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Intersectional Feminism
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Intersectionality: What is it? What is it not?
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Hi Bunny we have not corresponded for a while. Given the confusion round intersectional what it means and what it covers and recent updates in feminist thinking to include gender differences. We have been postulating on the introduction of the fourth wave of feminism.
This would encompass the expanded gender typing and new choices available to people.
This new phase was best described in Emma's MTV acceptance speech.
If nothing else using the term fourth wave would be new and people would have to look it up rather than assuming they know what it means as sometimes happens now with intersectional
So I was writing a thread on Twitter today about some thoughts that I had regarding intersectionality, and when to use it and why it is important, especially for us as feminists:https://twitter.com/MeerderWorter/sta...
Wanna revive this topic as I find it very important and it is also a topic that affects me personally very much. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts, as I want to learn more.
Emma wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "So I was writing a thread on Twitter today about some thoughts that I had regarding intersectionality, and when to use it and why it is important, especially for us as feminis..."Thank you. I think it especially applies to us feminists...
A main component (I'm a being so ironic) imho: Taking to task the powers that be.like tweets by "Artist Taxi Driver"
https://twitter.com/chunkymark/status...
Intersectionality is a equality of platform."Diversity Oscar: There is crayola and lineage"
"I'd love to tour the South land in a traveling minstrel show. I want to be a star and make the laugh. Sound just like a record on a phonograph. Those days are gone forever. Over a long time ago. Oh yeah."
https://youtu.be/cKKw6dEEz-Q
While intersectionality and intersectional feminism often bring up marginalized groups such as the poor, PoC's, and members of the LGBTQ community, one aspect of diversity seems to be sorely neglected, and it's probably the most important: ideological diversity. With intersectional feminism, different people from different backgrounds are inevitably going to have different ideas. Maybe they disagree with how one feminist group does something, or maybe they support a different political candidate (or even political party). Far too often, I see other feminists vilifying people who have different ideas, instead of listening to them respectfully. I grew up in a conservative Christian household, but the women I was raised by were strong, and independent, and they were the ones who taught me to not take shit from any man who told me I was less than him. These women did not identify as feminists, probably because the feminists they knew could do nothing else but spew hate at the religion they believed in, their pro-life values, and their practice of female-modesty. Can we truly call ourselves intersectional if this intersectionality doesn't extend to our ideas?
The women in my life strongly desired the freedom of women in the world, believed in their equality with men, and tried to improve the lives of the women around them. Should they not be feminists?
This isn't to say that when we try to uphold ideological diversity, we at all are to adopt, uphold, or validate detestable ideas, or even ones we simply disagree with, but it means we listen respectfully, and learn to respectfully disagree, and fight for our respective causes. This isn't applicable to all ideas, of course. Violent extremism isn't something to react to tolerantly. But when somebody supported Hillary, and you supported Bernie, instead of making out the other person to be "literally Hitler", debate respectfully, agree to disagree, and fight together for the things you do agree with. Maybe when somebody wants to ban all sweatshops because of their treatment of women, and another sees them as a stepping stone towards female independence, agree to disagree, and fight together for world-wide female education. It's like we dehumanize everybody who isn't our perfect ideological copy. And shit doesn't get done that way.
Imagine a world where people who uphold the rights of women stand together, people of every color, language, gender, sexual orientation, and religion could fight together, whether they were Republican or Democrat or Independent or Conservatives or Labour or Green or Libertarian or whatever they believe in. I think the women of the world would be a lot better off. If somebody doesn't stand with us for one thing, they might stand with us for something else, so why act like a dick and push someone away from feminism just because you don't like something they believe in?
I also believe learning to be tolerant of more ideas would help change other people's ideas. When I was much more Conservative than I am now, the left-wing people who respected my ideas and debated me like I was, well, a human being were a thousand times more convincing and influential upon my own ideas than the asswipery of hateful people. And I discovered that likewise: when I was more respectful to someone I disagreed with, they would find my ideas more convincing.
So, when we talk about intersectionality, let's include people who have different ideas than us, too.
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Books mentioned in this topic
All the Single Ladies (other topics)All the Single Ladies (other topics)
Bad Feminist (other topics)
Well,i took the time to read what other people think and i totally respect all of your thoughts and stories.It is indeed a dire dilemma as to whether intersectionality is a good thing or a bad thing.Now i feel that everything in the world has it's pros and cons.so to deem a thing as bad or good would be a very biased thing to do.
As far as i understand the term,i'd say according to the term feminism is "a honeybee",implying that as long as you let it be on it's own without disturbing it,it'll be in the best interests of everybody.
Now i am sure this wouldn't have seemed half as convincing,but my point is that as long as being a feminist and working towards a particular goal,we are not destroying and damaging the other segments of this unfair world,we shouldn't have any regrets.Then all but we are doing is trying to heal a damaged part of the world.
Furthermore,intersectionality is actually taking place in every organisation that is working towards equality.I mean they have analysts whose work is to think over every move and principle that they are gonna fight for.And besides we are human beings and most of us are born with a heart.So we just don't pick up chainsaws and knives and start fighting.we ,as the TOTEM POLES OF EQUALITY will never want to hurt somebody in our race to the finish line.I mean the fact that we are even fighting for some kind of equality, shows that we wouldn't want another kind of inequality cropping up from our actions.
So in my opinion intersectionality is something that is being incorporated already and it is good AS LONG AS we don't forget the ultimate goal of what we want to achieve.Because after all we live in a world where imperfections and flaws are a part and parcel.We don't have the ability or the power to rectify all lose ends in one life.So it's better that we concentrate and rectify our part of the loose end and do it so perfectly that it wouldn't have to be tightened again.moreover ,it is difficult to ride in two boats at once because we get one life and if we are lucky, two legs.so it's better not to break them trying to steer two boats at once.and if we all really work,then "OUR INTERCONNECTIVITY AND COOPERATION" might go on to precede INTERSECTIONALITY.
ashna
THE FEMINIST
;)