G - L

--- G ---

• Galdikas, Birute - the world's foremost authority on orangutans.

• Garbo, Greta - Garbo successfully led a one woman strike during the filming of her third film. She was paid 500 a week and was cast opposite a leading man (John Gilbert) who was paid 5000 a week. She went home until Louis B. Mayer cracked and raised her salary to 4000. She refused the fame trip, never gave interviews, never got a face lift, had affairs with whomever she chose to, and refused to get married.

• Garofalo, Janeane - stand-up comedienne and co-star in the movie "The Truth About Cats and Dogs".

• Garrod, Dorothy - Eminent British archaeologist. First woman professor of any subject at Cambridge. She made important discoveries in Israel which were vital to our understanding of the beginnings of civilisation, namely the first settled societies and the beginnings of farming. Many of her theories were debated for years, but forty years after her death a lot of them are standard knowledge. She also employed many talented and committed women on her expeditions at a time when this was not "the done thing", and in a thousand quiet ways paved the way for a new generation of woman academics.

• Gentileschi, Artemisia - (1593-1653) In a time when women painters were ignored and many times pegged as whores, Artemisia became the only one to reach fame in her own time and support herself soley on her artwork. She was born in Rome in 1593 and educated to be an artist by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. She was raped by her teacher andfriend of her father's, Agostino Tassi, and in 1612 her father brought suit against him and started what became a very publicised trail, during which Artemisia was tortured by the court for information. She overcame this traumatic experience and incorporated into her artwork biblical scenes showing strong, capable women, many times over-powering evil men. (Ex. Judith slaying Holofernes) After she died, she was immediately ignored by historians and the credit for her works were mostly given to her father.

• Gilman, Charlotte Perkins - Feminist author of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Though she started her writing career in fiction, Charlotte soon became involved in the early feminist movements for equality, birth control and the right to self-determination, advocating that men and women should share household duties and that society would benefit by women in the workforce.

• Ginsburg, Ruth Bader - She's what makes the court supreme. R.B.G. is a powerful voice in the American judicial system - and one that stands for equality, fairness, and justice. "A woman that does less than everything is seen as a terrible mother, yet a man that does more than nothing is seen as a good father."

• Giove, Missy aka Missy the Missile

• Goldberg, Whoopi - Whoopi has clawed and scratched her way to the top regardless of all the show biz people who told her she was "too funny looking", and didn't fit the "beautiful black woman" stereotype. She consistantly refused to change her hair, her ass, her tits, and her perspective to please anyone. She had the guts to stand up to well-known white supremacist Tom Metzger on her own talk show. She was the first (and only) woman (and black) to ever host the Academy Awards; and she's only the second black woman to ever win a best supporting Oscar. (the first was Hattie McDaniel). She dates anyone she damn well pleases, white, black, or otherwise. She fights for numerous charities to benefit women, children, and aids victims.

• Goldman, Emma - feminist and author: "Since woman's greatest misfortune has been that she was looked upon as either angel or devil, her true salvation lies in being placed on this earth; namely, in being considered human, and therefore subject to all human follies and mistakes."

• Gormlaith - Queen of Ireland in the 10th century, strong and passionate, and hard to the core.

• Granato, Cammi - outstanding female hockey player, played on all-male teams when it wasn't allowed (she wrote her name down as "Carl Granato"). She leads Team USA to Nagano in the first Olympic appearance ever of women's ice hockey.

• Granuaile (Grace O' Malley) - 1530-1603 an infamous Irish woman who has been called pirate, chieftain, gambler, noblewoman, traitor, and mercenary. She was married at the age of 16, however soon eclipsed her husband by engaging in politics, intrigue, tribal disputes, fishing, and trading.

• Greenfield, Susan (Baroness Professor) - Susan has achieved a reputation as one of the most influential and inspirational women in the world. She has long been regarded as a world-leading expert on the human brain, widely known for her research into the areas of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and has received a life peerage and a CBE in the United Kingdom. Susan is the first woman to lead the prestigious Royal Institution of Great Britain and holds the positions of Senior Research Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford and Honorary Fellow at St Hilda's College, Oxford.

• Greer, Germaine - The original 1960's feminist, Greer epitomizes for many women the can-do liberation of the sixties and seventies. Her best-seller, "The Female Eunuch", was published in 1970, and portrayed marriage as a form of legalized slavery for women.

• Guy Blache, Alice - Pioneer French filmmaker. She did stuff D.W. Griffith hadn't even thought of yet.

  --- H ---

• Haddock, Doris - at the age of 89, and known to her great grandchildren as "Granny D," she is walking across America from California to Washington, D.C. She left Los Angeles on Jan. 1, 1999, and walks ten miles per day. Her goal is to show Members of Congress that people do care about campaign finance reform. She is showing how much she cares by walking in spite of her arthritis and emphysema, and by talking to as many people as she can along her way. She hopes that her effort will encourage people to contact their representatives and demand campaign finance reform.

• Halonen, Tarja - President of the Republic of Finland as of 1 March 2000

• Hansberry, Lorriane - the first black female playwright to have her play produced on Broadway, at the age of 28, and the youngest playwright to win the New York Critics Drama Award

• Havrilesky, Heather - aka Polly Ester - of SUCK.com fame, and TV Critic for Salon.com - ruthless in her advice to the lovelorn (she could be the long-lost twin of our own Auntie Dote) and her cynical view of dating, love, romance and the whole BLAH BLAH BLAH thing... See her guide to falling in love.

• Hatshepsut - Declared herself pharaoh of Egypt (about 1400 BC). Her reign was marked by peace, prosperity and expanded influence through trade, rather than war. She was one of only a handful of female rulers of ancient Egypt. - first officer on Babylon 5. Ivanova is the epitome of the HBI philosophy. She took down men and women, of every size, shape, color and species, and she never whined -- NOT once. She hid her own temple in the Valley of the Kings well enough that her son failed in his attempt to erase all records of her name after her death. Her temple is one of the most impressive of all the Pharoahs', and keeping it intact even after she was buried in it is an achievement worthy of note.

• Hayek, Salma - Terrorized the nuns at her boarding school, followed her own path, championed, starred in, and co-produced the movie "Frida". She epitomizes the philosophy of HBI, and espouses beliefs of standing on your own two feet and believing in one's self. Quoted as having said,
  Women have been taught that in order to have a place in the world, an identity, they must marry and have children. If that's the life you truly want, great. But for many women, marriage is only about needing the world to know that someone desires them enough to say, "Here's a contract to prove that I love you and will commit to you for the rest of my life." For these women, no contract equals no validation - and, thus, no reason for existing."
  • Hepburn, Katharine- one of the most enduring and talented actresses of the 20th century (her career lasted over 7 decades), is a perfect example of a Heartless Bitch. She was known for her determination to have a successful acting career, despite warnings from numerous directors, casting agents, and even her parents, all of whom told her that she was too odd-looking and masculine to succeed. She's also remembered for her ability to look sexy and feminine wearing trousers and playing more masculine, hardass roles. Her relationship with Spencer Tracy lasted almost 30 years, but they never married; Kate was noted for her independence and knew, if she married, her career might end. Her decision not to have children shocked many at the time; she defended it by assering that she would rather smother her own child than miss a performance, and acting would always come first. She was extremely athletic, excelling at golf, tennis, swimming, even basketball; she swam in the freezing Atlantic Ocean every day, even into her 80s. Go Kate!

  • - "Hexadecimal"

  • Hill, Julia - Has been sitting at the top of a 1000 year old redwood for 2 YEARS protesting the cutting of old growth forests. Pacific Lumber can't get her down, and they have tried every backhanded method you can think of. She just won't come down! Yea Julia. Don't back off!

  • Hilts, Elizabeth - (Hysteria magazine contributor) "It's time to stop denying the 'inner bitch' in ourselves. Stop apologizing for her. Set her free."

  • Hojoh, Masako - born the daughter of an obscure samurai family, she became Japan's first and only female Shogun warrior.

  • Holiday, Billie - For her courage in standing up to the assholes of the world, her refusal to compromise her music to suit "traditional" standards, and simply for the fact that seeing a beautiful young black woman PISS-OFF so many racists.

  • hooks, bell - "You can't please everyone. I don't care if I get criticised. I don't give a shit if I get

  • Hopper, Grace Murray - "Mother of the Computer" --She enlisted in the Navy during WWII, and developed operating systems and compilers for the Mark I computer. Grace kept a clock running counter-clockwise in her office "to remind people that things don't always have to be done the conventional way."

  • Horta, Maria Teresa - Portuguese feminist, journalist, poet and writer who dared to lead the publication of the "New Portuguese letters" soon after the 1974 revolution in Portugal. This book was the most honest and in-your-face testimony of a woman's point of view about social relations, love, sex, politics and religion in a deeply patriarchal country. It was published at a time when the whole country was enthusiastic about reinventing itself after 48 years of right-wing military regime, although forgetting that women were a part of the process. This Bitch dared to show everybody that Portuguese women were not willing to restrict themselves to the old nurturing/quiet/submissive role anymore, and had to endure serious harassment in return. However, she rocked the whole country and opened the eyes of many people. She still does it with her honest and in-your-face books about female eroticism and her press chronicles on a wide range of subjects.

  • Huffington, Arianna - Disagree with her viewpoint if you're so inclined, but you can't fault her intellect or arguments. She divorced a loser, (albeit multi-millionaire), husband to move to the heights of political punditry. She writes a newspaper column that is as sharp as anything from Bill Buckley, with more wit than Al Franken. She makes the rounds of the political talk shows, and can hold her own against any man living.
    Read a column she wrote.

  • H'ureaux-Dube, Madame Justice Claire - Member of the Supreme Court of Canada. She is no bleeding heart for those accused of crime. She stands up for women on issues threatening their equality, is always articulate and commands respect. Her career has given many Canadian women a role model.

  • Hurston, Zora Neale - An incredibly talented, unapologetic black female anthropologist, folklorist and writer. Though she died penniless and in obscurity in 1960, she is now recognized as a literary foremother in the world of black literature.

  • Hypatia - the librarian for the Alexandrian Library in the fifth century AD in Egypt. She was beautiful and learned and she refused all offers for marriage (her father, a well-known and respected mathematician, was uncharacteristically supportive of his courageously independent daughter). Hypatia taught many students, including many men (not the most common thing for a Greek woman at the time) and she pissed off a lot of the authority figures in her area - in particular the Christians, who found her to be a very bad example of the complacent, uneducated, submissive women they found laudable.

    --- I ---

  • Ibarruri, Delores - "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."

  • Isabella - the She-Wolf of France. She was married to Edward II of England, who humiliated her with his homosexual affairs. Far from sitting back and taking it, like a good medieval woman, she conspired to have him done away with by the insertion of red-hot pokers in a particularly sensitive spot. She then ruled England with her lover, Roger Mortimer until her son came of age. In the meantime, she managed to intrigue with Robert d'Artois and plot the downfall of enemies she left behind in France.

  • Ivanova, Susan - first officer on Babylon 5. Ivanova is the epitome of the HBI philosophy. She took down men and women, of every size, shape, color and species, and she never whined -- NOT once.

    Quote: as she takes a (female) prisoner to the brig, "You will be resisting, I hope..."

    --- J ---

  • Jackson, Shirley - recently became the first black woman to head a major research institution when she assumed presidency of RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), the oldest university dedicated to science and engineering in the US.

    [paraphrased from 'The Industrial Physicist', June 2000]:
    The RPI appointment is the latest of a long line of firsts for this Washington, DC. native who has shattered traditional barriers of race and gender her entire life. Other accomplishments include: being the first black woman to receive a doctorate from Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) in any subject, being the first woman and African American to become a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and serve as its chair, 10 honorary doctorates, the New Jersey Governor's Award in Science, and in 1998, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame for her contributions as a distinguished scientist and advocate for education, science, and public policy. To quote Mildred Dresselhaus, a professor of physics at MIT and longtime friend to Jackson, "It hasn't always been a smooth road for her, and people don't always see that aspect. But she has coped with it very well." She has managed to persevere and flourish despite fuckwits like her MIT undergraduate professor who thought that "colored girls should learn a trade."

  • Jackson, Glenda - former stage actress and current member of the British Parliament.

  • Jael - According to Canadian Author John Gray, in his book, 'I love Mom, an irreverent history of the Tattoo,' "The story of Cain may have evlolved to explain the tattoos of a particularly ferocious, vengeful tribe called the Kenites. Jael, a Kenite woman, did away with a fugitive enemy Canaanite general by agreeing to hide him under a rug, then driving a tent peg through his head." That qualifies as HB material, even in the normally jealous and angry biblical days.

  • Jane, Calamity - Martha Jane Cannary Hickock: muleskinner, sharpshooter, Gambler, midwife.

  • Jehangir, Asma - Asma Jehangir is Pakistan's greatest women's rights activist. She has been jailed, beaten and teargassed, her house and family has been attacked, yet she continues to fight for justice and equal rights. Asma Jehangir has been an inspiration for the women of Pakistan as long as I can remember.

  • Jett, Joan - Activist, musician and woman who did it her own way, despite constant pressure (from record companies) to do it THEIR way. The songs "Spinster" (from the album Pure and Simple) and the song "Machismo" (from Notorious) are two that could be HB anthems. That and the fact that "Don't Surrender" (also from Notorious) could be an anthem for almost anyone, male or female.

  • Jezebel - She had a neighbor killed so she could have an herb garden. Plus, she met her death with dignity and grace--and a fabulous outfit!

  • Joan of Arc

  • Joan, Pope - refused to accept the status quo of the Catholic Church She instead used it to her advantage, and ascended the "throne of St. Peter" in drag. Only got caught when she gave birth unexpectedly - in the streets of Rome! A role model for Catholic women frustrated by the current inability of the Church to recognize women's rights to have a pivotal role in an institution that they largely created.

  • Johnson, Sonja - After a being a good Mormon wife and mother, Sonja began to notice, speak about and finally complain about the way "her" church treated women. She went on to write, teach and speak out in a VERY loud voice for women to be strong, smart and independent. Wrote "Going Out of Our Minds" which suggests that only when women get "out of their (programmed-by-the-patriarchy) minds" can they be in the world in new and kickin' ways.

  • Jones, Mary Harris "Mother" - Labour activist and Instigator for Workers Rights - "I'm not a humanitarian," she exclaimed. "I'm a hell-raiser."

  • Joplin, Janis - "Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."

  • Judge Judy - The author of "Don't Pee On My Leg And Tell Me It's Raining" and "Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever", served on the bench in Manhattan Family Court before becoming popular as "Judge Judy". She dishes out a healthy dose of common sense in her courtroom that you have to respect, even if you don't always agree with the judgements. "Take responsibility for your life. If you're a victim, it's your fault. Stop being a victim. Get a grip! You're the one who's supposed to make a direction to your life."

    --- K ---

  • Kahlo, Frida - a Mexican surrealist, she led a wild life from her childhood as a tomboy to her passionate affairs as an adult. Her paintings depict deep knowledge of pain and pleasure. "I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."

  • Katherine of Aragon - Henry VIII's first wife. When he was away in France and Scotland rose up, Katherine took charge, raised an army, and sent the dead Scottish king's bloody shirt to Henry herself. She ruled her court with a rod of iron; when Henry tried to divorce her, Katherine flatly refused. She confounded his lawyers with her own defence, involved foreign sovereigns on her behalf and made things so difficult for Henry that he eventually over-ruled her illegally. Katherine retaliated by refusing to acknowledge she was not the queen despite threats of execution etc. She stuck two fingers up at Henry's threats & made him look like the petty tyrant he was. She outwitted him internationally and in front of his own subjects. She was some queen!

  • Khadija - Mohammed's first wife. A widower and a wealthy business woman in her own right, she hired him to look after her caravans. Impressed with Mohammed's business accumen and honestly SHE proposed marriage to him even though she was 15 years his elder. When he started to (apparently) receive the the verses of the Koran from the angel Gabriel while in trance, he honestly thought he was losing his mind and she was the first one to calm him down and correctly identify what was happening to him, became his first disciple and helped him spread the teachings of Islam against enormous political, tribal and economic opposition in 7th century Saudi Arabia. Given at that time and at that place, women were worth less than furniture, she was and is definitely a woman worth noting.

    Khadija passed on and Mohammed was heartbroken for years but Islam was spreading across the Arabian peninsula very very quickly. In order to secure the conversion of more tribes into Islam, Mohammed married a chieftain's daughter, Aysha, who would go into battle side by side with Mohammed. Towards the end of his life, when he was too ill to fight, she would lead the troops into battle herself. Within 2 centuries of Mohammed's death, Islam covered a territory beginning at Morocco all the way to India. Aysha had something to do with that.

  • Kilbourne, Jean -Author of the documentary "Killing Us Softly" and the book "Can't Buy My Love" (Orignally published as "Deadly Persuasion"), Kilbourne adamantly spreads the message that images of women in the media aren't simply bad, but socially damaging on many levels and totally unacceptable.

  • Kim, Kang Ja - Korea's first woman Police chief and relentless attacker of child prostitution. Her name means "strong one".

  • King, Billie Jean - Billie Jean King dominated the world of tennis. As a player, she won 20 Wimbledon titles, 13 US Open titles, the French Open, the Australian Open and 29 Virginia Slims singles titles. Her drive turned women's tennis into a major professional sport. Outraged at the disparity between men's and women's prizes at major tournaments(female players were paid half or less of what male players were paid), King spearheaded the drive for equal prize money and equal treatment of women. In 1973, she defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" match that gained worldwide attention.

  • King, Florence - "It's not true that life is one damn thing after another--it's one damn thing over and over."

  • Kira, Nerys - (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

  • Kirkpatrick, Jeanne - 1708-1762

  • Kitt, Eartha - She dared being sexy, and sing songs like "I wanna be evil" in the mid-50's, putting men right where she wanted them, and telling them that she was able to live her own life without them.

  • Kyi, Aung San Suu - Winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace prize, and Burma's pro-democracy leader against the military regime currently in power. Placed under house arrest in 1990 after her party won the first democratic elections in 28 years, she was released in 1995 with her movement and activities in the country restricted. Aung San Suu Kyi left her son's in her husband's care in England while she rallied for democracy in her homeland. Her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and died in 1999. He was not allowed to visit her in Burma, and she feared she would never be allowed to return to her homeland if she left, so she made the very difficult decision to stay in Myanmar, Burma. Though Aung San Suu Kyi is currently prohibited from involvement with the NLD democratic party, her last public statement encouraged the women of Burma to continue to work for independence, equality and democracy.

    --- L ---

  • Lamarr, Hedy - "Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid."

  • Leonard, Gloria - "The difference between porn and erotica is lighting."

  • Lebron, Lolita

  • "Lilith" - Adam's 1st wife and his complete equal. She upset Adam because she liked it "on top"...

  • Liliuokalani, Queen - The last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Islands, she stood up to the American government who wanted to forcibly take the Kingdom of Hawaii. She capitulated only when her people were threatened with annihilation by the US Navy, whose warships were sitting in Honolulu harbor only a couple of miles away. To the people of Hawaii she is a HERO.

  • Litvak, Lily - WWII fighter pilot known as "The White Rose of Stalingrad".

  • Lorde, Audre - "When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."

  • Love, Courtney - "You can't please everyone. I don't care if I get criticised. I don't give a shit if I get a bad review. I don't care if people say I'm a bitch or obnoxious, 'cos I am."
  • Lysistrata - The title character of Aristophanes' ancient play, Lysistrata rallied the women of Greece to stop the war between Athens and Sparta. Her method? Depriving the soldiers of sex, and taking control of the Athenian Treasury. Staunchly refusing to give in to the demands of the Athenian magistrate (and scores of desperate men), Lysistrata and her female followers ultimately win the day, ending the war and reuniting Greece.

  
  
  Copyright© Heartless Bitches International (heartless-bitches.com) 2000, All Rights Reserved

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