Sistacircle February 3, 2026: Feminist Group Process

Sistacircle meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 10am PST/1pm EST/6pm UTC.

Sistacircle is a weekly, drop-in educational support group for women survivors of male violence and/or the threat of male violence. Rooted in feminist theory, this circle is a space for reflection, learning, and resistance. Free and peer-led, it centres survivors in their own liberation. Join us!

Feminist Group Process

You are warmly invited to a circle exploring dynamics and interactions in feminist group work. We'll be sharing our thoughts on communication styles, group norms and hierarchies, handling disagreement, developing friendships and embracing personal growth.

Fascism

I remember quietly leaving a university lecture years ago to use the restroom, only to hear my professor complain that students shouldn’t interrupt class to "pee". He said we should be trained to “hold it” until the break and described the normalization of this bathroom use during class as “fascist.”

Since then, I’ve noticed the term fascist being used in many different ways—often broadly, sometimes indiscriminately. It can be applied to both liberal or equality-seeking groups and conservatives, and to situations ranging from department store return policies to pandemic protocols. I want us to collectively explore the use of this word and how wide applications of fascism can flatten real differences in power, intent, and harm.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fascism as:

“a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition” and also a broader sense meaning “a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.”

The word fascism derives from the Italian term fascio (plural: fasci), meaning “bundle” or “group.” Fascio itself comes from the Latin fasces, a bundle of wooden rods bound together—sometimes enclosing an axe—carried by lictors in ancient Rome as a symbol of magistrate authority, unity, and state power. The symbolism conveyed strength through collective unity: individual rods could be broken, but the bundle could not (Paxton, 2004; Griffin, 1991).

In late 19th- and early 20th-century Italy, the term fasci was used by various political groups, including labor and revolutionary movements, to describe leagues or associations. However, the term became politically definitive when Benito Mussolini adopted it in 1919 for his movement, Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, marking the formal emergence of fascism as a distinct political ideology (Gentile, 2005; Paxton, 2004).

As an ideology, fascism emphasized authoritarian nationalism, mass mobilization, the subordination of individual rights to the state, and the glorification of violence and hierarchy. The term fascism thus evolved from a classical symbol of collective authority into a modern political concept associated with totalitarian governance, ultranationalism, and the suppression of dissent (Griffin, 1991).

Angela Davis “affirmed that fascist tactics have been employed against Black people [and] Black communities, for centuries” and described American fascism in its early stages as a “protracted social process.” (Hope, 2026, para. 21).

The word fascism has a specific historical and political meaning, referring to authoritarian systems marked by extreme nationalism, suppression of dissent, rigid social hierarchies, and the use of violence or fear to maintain control. In recent years, the term has been used more broadly in public discourse to describe a wide range of behaviours, policies, or attitudes that feel oppressive, unjust, or frightening. While this instinct often comes from a very real and embodied awareness of power, coercion, and harm—overusing or inaccurately applying the term can sometimes blur important distinctions. When language becomes imprecise, it can weaken our analysis, shut down dialogue, or make it harder to clearly name what is actually happening. For feminist movements committed to justice, accountability, and collective liberation, this raises an important question: how do we use strong language in ways that shine light on abuses of power rather than obscure it, and that build shared understanding of our struggles rather than deepen polarization?

Questions To Consider

What does fascism mean to you personally, and where did that understanding come from—history, lived experience, media, or activism?
When does using the word fascism feel clarifying or necessary, and when might it feel more reactive or symbolic?
How does imprecise language impact feminist organizing, especially across generations or political differences?
Are there moments when naming something as fascist feels like an act of resistance or self-protection? What do we gain—and what might we lose—in those moments?
How can we distinguish between authoritarian behaviour, patriarchal control, systemic violence, and fascism without minimizing harm?
What responsibility do we hold, as feminists and elders, in modeling careful, ethical, and effective use of political language?
How might slowing down our language help us stay connected to each other, even when we strongly disagree?