronger relationships and broadening our horizons when it comes to local activities (rather than just shopping, drinking coffee, and bar hopping…) I also really want to get into arts & crafts and sewing and what not (I have all the materials and machines but just don’t know when/where to start sometimes!) So that aspect of the group also piques my interest.
Cons: I worry about the “clique” vibe. As long as we can keep it from feeling like a closed society, I’m all for it!
You are just so full of fruitful ideas it’s insane. Thank you, and I hope to hear more about this idea taking flight!
a friend of mine (from the west side of the state, actually!) just mentioned this blog to me and i am hooked!
also, i love this idea. sing me up!!
[...] young women in Spokane, local social activist Mariah McKay recently launched the first-ever Spokane Shrinking Violet Society. While Spokane is home to a handful of women’s professional groups, including the Northwest [...]
It’s official.
The Shrinking Violets have blossomed onto the stage of Spokane’s social scene. Monthly brunches, a book group and craft nights are some of the first activities that have taken root.
Visit the SVS Facebook group for more event info and how to join the fun.
[...] for young women in Spokane, local activist Mariah McKay recently launched the first-ever Spokane Shrinking Violet Society. While Spokane is home to a handful of women’s professional groups, including the Northwest [...]
An update on the group’s progress:
One year later this organization has grown far beyond what I initially thought possible. While we have yet to do some of the volunteer activities I’d originally hoped for, the personal rewards of getting to know these wonderful people has been so sustaining.
Thanks to Megan for the shout out!
http://www.downtoearthnw.com/blogs/dwellwellnw/2010/feb/20/shrinking-violets-birthday-bash/
[...] of Spovangelites cemented my resolve to start a (mostly) young women’s group called the Spokane Shrinking Violet Society. It is startling what has grown in its place since that time. Hundreds of participants, dozens of [...]
[...] “Where did you come up with the ‘Shrinking Violets’?” Strangely, it was a T-shirt that inspired the name. From the insignia on an old NOW shirt we built an organization full of creative and enthusiastic [...]