WomensStuff

Sometimes yes. When people use this about a woman they often just mean she's assertive and standing up for herself. And that is Absolutely Positively Necessary.

But then there's the other use of this word. Some women are bullies, cruel, don't tolerate difference etc. That's really not ok and I can't think of a time that's needed

Seems like an overloaded word.

In some contexts "bitch" refers to a woman who violates gender norms by behaving in an unexpected way e.g. interrupting someone else while speaking, being too assertive or confident, etc.

For example, in the majority of work meetings I have been in, the conversation was dominated by whoever was willing to speak over the other in a louder or more aggressive manner (usually by men). Sometimes when a woman tries the same behavior, it is suddenly noticed and seen as unusual or wrong even though it's the same behavior the men are engaging in without anyone noticing or thinking it's unusual. There seems to be a dominant perspective that it's healthy or normal for men to behave this way (in fact, often encouraged!), but when women behave the same way they're suddenly a "bitch".

But women can also be a "bitch" by genuinely being awful - manipulative, verbally abusive, shouting, escalating conflict with disproportionate anger, etc. can also get someone labeled a "bitch".

And of course "bitch" is used in other ways.

Either way, when women endorse being a bitch, it typically means standing up for themselves and asserting themselves in environments that punish them for doing so. Sure, there might be some toxic elements that endorse being a bitch as an excuse for bad behavior, but I don't think that's what is intended by memes like this one that encourage women to "be a bitch today" - it's an excuse to set boundaries and stand up for yourself when you need to, even when it's hard or might get you unfairly labeled a bitch.

At least that's my sense of the situation.

I stand by my belief that the only valid time to call a woman a bitch is during doggy style sex if she is into that (because it is sometimes hot when he does that…)

This makes me think of the Ani DiFranco lyrics:

I am not an angry girl
But it seems like I've got everyone fooled
Every time I say something they find hard to hear
They chalk it up to my anger
And never to their own fear

Rather than take what we do or say at face value, there's some kind of interpretation that is meant to diminish us. So assertive becomes bitchy, and honest becomes angry. 🙄