“My feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit” – Flavia Dzodan
I don’t mean to generalize, but when I asked multiple people what they first thought of when they heard the words "feminist" and "feminism" the most common answer was "man-hating." Even in the middle of the feminist movement and with the world wide web at our constant disposal, "feminism" is still a dirty word. Most of the world hears "feminist" and immediately think of the radical, man-hating, smash the patriarchy, burn the bras, we’re all lesbians, feminism (which I’m not discounting: rock on). Or the type of feminism we consider "white feminism" which caters to the white, upper-class woman. Just like I’m generalizing what people think about feminism, these are the generalized misconceptions about feminism and the feminist movement.
There is no one-size-fits-all type of feminism. Intersectionality is defined as “a concept often used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another” (geekfeminist). In other words, we need to take into account race, gender, age, ability, class, sexual orientation and ethnicity because we are never not one of our identities. Every aspect of who we are, privileged or not, combines to diversify and enrich our lives but also contributes to the complications of oppression and marginalization.
So let’s talk about privilege; it’s a difficult concept to grasp only because it conceals itself from those who have it. In our society, upper-class white men have the upper hand which in turn gives them the most privilege. It’s an unearned strength conferred systematically based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation and class. I like to think of it like an invisible weight on my shoulders; I can’t see it but I’m always carrying it. Because privilege can’t be seen or earned, we constantly have to be aware of it in order to understand what different people of different backgrounds experience. It’s a lot easier to focus on the ways we are oppressed or marginalized in society rather than seeing and acknowledging what privileges we hold.
We don’t all experience the same types of oppression in the same types of ways. One of the easiest ways to understand this is through statistics, specifically about gendered violence. According to the CDC, women are 82 percent of the victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Transgendered individuals experience higher rates of IPV than their cisgendered peers, people of color are disproportionately LGBTQ survivors (50 percent). And finally, bisexuals have two times higher rates of sexual violence. Intersectionality always has and always will be the biggest factor in oppression and marginalization.
Practicing intersectional feminism comes with a learning curve, I’ve done a lot of self-reflecting to make sure that I understand my privileges. I also make sure that people acknowledge their privilege as well because, at the end of the day, feminism is for everybody and no one person goes through an experience the same way. Intersectional feminism isn’t just about ending sexism, it’s also about ending all the interconnected systems of oppression that affect different people in different ways; don’t center feminism around yourself or people of privilege. And finally, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Keep yourself accountable, if people give you constructive criticism or call you out because you unintentionally contributed to oppression or marginalization, that’s OK, learn from it and grow. Hold others accountable as well, make sure to give constructive criticism and add to the debate; feminism isn’t here to make anyone comfortable, it’s here to inspire change and to help people understand that this is an issue everybody can relate to and it’s something that needs to be understood and fought for.
