WIST Quotations

Kennedy, Florynce -- “Institutionalized Oppression vs. the Female” (1970)

Dave — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 00:28:45 +0000

Oppressed people are frequently very oppressive when first liberated. And why wouldn’t they be? They know best two positions. Somebody’s foot on their neck or their foot on somebody’s neck.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
“Institutionalized Oppression vs. the Female” (1970)

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 03:12:14 +0000

The biggest sin is sitting on your ass.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
(Attributed)
(Source)

Quoted in Gloria Steinem, "The Verbal Karate of Florynce R. Kennedy, Esq.," Ms. (Mar 1973).

Full quote: "Some people say they won’t work 'inside the system' -- they’re 'waiting for the revolution.' Well, when the ramparts are open, honey, I'll be there. But until then, I'm going to go right on zapping the business and government delinquents, the jockocrats, the fetus fetishists, and all the other niggerizers any way I can. The biggest sin is sitting on your ass."

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 01 May 2017 22:38:49 +0000

There are very few jobs that actually require a penis or vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
(Attributed)

Quoted in Ms. (Mar 1973). Also attributed to Gloria Steinem, though Steinem has attributed the quote to Kennedy.

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:41:13 +0000

Don’t agonize, organize.

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 04:16:26 +0000

People always ask if a woman can be a wife and mother and have a career at the same time. Why don’t they ask if she can be a hostess, chauffeur, cook, gardener, nurse, seamstress, social secretary, purchasing agent, baby machine, and courtesan — and a wife and a mother, too?

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
(Attributed)

Quoted in Gloria Steinem, "The Verbal Karate of Florynce R. Kennedy, Esq.," Ms. (Mar 1973).

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:53:20 +0000

Being a mother is a noble status, right? So why does it change when you put “unwed” or “welfare” in front of it?

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 03:09:39 +0000

Sure, there are differences in degree, but we’ve got to stop comparing wounds and go out after the system that does the wounding.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
(Attributed)

Quoted in Gloria Steinem, "The Verbal Karate of Florynce R. Kennedy, Esq.," Ms. (Mar 1973).

Kennedy, Florynce -- (Attributed)

Dave — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:46:31 +0000

You’ve got to rattle your cage door. You’ve got to let them know that you’re in there, and that you want out. Make noise. Cause trouble. You may not win right away, but you’ll sure have a lot more fun.

Kennedy, Florynce -- The Pathology of Oppression (unpub.)

Dave — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 19:27:45 +0000

Loserism is when oppressed people sit around and think up reasons why they can’t do something. Well just do it. Thinking up reasons why you can’t is the Establishment’s job.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
The Pathology of Oppression (unpub.)

Quoted in "Lawyer Flo Kennedy Enjoys Her Reputation as Radicalism's Rudest Mouth," People (14 Apr 1975).

Kennedy, Florynce -- Speech, Washington, DC (15 May 1971)

Dave — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 22:36:52 +0000

If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.

Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916–2000) American lawyer, feminist, civil rights activist
Speech, Washington, DC (15 May 1971)

Quoted in Off Our Backs (24 Jun 1971). Gloria Steinem, who also used the phrase, later claimed it was said to her and Kennedy by an "old Irish woman taxi driver" in Boston, but she attributed it at other times to Kennedy herself. More info here.