To ask how you would feel if a man called you this?

[CallmeSteveO]

A bitch? In front of the kids aswell. Still in shock and trying to process it.

Those terms aren't reserved for men only.

For ME it depends on the context.

...and those of you stating ‘it’s NEVER acceptable’ and FFS’ing all over the thread can fuck right off telling me what IS and ISN’T acceptable to ME.

If you find it unacceptable, fine. Don’t dictate to others.

so what? there's a context and we still don't know it!

I don't condone that language, but let's face it, some women are called bitches, some men are accused to have small dicks. Insults are not always gender-neutral, so bloody what?

Some women even call themselves bitches and not as an insult. But let's focus on the language and not on the situation of the OP, who might have behaved inappropriately, or might have to decide very quickly to remove herself from a dangerous situation, shall we?

If the context was that the OP asked DP to behave in a misogynistic manner, I suppose that'd be okay.

Yes, some women have sought to reclaim the word, just as other groups have tried to reclaim other slurs, but that doesn't make it okay for people outside of the group to continue its use as an insult.

It depends on who said it and the context.

I have friends or refer to me as 'Oi bitch' all the time, its an affectionate thing, I have a colleague who refers to my department as his (dept name) bitches, again affectionate, so in that context fine.

If I was arguing with a man and he called me a bitch in front of my kids I'd be pissed off.

It depends on who said it and the context.

^^ As PPs say, it depends. There is a neighbour who has auditory hallucinations pretty much all of the time and he regularly calls women that he passes bitches or stronger in very aggressive tones. It was a intimidating the first few times but once it was obvious that there would be no violence and that he's responding to his hallucinations or incorporating passers-by into them, it's the proverbial water off a duck's back now.

To me it depends on context (if op did something really awful), however in front of the children is never ok.

It's not unacceptable for us. If I'm being a bitch, my DH will sometimes call me a bitch. If he's being a whiny bitch, I'll call him a whiny bitch. Is he's being a bell-end, knob, twat, dickhead etc etc then I'll call him out and vice versa. They're just words, we love each other dearly and often call each other names in jest.

I find it odd that someone would be horrified by the word bitch being used. I guess it depends on how nasty the person is. If DH calls me a bitch, it's for a reason and I'll assess what I'm doing. It's not meant in a disgusting, derogatory way in our relationship, nor is he misogynistic in any way, shape or form.

You don't speak for me.

OP has vanished...

Like he was a dickhead.