

There have also been several books, plays, and movies glorifying Solanas and her actions. Other feminist authors such as Amanda Third and Catherine Lord have credited her with creating radical feminism and have stated that the feminist movement would not have occurred if it hadn’t been for Valerie Solanas. Ti-Grace Atkinson, radical feminist and president of the New York chapter of NOW, called Solanas “the first outstanding champion of women’s rights” and heralded her as “a ‘heroine’ of the women’s movement.” Robin Morgan, former editor of Ms Magazine, included excerpts in her book, Sisterhood is Powerful. In 1977, she claimed that her views had not changed since the Manifesto was published, indicating that she believed what she had written.įurther evidence that the SCUM Manifesto was to be taken seriously is found in the reaction of feminist leaders and organizations to Solanas’ Manifesto and shooting of Andy Warhol.

Solanas’ own history would indicate this as she shot pop artist Andy Warhol, art critic Mario Amaya, and attempted to shoot Warhol’s manager Fred Hughes on June 3, 1968, attempting to kill them. However, while the work may contain elements of parody and satire, these devices are used to emphasize the message, not to indicate that the author wasn’t serious. They claim to view it as an anti-patriarchal statement, but state that the calls for the elimination of men should not be taken seriously. There are those who have stated that this Manifesto is little more than a parody of “patriarchy” or a work of satire. She further calls for men to be exterminated and to assist in eliminating themselves by eliminating each other. She refers to the male as “a biological accident” and the Y-chromosome as being an incomplete X-chromosome, making the male an incomplete female. In the Manifesto, Solanas calls on women to rise up against men who she sees as biologically inferior and responsible for all of the world’s problems.

It was first published in 1967, though Solanas began drafting it in about 1959 or 60. Radical feminism can be traced more or less back to Valerie Solanas, author of the SCUM Manifesto. The Hate-Filled Legacy of Valerie Solanas
