Why We Need Intersectional Feminism

DISCLAIMER: A few times throughout this opinion piece, I will refer to women and trans-women separately. This is solely for the sake of putting my readers in the headspace of a “TERF” (trans exclusionary radical feminist) to better understand what they think, and to represent the difference that trans exclusionary feminists and transphobic people see between trans-women and women. But I want to make one thing clear: trans-women are women, trans men are men, nonbinary people are valid. There are no other ‘opinions’ on this topic. If your ‘opinion’ treads on someone's identity, it is no longer an opinion. It is hatred.

I don’t agree or believe in the idea of a “Bad Feminist” when it comes to a feminist women wearing makeup, taking revealing photos, or wearing exposing clothing. The idea that a woman who chooses to express her femininity in a classically feminine way is a bad thing and takes away her right to call herself a feminist is born out of internally misogynistic values. My friend Charlotte wrote a post on her blog “After Hours” on the dangers of the “I’m Not Like Other Girls” phenomenon that explores this topic. The ‘Cool Girl’ monologue from the movie “Gone Girl” speaks to so many women and how they feel like they have to jump through hoop after hoop to meet the societal construct of being desirable to men.

But I digress, as that is not the point of today's Op-Ed. Today I’m talking about what does make someone a non-intersectional “bad feminist” (I hate the phrase, ew ew ew.).

I think to understand why feminism needs intersectionality we need to expose feminism’s not so pretty history.

The crusade for women’s equality began with the women’s suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote. And although I don’t want to discredit the great work done by suffragettes in advancing women’s rights, we can’t just overlook the racism within the 1st, 2nd, and even current (3rd) waves of the feminist movement.

An ACLU article details the messy history of women's suffrage saying, “The history of women’s suffrage in America is not nice or neat, because the impact of white supremacy is broad and human nature is messy. Furthermore, a nation built on stolen land from Native Americans and stolen labor from African slaves is flawed from the start. We must constantly acknowledge this truth and engage in an intersectional celebration of women’s rights activists and landmark events.”

The New York Times also published an incredible opinion piece on how the suffrage movement betrayed Black women: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/28/opinion/sunday/suffrage-movement-racism-black-women.html

Feminism has racist roots, and many feminists, historical and current, believe that white women deserve equal rights to white men, and that women of color have no place in the feminist movement.

That type of feminism is not intersectional and fights to preserve white supremacy rather than women’s equality.

Now onto what inspired this article in the first place, trans-exclusionary and transphobic feminists.

J.K. Rowling has been transphobic in the past, and just this week she got herself into another scandal when she tweeted:

When I saw this tweet the only way I can describe how I felt (and still feel) is disgusting, a pit formed in my stomach. I know that the fact that I even get to be confused about this is due to my cis privilege, but it blows my mind that people are still defining gender identity by using what organs someone has in their pelvis and what is in between their legs.

Not all women menstruate, and some men menstruate. Making it seem like all women and only women menstruate is very damaging to the trans community because under that logic, trans-women aren’t women because they do not menstruate and trans-men are women because they do. When really whether or not blood comes streaming from your vagina once a month has very little to do with gender identity.

Rowling has also stated that her life has been shaped by being a female.

Well, J.K., I would say the same thing about my life. I am passionate about feminism and women’s equality. And being a female has shaped who I am in every way. But I don’t feel that allowing trans-women to identify as women steps on the issues I go through as a woman in any way shape or form.

The Trans community goes through a whole set of issues that cisgender people cannot understand.

Trans-women face adversity, discrimination, and transphobia. Cis-women face a set of different, and yet still completely valid issues.

One group’s struggles do not undermine or invalidate the others, and both Trans-women and cis women can peacefully coexist, love, and support one another through the challenges they face, without feeling as if one's battles make the others irrelevant.

J.K. Rowling's transphobic comments are just one aspect of the homophobic and transphobic history of feminism.

The main piece of history that stands out to me is Betty Friedan (the author of “The Feminine Mystique” which is credited for starting the second wave of feminism) and her homophobic views.

A timeline article states “She severed ties with some known lesbians, and resisted affiliation with lesbian organizations.” Friedan was afraid of the negative stigma and image lesbians would bring to the feminist movement.

Feminism has a nasty history of racism and homophobia, and in order to ensure ALL women are included in the fight for women's rights, feminism needs intersectionality.