Lately I have been seeing some social media posts going around that are speaking out against some aspects of the Women's March on Washington due to the perception that many of the signs — as well as the signature pink pussy hats — are glorifying of Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) ideology.
Here is a Facebook status that I have seen getting shared around the social media sphere:
People are speaking out against the idea that feminism needs to be centered around cis-females. The thing is, I completely agree with this sentiment. Not all women have vaginas, and not everyone who has a vagina is a woman!
This Tweet gives a shout out to all the trans-women who marched:
However, I feel that many of the folks criticizing the pink pussy hats and the signs saying things such as "This Pussy Grabs Back" and "Not Up For Grabs" with drawings of cis-female genitalia are missing the context behind these remarks.
I think that it is vitally important that we review these signs and hats in the particular context in which they were created. As such, I think that it is important to remember the quote that President Donald Trump said in 2005 in regards to women:
"I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn't get there, and she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she's now got the big phony tits and everything. I'm automatically attracted to beautiful [women]—I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."
The pussy hats and the variety of pussy-themed signs that could be seen across the country at various Women's March on Washington Sister Marches were not meant in any way to be an exclusionary gesture towards our trans sisters; rather, these hats and signs are meant as a response to the specific and extremely vulgar remarks made by Trump. Furthermore, I find it important to point out the fact that cis-females were not the only people to don the pink pussy hats. People of all genders could be seen wearing these hats as a sign of solidarity with the women marching, and as a way to stand up against Donald Trump's nasty remarks.
One of the main tenants of feminism is (and always has been) fighting for and to uphold reproductive rights. Because of this, many of the signs that focus on this particular aspect of feminism tend to be more specific to cis-females and people with vaginas/uteruses (whether they be gender non-conforming, trans-men, etc.). Working and advocating for reproductive rights for women does not necessarily indicate that a person is supportive of trans-exclusionary ideology. It simply means that they are choosing to focus their particular sign on fighting for the reproductive rights of people with vaginas/uteruses.
Sometimes, trans women face different types of oppression than cis-females, and vice versa. Not all issues can (or should) be generalized simply for the sake of inclusivity. That being said, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to grow and learn as feminists. We must listen to the voices of those who face oppressions that are different from our own. We must continually move to make this feminist movement more inclusive of people of all genders, abilities, classes, religions, races, ethnicities, etc.
Most importantly, we must remember that above all, feminism is a movement for equality and a movement to end all forms of oppression.
