Cleaning Your Home, Shoveling the Walk, Phyllis Diller

“Cleaning your home while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” - Phyllis Diller

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 53.

One Great Man, One Leader, Salvation of America, No Longer Be America, Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Never let yourself be persuaded that any one Great Man, any one leader, is necessary to the salvation of America. When America consists of one leader and 158 million followers, it will no longer be America.” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/23920.Dwight_D_Eisenhower.

No Man, Govern, Consent, Susan B. Anthony

"No man is good enough to govern any woman without her consent." - Susan B. Anthony

Found on Notable Quotes at http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/anthony_susan_b.html.

Nothing Can Stand in the Way, Power of Millions, Barack Obama

“Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

Bitterness, Coward's Revenge, Zora Neal Hurston

“Bitterness is the coward's revenge on the world for having been hurt.” ― Zora Neale Hurston

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/15151.Zora_Neale_Hurston.

Let Freedom Ring, Free at Last, Martin Luther King, Jr.

“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of that old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Found in Great Quotes from Great Leaders, by Peggy Anderson, page 15.

We Know Nothing, Human Wisdom, Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.” ― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/128382.Leo_Tolstoy.

Honest Dissent, Disloyal Subversion, Dwight D. Eisenhower

“May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion. ” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/23920.Dwight_D_Eisenhower.

Distrust, God, Desires, Susan B. Anthony

“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” - Susan B. Anthony, History of Woman Suffrage

Found on Notable Quotes, at http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/anthony_susan_b.html.

Stop Evil, Treat One Another, Barack Obama

“We may not be able to stop evil in the world, but how we treat one another is entirely up to us.” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

Sustained Outrage, Unthinking Respect, Authority, Molly Ivins

“What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority.” - Molly Ivins

Found in Quotes for Nasty Women: Empowering Wisdom from Women Who Break the Rules, by Linda Picone, page 50.

Real Courage, You Know You're Licked, You Begin Anyway, Atticus Finch, Harper Lee

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." - (Atticus Finch) ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Found on Goodreads, at https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3275794-to-kill-a-mockingbird.

Arrogant Person, Perfect, Better Person, Leo Tolstoy

"An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person's main task in life - becoming a better person." - Leo Tolstoy

Found on Brainy Quote at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/leo_tolstoy_802402.

Democracy, Freedom, Ideals, Essential to Survival, Noam Chomsky

“In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than just ideals to be valued - they may be essential to survival.” ― Noam Chomsky

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2476.Noam_Chomsky.

Old Age, Didn't Even See it Coming, Phyllis Diller

“I don't know how you feel about old age...but in my case I didn't even see it coming. It hit me from the rear.” - Phyllis Diller

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 74.

Abolish Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Labor Laws, Farm Programs, They Are Stupid, Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group of course that believes you can do these things. Among them are a few other Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.” ― Dwight D. Eisenhower

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/23920.Dwight_D_Eisenhower.

Right Now, End Up, Barack Obama

“Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

Children, Rest Home, Phyllis Diller

“Be nice to your children, for they will choose your rest home.” - Phyllis Diller

Found in Age Happens: The Best Quotes About Growing Older, Selected by Bruce Lansky, page 23.

Any Mother, Air-Traffic Controllers, Lisa Alther

“Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease.” - Lisa Alther

Found in The Quotable Woman, by Running Press, Editor, page 69.

Older I Get, Greater Power, Snowball, Susan B. Anthony

“The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball – the further I am rolled the more I gain.” - Susan B. Anthony, the formidable founding mother of 19th-century American feminism.

Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 66.

Reproduce Nature, Original, Why Paint, Georgia O'Keeffe

“If one could only reproduce nature, and always with less beauty that the original, why paint at all?” - Georgia O'Keeffe

Found in Treasury of Women's Quotations, by Carolyn Warner, page 32.

Never Underestimate, Human Stupidity, Robert A. Heinlein

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." - Robert A. Heinlein

Found on Brainy Quote at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robert_a_heinlein_137026.

Question Everything, Noam Chomsky

“I was never aware of any other option but to question everything.” ― Noam Chomsky

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2476.Noam_Chomsky.

Making a Buck, Poverty of Ambition, Barack Obama

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

We the People, White Male Citizens, Whole People, Men, Their Rights, Women, Susan B. Anthony

"It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people -- women as well as men." - Susan B. Anthony, speech after her arrest for voting in the 1872 presidential election

"Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less." - Susan B. Anthony, The Revolution, Jan. 8, 1868

First quote ("It was we, the people...") found at http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/anthony_susan_b.html.

Second quote ("Men, their rights...") found at http://www.notable-quotes.com/a/anthony_susan_b_ii.html.

Mother Asks, Advice, Formality, Erma Bombeck

"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway." - Erma Bombeck

Found at BrainyQuote. Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/erma_bombeck.html

Every Successful Woman, Substantial Amount of Coffee, Stephanie Piro

“Behind every successful woman...is a substantial amount of coffee.” - Stephanie Piro

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 16.

Hardness of Heart, Softness of Head, Theodore Roosevelt

“I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Found in Great Quotes from Great Leaders, by Peggy Anderson, page 11.

Nation of Sheep, Government of Wolves, Defend Freedom Abroad, Edward R. Murrow

"A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves." - Edward R. Murrow

"We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." - Edward R. Murrow

Both of these can be found at Goodreads, specifically at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/178884.Edward_R_Murrow.

Deny Women, Religious Freedom, Birth Control, Barack Obama

“No, you can't deny women their basic rights and pretend it's about your 'religious freedom'. If you don't like birth control, don't use it. Religious freedom doesn't mean you can force others to live by your own beliefs.” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

Learn, Talking, Listening, Gloria Steinem

“We don't learn while we're talking, we learn while we're listening.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 95.

Our Generation, Solidarity, Elie Wiesel

"This is the duty of our generation as we enter the twenty-first century -- solidarity with the weak, the persecuted, the lonely, the sick, and those in despair. It is expressed by the desire to give a noble and humanizing meaning to a community in which all members will define themselves not by their own identity but by that of others." - Elie Wiesel

This can be found at http://www.wisdomquotes.com/authors/elie-wiesel/.

Man, Above the Law, Below It, Theodore Roosevelt

“No man is above the law and no man below it.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Found in Great Quotes from Great Leaders, by Peggy Anderson, page 10.

Burn Books, Destroy a Culture, Ray Bradbury

“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” ― Ray Bradbury

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=✓&q=ray+bradbury&commit=Search.

Change, Some Other Person, We Are the Change, Barack Obama

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” ― Barack Obama

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6356.Barack_Obama.

Race, Equal Protection, Constitution, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

“I don’t think we can assume that just because race is taken into account, that that necessarily creates an equal protection problem. ...We looked at the history and traditions of the Constitution, at what the framers and the founders thought about. And when I drill down to that level of analysis, it became clear to me that the framers themselves adopted the Equal Protection Clause, the 14th, the 15th Amendment, in a race-conscious way. That we were, in fact, trying to ensure that people who had been discriminated against, the freedman, during the Reconstruction period, were actually brought equal to everyone else in society.” - Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a back-and-forth exchange with the Alabama solicitor general, who argued that the Equal Protection Clause prevents any consideration of race, even when such a consideration could remedy racial gerrymandering.

Found in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2023, page 6.

Forget What You Said, What You Did, Made Them Feel, Maya Angelou

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

Found on Goodreads. Find more here.

Feminization of Poverty, Masculinization of Wealth, Gloria Steinem

“The feminization of poverty equals the masculinization of wealth.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 29.

Memory of Oppressed People, Revolt, Howard Zinn

“The memory of oppressed people is one thing that cannot be taken away, and for such people, with such memories, revolt is always an inch below the surface.” ― Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1899.Howard_Zinn.

Silent, Suffering, Humiliation, Take Sides, Elie Wiesel

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel

Found on Wisdom Quotes at http://www.wisdomquotes.com/authors/elie-wiesel/.

Mind-Altering Drug, Truth, Lily Tomlin

“The best mind-altering drug is truth.” - Lily Tomlin

Found in The Quotable Woman, by Running Press, Editor, page 141.

Test, Progress, Abundance, Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Found on Brainy Quote. Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/franklin_d_roosevelt_163168.

Our Lives, Silent, Things That Matter, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

From http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/31-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-to-inspire-greatness-in-you.html

Forget About Approval, Respect, Gloria Steinem

“Forget about approval. Go for respect.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 98.

Women, Official Power, Dolores Huerta

“We know how important it is for women to take official power. The oppression of women takes so many forms, and the only way to overcome is by taking power.” - Activist Dolores Huerta, accepting the Young Elected Officials Network's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

Found in Ms. Magazine, page 6, Spring 2019.

Grand Heroic Actions, Change Transform the World, Howard Zinn

“We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” ― Howard Zinn

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1899.Howard_Zinn.

Trying to Be Normal, Amazing, Maya Angelou

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” - Maya Angelou

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 54.

Silence, Betrayal, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"There comes a time when silence is betrayal." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

From http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/31-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-to-inspire-greatness-in-you.html.

Farm Animals, Respect, Jane Goodall

“Farm animals are far more aware and intelligent than we ever imagined and, despite having been bred as domestic slaves, they are individual beings in their own right. As such, they deserve our respect. And our help. Who will plead for them if we are silent? Thousands of people who say they ‘love’ animals sit down once or twice a day to enjoy the flesh of creatures who have been treated so with little respect and kindness just to make more meat.” ― Jane Goodall

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/18163.Jane_Goodall.

Disallow, Medical Care, Torture, Zooey Zephyr

“If you disallow the use of medical care that is accepted by every major medical association … the only therapy left is either A) meaningless or B) conversion therapy, which is torture. If you are forcing a trans child to go through puberty when they are trans, that is tantamount to torture. And this body should be ashamed.” - Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), the first openly transgender woman elected to the Legislature; after her forceful remaks concernings a bill (now law) that prohibits gender-affirming care for minors, she was banned from the House floor by her colleagues for the remainder of the session.

Found in Ms. Magazine, Summer 2023, page 6.

Democracy, Dissidents, Assimilated Conformists, Abbie Hoffman

"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." - Abbie Hoffman

Found at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/abbie_hoffman.html.

Women, Time to Vote, Actor Michelle Williams

“Women...when it is time to vote, please do so in your own self interest. It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them. But don’t forget that we are the largest voting body in this country. Let’s make it look more like us.” - Actor Michelle Williams, accepting a Golden Globe for her starring role in Fosse/Verdon with an impassioned speech in support of abortion rights.

Found in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2020, page 6.

Powerless, Prevent Injustice, Protest, Elise Wiesel

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel

This was found at Wisdom Quotes, and can be viewed at http://www.wisdomquotes.com/quote/elie-wiesel-5.html.

Rock the Boat, Turn it Over, Maya Angelou

“I still feel you should rock the boat. And if you're not in it, you should turn it over.” - Maya Angelou, in Conversations with Maya Angelou, 1989

Found in Contemporary Quotations in Black, compiled and edited by Anita King, page 10.

Women, Equal Part of the Past, History, Gloria Steinem

“Women have always been an equal part of the past, just not an equal part of history.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 103.

Rat Race, If You Win, You're Still a Rat, Lily Tomlin

“The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat.” - Lily Tomlin

Found in The Quotable Woman, by Running Press, Editor, page 27.

Other States, Provide or Obtain Abortion Care, New York Attorney General Letitia James

“As other states move to attack those who provide or obtain abortion care, New York is proud to be a safe haven for abortion access. We will always protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them from doing their job and we will never cower in the face of intimidation or threats.” - New York Attorney General Letitia James, responding to a lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general against a New York doctor who provided telehealth abortion careFound in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2025, page 6.

Writing, Making Money, Making Friends, Enriching the Lives, Stephen King

“Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Found in Goodreads' Stephen King quotes section.

Take Sides, Neutrality Helps the Oppressor, Elie Wiesel

“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” - Elie Wiesel

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/elie_wiesel.html.

Protest, Democracy, Howard Zinn

“Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.” ― Howard Zinn

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1899.Howard_Zinn.

Homosexual, Heterosexual, Headache, Edna St. Vincent Millay

“Oh, you mean I'm homosexual! Of course I am, and heterosexual too. But what's that got to do with my headache?” - Famed meter maid Edna St. Vincent Millay, whose doctor held that love between ladies led to malaise.

Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 42.

Women Victims, Shame, Gisele Pelicot

“I wanted all women victims of rape to say ‘Mrs. Pelicot did it, we can too.’ When you’re raped there is shame, and it not for us to have shame – it’s for them.” – Gisele Pelicot, testifying in a French courthouse against her ex-husband, who drugged and raped her, and 50 other men who raped her at her husband’s invitation over the course of more than a decadeFound in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2025, page 6.

Intolerant of Ignorance, Illiteracy, Maya Angelou

"[My mother] said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.” - Maya Angelou

Found in Treasury of Women's Quotations, by Carolyn Warner, page 3.

Applying Pressure on Our Government, Despair, Resignation, Indifference, Elie Wiesel

"It may well be that our means are fairly limited and our possibilities restricted when it comes to applying pressure on our government. But is this a reason to do nothing? Despair is not an answer. Neither is resignation. Resignation only leads to indifference, which is not merely a sin but a punishment." - Elie Wiesel

This can be found at http://www.wisdomquotes.com/authors/elie-wiesel/.

Reality, Leading Cause of Stress, Jane Wagner, Lily Tomlin

“Reality is the leading cause of stress for those in touch with it.” - Writer Jane Wagner, the wry collaborative mind behind some of Lily Tomlin's best lines.

Found in Wild Words from Wild Women: An Unbridled Collection of Candid Observations & Extremely Opinionated Bon Mots, Compiled by Autumn Stephens, page 15.

Female Cat, Freedom, Kabul, Meryl Streep

“Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel in the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban. A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not in public.” - Actor Meryl Streep, speaking at an event on Afghan women’s rights at the U.N.

Found in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2025, page 6.

Prevent Injustice, Protest, Elie Wiesel

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel

"We have to go into the despair and go beyond it, by working and doing for somebody else, by using it for something else." - Elie Wiesel

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/elie_wiesel.html

Get a Lot Worse, Get Worse, Lily Tomlin

“Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.” - Lily Tomlin

From Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, Edited by Roz Warren, page 20.

Courage, Most Important, Virtues, Maya Angelou

"Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." - Maya Angelou

Found on Country Living at https://www.countryliving.com/life/g5054/quotes-about-strength/?slide=18.

It Always Starts, Insignificant, Never Stops, Hope Giselle-Godsey

“It always starts with things that people feel are insignificant, like public restrooms, but it never stops there. We’re here today to ensure they understand that we will not be erased – one bathroom at a time – or shoved back into the proverbial closet out of deference to the comfort of those who seek to eradicate us.” - Trans activist Hope Giselle-Godsey, who held a dance party protest in a women’s bathroom in the U.S. Capitol after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced a bill to bar trans women from using those facilitiesFound in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2025, page 6.

Opposite of Love, Indifference, Art, Faith, Life, Elie Wiesel

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." - Elie Wiesel

This was found at Wisdom Quotes, and can be viewed at http://www.wisdomquotes.com/quote/elie-wiesel-4.html.

Endure, Dream, Fail, Survive, Maya Angelou

“We can endure, dream, fail...and still survive.” - Maya Angelou, in Washington Post (Jan. 19, 1993)

Found in Contemporary Quotations in Black, compiled and edited by Anita King, page 11.

Gender, Masculine, Feminine, Gloria Steinem

“Gender has wrongly told us that some things are masculine and some things are feminine...which is bullshit.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 27.

Because Women's Work, Underpaid, Unpaid, Boring, Reptitious, The Torch, Brigit Books, Women's Liberation Broadsheet, Joyce Stevens

"Because women's work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we're the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it's our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we're nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we're nymphos and if we don't we're frigid and if we love women it's because we can't get a "real" man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we're neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect childcare we're selfish and if we stand up for our rights we're aggressive and "unfeminine" and if we don't we're typical weak females and if we want to get married we're out to trap a man and if we don't we're unnatural and because we still can't get an adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon and if we can't cope or don't want a pregnancy we're made to feel guilty about abortion and...for lots of other reasons we are part of the women's liberation movement." - Author unknown, quoted in The Torch, 14 September 1987

I first read these words on a poster at Brigit Books in St. Petersburg, Florida. Brigit Books has long since closed (darn!). But I was able to find out that Joyce Stevens wrote the above quote as a Union Song for Women's Liberation Broadsheet, International Woman's Day, 1975.

Numerous links had this listed as "Author unknown, quoted in The Torch." While I was able to find links to several magazines and newsletters listed as The Torch, none of them were ones that had listed this quote. However, we now know who wrote these words.

Running As a Woman, Choice, Patricia Schroeder

“When people ask me why I am running as a woman, I always answer, 'What choice do I have?'” - Patricia Schroeder, veteran Colorado congresswoman who coined the term “Teflon-coated presidency,” also known as Mom.

Found in Wild Words from Wild Women: An Unbridled Collection of Candid Observations & Extremely Opinionated Bon Mots, Compiled by Autumn Stephens, page 54.

Dangerous, Sincere Ignorance, Conscientious Stupidity, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

From http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/31-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-to-inspire-greatness-in-you.html

This is Not a Time, Throw Up Our Hands, Roll Up Our Sleeves, Organize, Mobilize, Former Vice President Kamala Harris

“This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, mobilize and stay engaged for the sake of freedom, justice and the future that we all know we can build together.” - Former Vice President Kamala Harris, Nov. 6, 2024

Found in Ms. Magazine, Winter 2025, page 1.

Empathy, Radical, Human Emotions, Gloria Steinem

“Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 96.

Knowledge, Wisdom, Sandra Caey

"Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” - Sandra Carey

Found in The Quotable Woman, by Running Press, Editor, page 134.

One Damn Thing,

“It is not true that life is one damn thing after another – it's one damn thing over and over.” - Edna St. Vincent Millay

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 65.

One Damn Thing, Over and Over, Enda St. Vincent Millay

“It is not true that life is one damn thing after another – it's one damn thing over and over.” - Edna St. Vincent Millay

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 65.

Solution to End All Wars, Directions, Erma Bombeck

“I have just come up with a wonderful solution to end all wars – let men give directions on how to get there.” - Erma Bombeck

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 127.

Adults, Decent, Hard-Working, Elected, Lily Tomlin

“Ninety-eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.” - Lily Tomlin

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 92.

Racism, Major Issue, Habit, Maya Angelou

“Racism is still a major issue because it is a habit.” - Maya Angelou, in Conversations with Maya Angelou (1989)

Found in Contemporary Quotations in Black, compiled and edited by Anita King, page 10.

Persecuted, Race, Religion, Political Views, Center of the Universe, Elie Wiesel

"Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe." - Elie Wiesel

Found on Brainy Quote. Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/eliewiesel451207.html.

In Germany, Communists, Jews, Catholics, Speak Up, Martin Niemoller

"In Germany they first came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I was not a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me." - Martin Niemoller, 1945 (WW1 war hero & U Boat Captain, WW2 pastor who spent 7 years in Nazi prisons).

This is one variant of the quote by Martin Niemoller. Variations include trade unionists, social democrats, and others. We are now observing orders in the U.S. aimed at Muslims, with the false idea that all Muslims are terrorists - an idea as wrong as the idea that "all blacks are bad", "all blonds are dumb", "all ____ are _____."

You can view this and some of the variants at https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Martin_Niemöller, or Google Martin Niemoller for more links.

Most Important Things, Hardest to Say, Stephen King

“The most important things are the hardest to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them -- words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they're brought out. But it's more than that, isn't it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.” ― Stephen King

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3389.Stephen_King.

Constitution, I the President, We the People, Gloria Steinem

“The Constitution does not begin with 'I, the president.' It begins with 'We, the people.'” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 144.

Heard the Word 'Wait', Never, Martin Luther King Jr.

“For years now I have heard the word 'Wait!' It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.'”- Martin Luther King Jr.

From The Sun, June 2018, pg.48, “Sunbeams”.

Civil Disabedience, Civil Obedience, Problem, Howard Zinn

“Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience…Our problem is that people are obedient allover the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… (and) the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.” ― Howard Zinn

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1899.Howard_Zinn.

Cautious Careful People, Reputations, Susan B. Anthony

“Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations...can never effect a reform.” - Susan B. Anthony

Found in The Last Word: A Treasury of Women's Quotes, by Carolyn Warner, page 11.

Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Interdependence, Bell Abzug

“First we need a Declaration of Independence, then we need a Declaration of Interdependence.” - Bella Abzug

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 43.

Marched, Human Rights, Social Justice, Dolores Huerta

"We've already marched many thousands of miles in our struggle for human rights and social justice, and tomorrow we march again. We must do this. We can do this. Si se puede!" - Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers, in the Special Elections 2016 issue of Ms. Magazine.

Across Generations, Much to Learn, Teach, Gloria Steinem

“We need to remember across generations that there is as much to learn as there is to teach.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 19.

Not Be Judged, Character, Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Found at BrainyQuote at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/martin_luther_king_jr_297516.

Really in Earnest, World's Estimation, Susan B. Anthony

“Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation.” - Susan B. Anthony, the formidable founding mother of 19th-century American feminism.

Found in Loose Cannons: Devastating Dish from the World's Wildest Women, complied by Autumn Stephens, page 66.

Be a Lady, Independent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent." - Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Found on CNN at https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/19/politics/best-ruth-bader-ginsburg-quotes-trnd/index.html.

Science, Cure, Apathy, Helen Keller

“Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings.” - Helen Keller

Found in The Last Word: A Treasury of Women's Quotes, by Carolyn Warner, page 13.

Mifepristone, Undue Burden, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

“Maintaining the FDA's in-person requirements for mifepristone during the pandemic not only treats abortion exceptionally, it imposes an unnecessary, irrational and unjustifiable undue burden on women seeking to exercise their right to choose. One can only hope that the Government will reconsider and exhibit great care and empathy for women.” - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissenting to the majority's ruling that the Food and Drug Administration may prevent women from receiving abortion pills by mail.

Found in Ms. Magazine, Spring 2021 issue, page 6.

Second Favorite Household Chore, Faint, Erma Bombeck

“My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.” - Erma Bombeck

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 52.

Small Acts, Transform the World, Howard Zinn

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” ― Howard Zinn

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1899.Howard_Zinn.

Time to Read, Write, Stephen King

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

Found on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3389.Stephen_King.

Say Anything Good, Sit Right Here, Alice Roosevelt Longsworth

“If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.” - Alice Roosevelt Longsworth

Found in Women's Lip: Outrageous, Irreverent and Just Plain Hilarious Quotes, edited by Roz Warren, page 47.

Not Despair, Not be Overwhelmed, Fight, Kamala Harris

“We must not despair. We must not be overwhelmed or throw up our hands. It is time to roll up our sleeves and fight for who we are.” - Sen.-Elect Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)

From Ms. Magazine special election issue, Fall, 2016 page 11.

Note: Sen. Kamal Harris was the Senator-Elect when the above quote was published in Ms. Magazine; she is now Senator from California.

Marriage, Luxury, Not a Necessity, Susan B. Anthony

"Marriage, to women as to men, must be a luxury, not a necessity; an incident of life, not all of it." - Susan B. Anthony

Found on BrainyQuote at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/susan_b_anthony_765253.

We are the Women, We are Proud, Gloria Steinem

“We are the women our parents warned us against – and we are proud.” - Gloria Steinem

Found in The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion, by Gloria Steinem, page 42.

Stand Before God, Used Everything, Erma Bombeck

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'” - Erma Bombeck

Found in Treasury of Women's Quotations, by Carolyn Warner, page 3.