THE FEMINIST REVOLUTION

Oppression: prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control; the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.  There are many systems of oppression and many types of people that have been oppressed sense the beginning of order.  If you are female, a person of color, non-European descent, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, asexual, a person with a disability, a person with a religion or belief not based on the Bible, "unattractive" (or non-conforming to societies standard of beauty), old, or of the working class, you may have experienced oppression.  If you have experienced oppression, it may have been from people who are classified as "privileged" or even from people who are equally oppressed.  To those who relate or know and support someone who can relate, riddle me this:  What the fuck have we done to deserve this unfair, unjust treatment?  It's time to finally end the systems of oppression.  The fact that oppression has become such a norm in society is absolutely revolting.  Why should men, or anyone for that matter, think it's okay to touch a woman's ass without their consent?  Why should someone considered white, have the better job opportunity then someone of color?  Why should anyone considered oppressed let those who are considered privilege sit in silence for as long as we have?  Why should anyone classified as oppressed let those of the same or equal oppression continue to be oppressed?
Audre Lorde's, "There is No Hierarchy of Oppression" really brings light to the lack of support that the oppressed give the oppressed.  As stated in the second paragraph, "I have learned that sexism and hetero-sexism both arise from the same source as racism," because of the "inherent superiority over ones gender, sexuality, and race, and thereby the right to dominance."  This is a prime example of why feminism fights for all, regardless of the type of oppression, if someone is being discriminated against, we stand up, because there is no hierarchy of oppression.
This brings me to Bell Hooks, "Revolutionary Feminist: An Anti-Racist Agenda," where she points out: "It is usually materially privileged white women who identify as feminists, and who have gained greater social equality and power with white men in the existing social structure, who resist most vehemently the revolutionary feminist insistence that an anti-racist agenda must be at the core of our movement if there is ever to be solidarity between women and effective coalitions that cross racial boundaries and unite us in common struggles.  These are the women who are determined to leave the issues of race behind."  As a human being with empathy and morals, I say its downright insulting to dismiss anyone's struggles as "not my problem" and is an example of the hierarchy of oppression.  Hooks continues to explain how black women who apart of the feminist movement "are seen as derailing or shifting the focus"  instead of "adding to the depth and complexity or our understanding" of oppression.
In closing, I understand that there are different types and categories of feminism, including liberal, radical, Marxist, and socialist, but one shouldn't exclusively classify themselves as one category.  All people should be fighting for equal rights for all, regardless of class, gender, race, or sexuality. 

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On a lighter note, if anyone is interested in feminist music and feminist bands, you should check out:

Punk:
Wild Flag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8n9R8rnB8&list=PL4cSK8fnIqlX07vCRV5Xp11qK9g4H_H3b

 Excuse 17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R1Ved04KR4&list=PL6KwzgIePF4DtJE7BYOhLSKZn-5QgJ3ZT

 Pop-rap
Girli
https://www.youtube.com/user/GIRLIVEVO/videos

A new perspective

I didn't realize how much about feminism and the women's rights movement that I was ignorant to. I knew the basics, such as how living in a patriarchal society affects women, but I was unaware of the extent of oppression women (especially women of color) faced. Learning new concepts like intersectionality and the different types of feminists and feminism has really broadened my perspective. I didn’t know that first and second wave feminism focused more on the liberation of white women and that it often excluded marginalized groups of people, allowing systems of oppression and privilege to continue to exist within the movement. This is why I appreciate how third wave feminism is more inclusive, and although there is still much to critique we have come a long way.

Keep Rocking, I’m With You - Emily Martinez, 2/1 Response

While reading Evin Taylor’s Cisgender Privilege, I had a very heavy realization drop on me. Being cisgender myself, it has never really hit me just how much energy and patience non-binary conforming people need in order to go through the day. Being well acquainted with the LGBT+ community, I always knew of the struggles they face. However, it was not until I saw the list on pages 94-95 that it was really put into perspective. Fifty questions-- and you know that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fifty questions of simple tasks: going to the bathroom, minor doctor visits that have nothing to do with your nethers, dressing rooms, swimsuits, meeting people. Hell, speaking seems like a situation waiting to happen. Between the intrusive questions and repetitive explanations, I realize just how exhausting it is for them to just exist as themselves on a day-to-day basis. In their passage, Taylor says “Privilege is the stability society affords us when we don’t rock the boat” (94). I realize now the privilege given to me due to my conformity to my assigned gender. Meanwhile I know people figuratively heading up river in a society that demands constant justification for their right to be who they are. They go through life with the world believing their privacy is a matter of public record. I’m happy I read this passage, and passages like this. We know discrimination is happening and that it’s bad, it’s just common sense. But, unfortunately for a lot of us, it’s not until someone facing discrimination explains the specifics that we really know how just bad. I’ve made my mind up. I’m going to educate myself and actually do something. I’m not just going to stand here in my stability while my friends fight the current. As of right now I’m not quite sure what I can do, but I’ll figure it out. Until then, count on me for support.  

1 / 31 - "Communicating With Everyone"

The reading from Collins’s “Toward a New Vision,” made some things click for me. In her article, she talks about intersectionality and how oppression is not a this or that issue - that it is instead a conglomeration of multiple issues involving prejudice. These prejudices affect everyone’s lives in different ways. This made me think a lot about the importance of communicating injustice in society.

Collins talked a lot about privilege and why people should examine themselves for privilege. She implied that, in order to be a true ally, someone must do something really difficult - address the parts of themselves that is causing the oppression and - even more difficult - work to change it. What she didn’t address so much, or what I didn’t understand as much, perhaps, is the how. 

Naturally, addressing your privilege involves some extent of knowledge of the world around you. You have to know about social injustice to be able to recognize it in society. But what happens when someone is so blinded by their own skewed interpretation of the world that they can’t see past their community? What can we do to get them to see the oppression in the world? If said person can’t or doesn’t, then how do we handle it?

In terms of politics, my theory is that marches and protests - which seem the primary form of addressing inequity in society - work because they call attention to a demographic that is overlooked by lawmakers. And when that demographic is angry, and they come together, lawmakers will do what they can to get the group to calm down. But does this tactic change much socially? Do everyday people look at the marches on the news* and find the empathy Collins talked about in her article? Or does it make tensions worse? I’m not trying to deny the necessity of these events, but I do pose a question: what are some ways we can attempt to change the minds of everyday people who hold racist, sexist, or otherwise oppressive beliefs, if we can at all?

*Of course, this is under the assumption the news outlets are portraying these events fairly; oftentimes, they don’t.

A Day Without Feminism- Ann Arnett

When reading “A Day Without Feminism,” all I could think about was the women’s march and Facebook. I was thinking about how some women on Facebook have begun to make posts against the women’s march by hashtagging #notmymarch and posts that read “oh, what has Trump done within the past 24 hours to infringe on your rights? Nothing? I thought so.” I thought of this because I wondered why they couldn't see why women were marching and protesting. They reduce everything down to the most basic definition, such as protests only happen when rights have been taken away from an individual. Protests can be much more than that though. I believe they are meant to, obviously, fight for rights, but they can also show where people stand and what they are willing to do to fight for their rights. I believe the women’s march was meant to show where we stand and that we won’t allow him to take away our rights. Its women drawing a line. “A Day Without Feminism” was a reminder that if it wasn't for women protesting in the past, we would have no rights today. Women today seem to feel that we have all that we need. An open letter about why a woman did not participate in the march claimed that women already have the ability to do so much. We don't need more. They believe that everything is ok and there’s no need for more. I felt this reading was relevant to what’s happening in society today, and it’s important for us to remember that if it wasn't for previous women protesting and fighting for our rights we would be stuck with no rights.

We're On the Same Side

Patricia Collins states in her articles states that "Once we realize that there are few pure victims or oppressors, and that each one of us derives rating amounts of penalty and privilege from the multiple systems of oppression that gram our lives, then we will be in a position to see the need for new ways of thought and action." There is no straight victim and oppressor in society because almost all of us are both privileged be unprivileged in some way, all intertwined through intersectionality. But oppressed people in different movements seem to be more divided between themselves than with their oppressors. For instance, when black people and white women during the first wave fought about whether who would receive rights first. How can hierarchy of oppressed be established? By who has been oppressed longer? Or who is oppressed more? Can we really compare white women who were treated poorly by their husbands in the 1800s to black people who were not even considered humans in the first place? As Lorde stated, we act as if there is a hierarchy of oppression that we have created which is not how we should look at things. If this constructed hierarchy divides us so much, should we just get rid of all of the movements and combine it into one movement of the oppressed? Or will it end up speaking for one group over another? Dividing things up and sorting them out seems to be the easiest way for us humans to make sense of things. With too much complexity and entanglement we begin to get confused. We try to make things easier on ourselves by simplifying as much as possible, but it leaves room for error: a hierarchy of oppression. There needs to be a balanced way to represent all movements equally without overpowering one another.

Cisgender privilege and Opression

In the reading by Taylor , "Gender privilege is the collective advantages that are accepted, most often unknowingly, by those who are not positioned in opposition to the dominant ideology of the gender binary." After reading the adapting questions I was instantly drawn back to "There is No Hierarchy of Opression" both articles relate to each other well. In Lorde's article a black women is oppressed because of sexuality and beliefs. It seems that no matter how much of a great person you are someone is always going to try to by pass your personality and punish you based on your personal lifestyle. I see this problem in more than just the black community but the black woman or man seem to be at the top of the hierarchical system and are always identified as less of a woman or a man because of their gender preferences. This brings me to the connection to cisgender privilege. Because of people preferences,they have to ask themselves questions like,"Can I be guaranteed to find a public bathroom that is safe and equipped for me to use?"Or "Do people consider my lifestyle as a mental illness?" I don't agree or disagree with the arrangement LGBT should understand that everyone isn't going to be comfortable with their lifestyle and it shouldn't be offensive,everyone has their owe opinions, just like you have your preferences others have theirs.

Oppression and Privilege--Kellen Gable

Oppression and privilege go hand in hand in our society. If someone is privileged, there is someone else that is oppressed because of their privilege and vice versa, if someone is oppressed, then someone else is profiting off of that oppression and is privileged. Even if people do not realize they are oppressed or privileged society dictates that they are. I know that a lot of women said that the Women’s March was not needed and that they weren’t oppressed anymore, so why was everyone else making such a big deal about it? Then again, these women were straight, abled (physically and mentally), and white (and more likely than not, Christian and middle to upper class with educations) and they do not have the same issues as say, women of color or poor women or disabled women. They did not understand the point of the Women’s March because they did not realize or did not want to admit that they have some privileges many other women do not (being oppressed because they are women is a totally different argument).

Of course, knowing you have at least some sort of privilege (if you do have any) is the first step, then you have to admit that your privilege is causing others to be oppressed. And you cannot just ignore it either, the privileged have to use their privileges to help the oppressed become equals or society will not progress nor change.

Scaling a Scale - Oziel Juarez

Reading Lorde’s passage and seeing how she is being put into a category of being a “deviant, difficult, inferior, or just plain ‘wrong’.” does in fact, upset her. She has every right to be upset by that because of the injustices and prejudices that follow her in her life. To me, Lorde has every right to be mad and angry, and I’m with her, because we live in a world that does not value women and places even less importance on women of color and heavily discriminates people in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. When it comes to her being black and a lesbian she makes sure to let us know that while we may be oppressed within the differences of our identities, that in the end the are one in the same. Since I am a gay, Hispanic, cisgender male, none of these rank higher than the other. If I get discriminated because I am hispanic it’s also because I am gay, and vice versa.  If definitely see her point-of-view on this, but I think back to Collin’s reading and how though we should weigh our “oppressions” as one we need to also see that some do weigh a bit more than others. For example, Donald Trump’s current stance on the immigrant/Muslim ban does affect me as an permeant resident in the United States, but doesn’t so much affect as much as my other two qualities, being a man and being gay. I feel that there are differences in our type of oppressions and that some do weigh more, but at the same time not to put a counter on how much a person can be oppressed, otherwise it becomes some kind of trivial thing, but I’m of course willing to see and read other points of view on this.

Without oppression there wouldn't be a need for freedom

As excited as I was in seeing how far women that paved the way have brought us. I have to admit I am just as saddened to see how much further we need to go. And on top of that it seems there will have to be more casualties of our minds and souls for the cause. I'll be the first to admit I have lived a life of just accepting inequality because I was sure someone would object if need be. But this hierarchy and  systems of privileged and inequality its upsetting depending on which side of the scale we fall on. I find myself angered by my intentional denial of these social constructions that put us in classes according to height, weight, gender and race. But now it has me at a wondering all of what can I do to make an impact such as Fannie Lou Hamer. So now I'm curious to what my wave of feminism looks like as well as my plight. As a black woman who is older in a wheelchair seems I'm not part of the solution but part of the "problem.'' But then again being alive keeps me ahead of the game. Life is the luxury being comfortable doesn't seem like a feasible option but how we treat each other while were here on earth determines whether or no we will ever be free.

https://spectator.org/42035_feminism-and-freedom/

Oppression

The definition of oppression is “cruel or unjust treatment or control.” Nobody likes the idea of being treated like a lesser, but when it comes to fighting oppression people do what they’ve always done and split up into groups and prioritize their own agendas while devaluing or even ignoring those of other oppressed groups. The worst part is that a lot of the time other oppressed groups contribute to the oppression of people in other groups or even their own! People’s opinions on one particular side of dichotomous scale which are presented as opposites effects how they treat others, further more these opposites are organized in a social hierarchy that is only necessary for people who like to treat others as inferior. Within the past couple of years I’ve learned that this is so deeply ingrained in us that  parts of our language has been built around making “the other” feel insignificant such as terms that default to being male like “Mankind.”

  The article “There is no Hierarchy of Oppression” sums up how I feel about the oppressed separating themselves from the suffering of other groups. As a person who is a member of multiple racial groups, I can confirm that all oppressed groups are connected- if not by our need to fight oppression then by the members of our groups that transcend these abstract ‘boundaries’ we’re made. A person cannot be only black, they’ll be black and male or female or even non binary with their own sexual preferences and political opinions and etcetera, meaning cooperation is desperately needed to fight oppression.

Feminism and Oppression - Henry Wilkinson

Is there a hierarchy of oppression? Does cisgender privilege exist? Certainly. A little over a week ago, the majority of America's female, LGBTQA+, non-white, disabled, and self-identified feminists took to the streets to protest Trump's inauguration and they were joined by hundreds of thousands all over the world. A important point brought up during the march is that it was not just women marching, though it was called the Women's March. The crowds were made up of many people from many different walks of life because as Audre Lorde pointed out, "There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives." This struggle would not exist if there was not a system of power in place that discriminates every "other," and yes, sadly there is a hierarchy of oppression.

People who are bisexual or pansexual but straight-passing or are in a heterosexual relationship will experience less outward oppression (i.e. discrimination out and about) than a gay or lesbian person. They still experience oppression because benefiting from privilege IS a form of oppression because it denies a part of who they are. I can speak to this from experience. However,  they will not experience the form of oppression a gay or lesbian person experiences as they cannot be straight-passing and therefore not benefit from straight privilege unless they completely conceal who they are, which is not always a possibility.

A person who is not white but a lighter skin tone than their friend will benefit from having lighter skin. If they have "white-passing" features, they will suffer less oppression than darker-skinned people, though again this is a form of oppression in that it looks over a part of who they are and erases their heritage, cultural, ethnic, and racial identity. Everyone lives intersectional lives and depending on how "privilege-passing" they are they will experience less outward discrimination, though this does not even begin to cover the internal turmoil that they face. People who are cisgender inherently experience privilege because their gender identity is not questioned. If they blur the lines of gender norms, then this will likely experience discrimination, but it's a lesser form of oppression than the oppression faced by people who are transgender and constantly have their identity questioned and not respected.

The way the system is set up, it could be easy for different oppressed groups to turn against each other. I am not going to even begin to cover the rampant racism in the LGBTQA+ community or the homophobia in many ethnic or cultural groups. However, my point is that at the Women's March we were able to see an intersectional crowd come out, protest, and march for equality which is what feminism is. Feminism is not the belief that women are better than men or that women hate men. Feminists are not only women either. Feminists are those who believe in equality for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, nationality, ability, etc.

"Graceful Grandma" - BPhillips

After reading this week’s articles, I have gained some new insight on some areas of my life that have been affected by systems of privilege and inequality. For most of my life, I never really thought twice about all the things that are expected of me as a woman, or the statements that were made towards me throughout my life. In chapter two of Women’s Voices: Feminist Visions, there is a section of text talking about ageism and age discrimination (p. 47-48 Shaw and Lee). It goes on to say women learn to “age pass,” which led me to think about how from youth we are taught to always look pretty and presentable or how as little girls we are told almost always about our appearance. People may say, “Wow, she looks just like a little doll” or go on and on about how much the little girl will be a “looker” when she gets older. But what happens when that little girl does grow older and older into her 20s, 40s, 60s?  If she does not resemble her younger self, people would say, “Oh, she’s really let herself go” or “She must’ve had a hard life.” It’s so much harder for older women to get positive recognition as far as appearance if they are not styled and polished 24/7. We as women learn to not only do this to each other, but also to ourselves. We admire models, singers, and actresses who have “aged gracefully” not realizing the wealth and time that put into their health and skincare to look so naturally graceful. It definitely made me want to stop and evaluate myself and my thoughts, because often times, I do catch myself fearfully thinking about my future and if I’ll still look good when I’m older and that shouldn’t even be a thought that should cross my mind when I think of what my future holds.

Check Your Privilege, Bro - Taylor Williams

Privilege is created by systems of inequality that oppress people who are outside of the idealized norms. White, straight, middle-class, attractive, young, males are considered the ideal norm. People outside of this description are considered lesser than those who fit it.  People of color and members of the lgbtqia+ community suffer the most from this in American society. Disabled and poor people are also targets for discrimination based on their status. Women are the biggest group of people who are harmed by this system, making up over half of the world population, it is strange to think about how little power they are given over their own bodies and lives. Oppressed groups are encouraged to fight among themselves to distract from the real enemy, this is called horizontal hostility. For example, women are encouraged to be cruel to each other based on their appearance or choice in partner so that they will not notice they are being oppressed by society overall. This makes them want to improve themselves while pushing other women down. Being "not like the other girls" becomes a goal for many as a way to stand out among their peers. Tomboys may be sought out by male partners because of the way they present themselves as being like men and therefore unlike "other" women. Intersectional feminism is important because it aims to push past the differences between women and work towards equity for all women everywhere. This is intended to be without erasure of individual identities such as race, sexuality, nationality, or disability.

February 1 Weekly Response

Still Needing the F Word & I’m Not Talking Feminism 

Fucked Up  

The reading on the case about Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true slap in the face to women. A case held against him as a serial sexual bigot, with a total count of 16 women coming forward and testifying about his harassment. The fact that he stated, “ he thought that reaching up women skirts or into their blouses was nothing”. It’s one thing to do it but to say this validating your actions and still getting off as partisan politics and even personal behavior. This put me in agreement with the narrative of the statement, “Personal behavior is when you have a girlfriend. When you touch someone intimately without her consent, it’s sexual battery.” Although, I’m not surprised that they only gave him a slap on the wrist, this case actually reminded me of the Brock Turner case.

Brock Turner was a three-time American Stanford swimmer who was charged with sexual assault of an unconscious woman. What’s wrong if he was charged? Well the catch was, he raped the victim not just ‘sexually assaulted’ her and on top of that he was only sentenced to 6 months jail because the Judge felt that he was a good kid and didn’t want to ruin his life with a long term jail period. The Judge, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky actually had the balls and audacity to actually have sympathy for Turner. Someone who felt that he could just take something. Even after the victim stood on stand and gave an emotional speech saying, “My independence, natural joy, gentleness, and steady lifestyle I had been enjoying became distorted beyond recognition. I became closed off, angry, self-deprecating, tired, irritable, empty,” she said. She even went on to say, “I stood there examining my body beneath the stream of water and decided, I don’t want my body anymore. I was terrified of it,” the woman wrote in a letter to Turner and Persky that she read in the courtroom during the sentencing. “I wanted to take off my body like a jacket and leave it at the hospital with everything else.” Welcome to America….the land of free.

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?- Cherokee Hill

While reading "Claiming an Education" written by Adrienne Rich, I came to a painful conclusion.  No one has ever, or will ever teach me how to take care of myself, and the process of figuring this out came from the words, "Taking responsibility toward your selves."  This is repeated multiple times, giving a deeper understanding of what Rich is trying to spell out for the reader.  "Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking and naming--don't fall for shallow and easy solutions."  There are so many misconceptions on what feminism is, and before this week, I didn't even know what feminism was.  But the words of Adrienne Rich, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards have given me, and so many other people the opportunity to have a voice.  The radical feminist group, Femen, seems to have enough impact on the media of "what feminism is" that some people wouldn't want to be involved in.  Femen is known for confronting political issues in public protest.  For example, the Femen protestor were topless with Trump slurs written on their body, at a Polling Place in Manhattan.  They call themselves "sextremists."  I completely support Femen and what Femen stands for, but I do believe organizations like Femen, would stare away a newbie feminist because there are no resources for understanding why Femen does what they do.  Not only that, but the fact the in all my years of school, I've never once claimed it, or even insisted on a meaningful life and work.  Also the fact that If i try and share this information with anyone, they don't care or have anytime.  Feminism has come a long way, but there is no way in Hell I'll let it slip under my radar for any longer.

Feminist Positive Music:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot -- This is Pussy Riot

• Pussy Riot: Straight Outta Vagina
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp-KeVBNz0A&list=PLeVfluYX8OijJjfHROHKXa2akuw1vaFQw

• Pussy Riot: Organs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GbDZ4yJt5E&list=PLeVfluYX8OijJjfHROHKXa2akuw1vaFQw&index=4

They are super hard to find because of how radical their music is but worth listening to.  Like you literally cannot find any music but 3 or 4 songs.

Links to interesting places:

• http://femen.org/ 

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femen

Feminism

Just the word is seemingly enough to start an argument over, whether it’s about differing kinds of feminism or the question of if it’s even needed. When feminism is brought up I’ve seen people avoid it in conversation a lot. As someone not raised to be heavily involved with the conversation of gender I’ve experienced responses to feminism in so many ways that weren’t actually related to the subject itself. As expressed in the article Full Frontal Feminism, people seem to consider “feminist” to be an insult. It almost resembles terms like “gay” and “queer” in how people assign a sort of social stigma to being associated to the subject even if you’re not. Before high school which was when I actually came to meet people who were openly gay or feminist, I was just as ignorant to it all as so many people still are to this day. Today I like to pretend that I never had the kind of opinions and beliefs I had about groups I was completely ignorant of but I do get to have the unique experience of an ignorant male being brought into the world feminism and gender and learning about a huge and inclusive community. 

It’s very strange to me hearing about “man hating feminists” today when in my experience, most feminists are more open and accepting as people. I think the many stereotypes made surrounding feminists are made just like stereotypes about any other group, people who know nothing about feminists who happen to dislike feminists start to draw connections to superfluous details that have nothing to do with anything. There’s no Feminist Mandate requiring body hair and burning bras- if there is I was never told. To me as a person, feminists are people who support the idea of women being equal figures in society. In general I like to give people a chance before deciding I dislike them, regardless of how they look. I think other folks could learn a lot if they took a less stubborn stance when confronted by groups they’re unfamiliar with. As a child I had no idea that gender wasn’t considered a binary thing, or even that there was a possibility of anything other than male and female so if others were willing to be more open minded they’d learn about a large community they never even knew existed.

Think About Grandma - Emily Martinez, 1/25 Response

In chapter one of Shaw and Lee’s book we’re treated with an insert at the top of page twelve titled “Thank a Feminist”. It lists off topics that feminist activism has gained for women over the years, and includes things like “...the right to vote...work...refuse sex, even with husband...receive a higher education...play sports...be protected from sexual harassment...hold political offices…” (Shaw, Lee, 12). All of these choices and rights that seem commonplace today, to the point where if someone were to ask ‘Can women vote?’ they would be met with a weird stare and a ‘Well, yeah. Duh’ type response. I grew up hearing women claim they were well off on their own and did not need feminism, oddly enough these were all women my generation as well as the previous one (my parents’). However, the generation prior seems to have a different opinion. When I spoke to my eighty-year-old grandmother (who I call Mimi) about her definition of feminism, instead of a short rant about radicals and bra-burnings, she spoke of it as a woman’s right to BE. To simply exist a person and all that entails. She told me that she did not go to college “because that just wasn’t something women did” back then. She jokingly said she wished she had been born a few decades later, and that she would have had that possibility for an education. She left me with this: “Let me tell you those femmes [feminists] were a rowdy bunch, but, Emily, they got what they needed to be done. I’m happy they did. It gave you all the opportunities I never had.” And at the end of the day, that’s just it. We don’t need certain rights now because they have already been won thanks to our grandmothers and great-grandmothers and so on. This does not mean, however, the fight is over. Mimi taught me not to settle on something just because it seemed like the best option. I find this to be true about the society of today. A huge point against feminism is that the world is not as bad to women as it used to be. Well, no, it is not as bad as it has been before, but that does not mean we cannot make it any better. Though previous generations won destroyed some barriers, they only made a small dent with others. There are still injustices, red tape, and glass ceilings that need wrecking. So I say to those who believe they don’t need feminism--if you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for the generation that fought to get us where we are and for generations that will follow us.

Should We All Be Feminist? - Oziel Juarez

Speaking as a male I can't and shouldn't really say whether or not people can be or should be feminist. I think my main goal in being a feminist ally is to support women who are feminist and listen to their viewpoints before ever expressing my own. Of course I could ignore all of that and simply say what I want to say, but then I would be ignoring one of the basic principles of feminism; ignoring what women want to say. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's video "We Should all be Feminist" speaks all about this. How women are constantly ignoring just to hear the man speak or women being seen as nothing but housewives. Another interesting point is how Adichie is Nigerian so her viewpoint is much different from American women. This shows, while American women certainly do face many struggles and endeavors, that women in other nations, such as Nigeria, do not even have half of what women in America or Europe have. It seems as if while America is in 2017, Nigeria, on the other hand, is in the 1900s version of America. Women are treated as third class citizens in places like Nigeria. While I am saying that some places have it harder for women, than others, I am not saying that women can't still be outraged where they currently reside. I am simply saying that women have unique struggles everywhere on Earth and it would be wrong to categorize all women's struggles into one. So, with that, although I don't speak on behalf of women, I do think everyone should be a feminist, but because there are inequalities to begin with, not everyone wants to support women's rights and be a feminist.

Are You Sure You're A Feminist?

I asked a group of people their definition of feminism and the best response received was from a man who replied, Feminism is mostly being a strong activist for women's rights and equality. I than proceeded to asked was he a feminist.  The conversation deepened with the response, “I don't really believe in being a feminist, yes I believe in women's rights and equality but that is for all people not just women.” The word feminism alone has become quite offensive to both men and women as it justifies the idea of women and society. In Women's Voice:Feminist Vision, Shaw and lee stated that feminism celebrates women's achievements and struggles while providing a affirming stance for women and womanhood. In class we discussed humanism and equalism. Both are words that classify those who are anti feminists. Most people who classify as one or the other either are against being called a feminist because of the stereotypes or either people who believe men face just about the same struggles and obstacles as women. Some people that I asked referred to gender being one of feminist main topic as in why they didn't identify themselves as one. I thought I was one but now I'm reconsidering labeling myself as one.

Response to Readings _ BPhillips

            After reading the articles, Full Frontal Feminism and Women's Studies: Perspective and Practices, I have mixed reviews on the subject of feminism. Yes, I am a female and I want equality and rights for myself, as well as, others. However, in the back of my mind, there is a lingering thought of how hard it is being heard as a black female feminist. I want to be one hundred percent supportive, marching and fighting, but I cannot help but to constantly think of race. Even as I read these articles on feminism, and how they are saying every woman is equal. I know in my day to day life that that clearly is not the case. I did not want to be the one to pull out the race card, but how can we avoid it so easily. Full Frontal Feminism mentions that, “the part of the feminist movement most talked about, most written about, and most paid attention to is the rich-whitey part” (Valenti p. 7). Yes, women have gained so many rights and opportunities since the first and second wave of feminism, but there is still a huge gap in the representation and history of women of color in our modern day society. Even in class Monday, a student did not know the difference between who Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman were and more than half the class could not tell you what she did and what she was known for, but we mention Susan B. Anthony and everybody can give a five-page essay on why she is important to the modern day feminist.

            It is interesting to see Women’s Studies mention transnational feminism, sharing that it is the equality of women across national boundaries and the emancipation of women worldwide (Shaw and Lee p. 10). It’ll be interesting to see how that is integrated and woven into the rest of the course this semester. Below I attached a link from Facebook post I saw earlier that brings an interesting, yet  debatable perspective of transnational feminism, it highlights those women in the Middle East that are fighting for their lives literally for the chance to get equality, but also downplays the struggle of feminism in the United States.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10210927166322684&set=pcb.10210927245004651&type=3