{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
[[File:The future is female (46752389542).jpg|thumb|Sign from the [[2019 Women’s March]] stating “The Future is Female”.]]
[[File:The future is female (46752389542).jpg|thumb|Sign from the [[2019 Women’s March]] stating “The Future is Female”.]]
”'”The Future is Female””’ is a [[feminist]] slogan, which according to Jennifer Carter, a professor at [[Stony Brook University]] in [[feminist philosophy]], “suggests that in the future women will enjoy emancipation and political power [[gender equality|equal to]] or [[Female superiority|greater than]] that of men.”<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carter |first1=Jennifer |title=Irigaray and Contemporary Feminist Politics |journal=Blog of the APA |date=19 April 2023 |url=https://blog.apaonline.org/2023/04/19/irigaray-and-contemporary-feminist-politics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref> The slogan was coined in the 1970s by workers at [[Labyris Books]], ” the first women’s bookstore in New York City which opened in 1972.<ref name=”:0″ /> The slogan was featured on store merchandise and gained popularity after a photograph of [[Alix Dobkin]], taken by her then partner Liza Cowan, circulated in [[DYKE: A Quarterly (Magazine)|”DYKE: A Quarterly”]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite news |last=Mettler |first=Katie |date=2021-10-25 |title=Hillary Clinton just said it, but ‘the future is female’ began as a 1970s lesbian separatist slogan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/08/hillary-clinton-just-said-it-but-the-future-is-female-began-as-a-1970s-lesbian-separatist-slogan/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> However the phrase did not come into mainstream use until the mid-2010s when the photograph of Dobkin was shared on Instagram and seen by graphic designer Rachel Berks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-07-05 |title=Meet the Woman Who Started a Feminist Emporium With Those “The Future Is Female” T-Shirts |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/147087/meet-the-woman-who-started-a-feminist-emporium-with-those-the-future-is-female-t-shirts#.640jcdmS8 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=Mic |language=en}}</ref> Berks, the owner of the store Otherwild, began printing shirts in 2015. The slogan was eventually used by [[Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign|Hillary Clinton in her concession speech to her 2016 presidential campaign]], where it became a popular phrase for feminist merchandise.<ref name=”:0″ />
”'”The Future is Female””’ is a [[feminist]] slogan, which according to Jennifer Carter, a professor at [[Stony Brook University]] in [[feminist philosophy]], “suggests that in the future women will enjoy emancipation and political power equal to or greater than that of men.”<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carter |first1=Jennifer |title=Irigaray and Contemporary Feminist Politics |journal=Blog of the APA |date=19 April 2023 |url=https://blog.apaonline.org/2023/04/19/irigaray-and-contemporary-feminist-politics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com}}</ref> The slogan was coined in the 1970s by workers at [[Labyris Books]], ” the first women’s bookstore in New York City which opened in 1972.<ref name=”:0″ /> The slogan was featured on store merchandise and gained popularity after a photograph of [[Alix Dobkin]], taken by her then partner Liza Cowan, circulated in [[DYKE: A Quarterly (Magazine)|”DYKE: A Quarterly”]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite news |last=Mettler |first=Katie |date=2021-10-25 |title=Hillary Clinton just said it, but ‘the future is female’ began as a 1970s lesbian separatist slogan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/08/hillary-clinton-just-said-it-but-the-future-is-female-began-as-a-1970s-lesbian-separatist-slogan/ |access-date=2024-08-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> However the phrase did not come into mainstream use until the mid-2010s when the photograph of Dobkin was shared on Instagram and seen by graphic designer Rachel Berks.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-07-05 |title=Meet the Woman Who Started a Feminist Emporium With Those “The Future Is Female” T-Shirts |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/147087/meet-the-woman-who-started-a-feminist-emporium-with-those-the-future-is-female-t-shirts#.640jcdmS8 |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=Mic |language=en}}</ref> Berks, the owner of the store Otherwild, began printing shirts in 2015. The slogan was eventually used by [[Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign|Hillary Clinton in her concession speech to her 2016 presidential campaign]], where it became a popular phrase for feminist merchandise.<ref name=”:0″ />
Since then, “The Future is Female” has been used as the title of books and articles, by the [[United Nations Development Programme]], art exhibits, and an album by the band [[the Von Tramps]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Future is Female in Libya |url=https://www.undp.org/arab-states/publications/future-female-libya |website=UNDP Arab States |access-date=17 April 2025 |date=30 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Alvarez |first1=Jimmy |title=The Surreal Life of The Von Tramps |url=https://ocmusicnews.com/the-von-tramps-3/ |website=OC Music News |access-date=17 April 2025 |date=17 July 2020}}</ref> Despite its mainstream popularity, the slogan has caused controversy and claims that it is [[Misandry|misandrist]] as well as reinforcing the [[gender binary]]. It’s often believed{{By whom|date=January 2026}} that this movement would lead to women gaining power over men, causing danger to the larger society.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Norris |first1=Michele |title=Why the future should be female |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/why-the-future-should-be-female-feature |work=National Geographic |date=10 January 2026 |language=en |url-access=limited}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=January 2026}}
Since then, “The Future is Female” has been used as the title of books and articles, by the [[United Nations Development Programme]], art exhibits, and an album by the band [[the Von Tramps]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Future is Female in Libya |url=https://www.undp.org/arab-states/publications/future-female-libya |website=UNDP Arab States |access-date=17 April 2025 |date=30 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Alvarez |first1=Jimmy |title=The Surreal Life of The Von Tramps |url=https://ocmusicnews.com/the-von-tramps-3/ |website=OC Music News |access-date=17 April 2025 |date=17 July 2020}}</ref> Despite its mainstream popularity, the slogan has caused controversy and claims that it is [[Misandry|misandrist]] as well as reinforcing the [[gender binary]]. It’s often believed{{By whom|date=January 2026}} that this movement would lead to women gaining power over men, causing danger to the larger society.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Norris |first1=Michele |title=Why the future should be female |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/why-the-future-should-be-female-feature |work=National Geographic |date=10 January 2026 |language=en |url-access=limited}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=January 2026}}
Feminist slogan
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“The Future is Female” is a feminist slogan, which according to Jennifer Carter, a professor at Stony Brook University in feminist philosophy, “suggests that in the future women will enjoy emancipation and political power equal to or greater than that of men.”[1] The slogan was coined in the 1970s by workers at Labyris Books, ” the first women’s bookstore in New York City which opened in 1972.[2] The slogan was featured on store merchandise and gained popularity after a photograph of Alix Dobkin, taken by her then partner Liza Cowan, circulated in DYKE: A Quarterly.[2] However the phrase did not come into mainstream use until the mid-2010s when the photograph of Dobkin was shared on Instagram and seen by graphic designer Rachel Berks.[3] Berks, the owner of the store Otherwild, began printing shirts in 2015. The slogan was eventually used by Hillary Clinton in her concession speech to her 2016 presidential campaign, where it became a popular phrase for feminist merchandise.[2]
Since then, “The Future is Female” has been used as the title of books and articles, by the United Nations Development Programme, art exhibits, and an album by the band the Von Tramps.[4][5] Despite its mainstream popularity, the slogan has caused controversy and claims that it is misandrist as well as reinforcing the gender binary. It’s often believed[by whom?] that this movement would lead to women gaining power over men, causing danger to the larger society.[6][verification needed]
