Intersectional Feminism: Live it, Learn it, Love it
(First posted June 24, 2020)
"My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit" -Flavia Dzodan
This quote speaks profound truths relevant to current events today, but what is intersectional feminism? What is intersectionality? Intersectionality can be a difficult concept to grasp, so I will attach informative videos if my explanation doesn't suffice.
We live in an intersectional world where each facet of our identities overlaps each other. Intersectionality looks at how all the different aspects of one's identity work together in an intricate form that impacts one's privilege and public perception. Intersectionality considers how one's race, gender, age, sexuality, religion, class, etc., work together in a complex way. Oppression, privilege, and discrimination isn't universal or straightforward, its intersectional.
For example, I am white, female, and straight. I reap the benefits in society as a white person with privilege, as well as being straight. However, I also experience hardships and injustice in being a woman. Our society grants the upmost privilege and power to those who are white, male, straight, and rich. Black men, for example, reap the benefits of being male but face discrimination for being black. In an intersectional word, my experiences with sexism are incomparable to those of a black woman.
"The most disrespected person in American is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman" -Malcolm X
This quote by Malcolm X contains a powerful, potent truth about intersectionality. Black women face struggles and oppression for their gender as well as their race. Feminism must be intersectional because minorities experience sexism in completely different degrees than a woman like me, someone with white privilege and a lot to keep learning.
I urge anyone who is a feminist or who wants to be a feminist to understand that you cant talk about gender without talking about race. As a feminist and a white person, solely focusing and centering on my experiences with sexism discredits how women of color face entirely different roadblocks. As issues of police brutality and racism dominate headlines, understanding intersectional feminism is crucial.
My whiteness profoundly shapes my experiences with sexism. While my struggles are valid, I have privileges that other women do not have. As a feminist, I can't fight and support women without acknowledging our differences. As a white woman, I can't define feminism by my personal experiences because they're saturated with privilege. This isn't a matter of who is the most victimized or who deserves the most attention. It is about acknowledging how oppression exists in many configurations.
Women share many of the same experiences, like being slut-shamed, catcalled, harassed, discredited in the workplace, unequally paid, and wide-spread stereotypes and expectations from society. However, women don't share all the same experiences. As a woman, I may be paid less than my male counterpart, but a black woman wouldn't have gotten the job in the first place.
Discussing gendered oppression without acknowledging factors like race makes feminism a movement that prioritizes whiteness and excludes minorities. This doesn't mean white feminists are evil or oppressive; its a sign of inescapable ignorance in all aspects of American society even when the goal is progression.
On that note, let's start educating ourselves and unlearning what has been normalized for so long. I’ll link some videos that would be a great place to start.