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Discussing White Feminism: An Outline

BONDED
May 2, 2017
5 min read

The following is a outline of the notes and discussion from the Bonded Reflect & Resist Huddle Up that took place on April 27th at 6:00 pm in Columbia, SC as part of the 10/100 Action Campaign. These notes are, mostly, a breakdown of two articles -- the first, recommended by the Women’s March organizers, is called "This Is What I Mean When I Say White Feminism," by Cate Young; the other is from Everyday Feminism called "Why Our Feminism Should Be Intersectional" by Jarune Uwujaren and Jamie Utt. Since we are, unashamedly, lovers of outlines (hey, law school!), when asked to share our notes from the meeting, we were happy to oblige.

What is feminism?
The short, historically-palatable answer: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.
Today, after several decades and waves of development, feminism has evolved to what it is today: an approach to issues of equality and equity based on gender, gender expression, gender identity, sex, and sexuality as understood through social theories and political activism.
What is white feminism?
Any expression of feminism that is anti-intersectional.
A set of beliefs/that excludes issues that affect women of color.
It is a ‘one size-fits all’ feminism, where middle class, white women are the mold that others must fit.
NOTE: It is a method of practicing feminism, not an indictment of every white feminist.
Cate Young: “White feminism is any expression of feminist thought or action that is anti-intersectional. It is a set of beliefs that allows for the exclusion of issues that specifically affect women of colour. It is 'one size-fits all' feminism, where middle class white women are the mould that others must fit. It is a method of practicing feminism, not an indictment of every individual white feminist, everywhere, always.”
What is intersectional feminism?
A framework that recognizes the multiple aspects of identity that enrich our lives and experiences and that compound and complicate oppressions and marginalizations.
It’s about allowing people to live more fully in their being and to have a voice in our movements.
Insists we not center a movement or conversations around white women’s feelings.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable discussing intersectional anything, it’s not because you are a bad person. It’s your privilege being challenged.
Remember: marginalized groups should not have to restructure conversations for the comfort of white people or white women. This is the definition of privilege.
Can we even call it “feminism” if it isn’t intersectional?
Nope.
Without an intersectional lens, our movement cannot be anti-oppressive, because it is not possible to tease apart the oppression people experience. We cannot separate experiencing multiple oppressions, for they are experienced & enacted intersectionally.
Example: Racism for women of color cannot be separated from their gendered oppression. A trans person with a disability cannot choose which part of their identity is most in need of liberation.
Examples of specific oppressions under the lens of intersectionality:
Gender-based violence (i.e. violence that disproportionately targets women/girls)
Intersectional component: women of color disproportionately experience gender violence more than white women; impoverished women disproportionately experience gender violence more than wealthy women; bisexual women are more likely to experience gender violence than heterosexual women. Trans women are more likely to experience gender violence than cisgender women.
Explanation: In short, all women are at risk for gendered violence in the United States, but some women are far more at risk.
Wage Inequality (i.e. men make more than women for the same work)
Intersectional component: On average women in general make 79 cents to the dollar as compared to white men. However, that number is significantly lower for WOC where black women on average make 60 cents to the dollar and Latinas make 55 cents to the dollar.
Explanation: All women are at risk for experiencing the wage gap, but some women are far more at risk.
What is the consequence if we don’t look at issues of oppression under an intersectional lens?
By way of example, if we only talk about violence against women without accounting for the issues that face specific groups of women, we fail to address the most overt oppressions within a larger group.
A lack of intersectionality leads to an erasure of people and their identities.
Refusing to look at oppression under the lens of intersectionality allows for the perpetuation of violence and marginalization against already-disparaged communities. It’s how structural systems of oppression, such as racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia (etc.) become so entrenched and internalized in our psyche, and ultimately, very difficult to reverse.
Does intersectionality encourage division?
Myth: intersectionality encourages division, spreads the feminist movement too thin, and undermines its unity.
Reality: a one-size-fits-all feminist movement that focuses only on the common ground between women is erasing rather than inclusive. It centered the movement around those with the most privilege and visibility (aka those who already take up a disproportionate amount of space).
Example: Even if all women deal with sexism, not all women deal with racialized sexism, or transmisogyny, or cissexism.
Examples of white feminism in action:
A white, female comedian (i.e.) writing/performing jokes (and ultimately building a career off of, partly or entirely) that mock and dehumanize people of color. (i.e. Amy Schumer)
White female celebrities who like to invoke feminism when it’s convenient or profitable for them, but don’t want to delve into any issues that don’t affect white women, such as racial justice issues. (i.e. Taylor Swift)
White women who appropriate people of color and their cultures for profit, or otherwise, but remain mum on topics that affect communities of color. (i.e. Miley Cyrus/Iggy Azalea)
White feminists who only vocalize support for issues that affect white women, such as Planned Parenthood/reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, violence against women etc., but not about any other intersectional issues.
Feminists who are only concerned about body hair, high heels, makeup, changing their married name, etc, but not about other social justice issues.
Cisgender feminists who don’t believe trans women are women and don’t belong in the feminist/women’s movement.
Is it possible to engage in white feminism if you are not white?
Yes.
Cate Young/The Whistling Fish: “What people don’t seem to get is that ‘White Feminism’ is feminism for white people, and never exclusively feminism by white people. It’s more about who benefits exclusively than who is perpetuating it exclusively. It’s really not as much of an accusation as people are making it out to be, more like a word for the institution we’re trying to separate ourselves from.”
3 Ways to Practice Intersectional Feminism
Self-Reflect
Intersectionality requires that we look within ourselves, where we feel challenged.
Investigate your privilege is key to intersectional feminism.
Move beyond theory. Think about how you treat people day to day.
De-center Your Perspective
Intersectional feminism is more than just ending sexism. It’s about toppling all interconnected systems of oppression.
Avoid centering feminism around yourself or people of privilege.
Since society is more likely to listen to white women, white women need to make sure they aren’t talking over POC.
Be Willing to Make Mistakes
There’s no room for perfectionism in feminism.
Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
Adopting an intersectional framework IS NOT EASY. It requires learning systems and experiences that you do not understand. Empathizing with people not like you. Stepping back instead of speaking over others. To being accountable.
BONUS: Befriend people who have different oppressive intersections than you.
This point wasn’t in either of the articles but is recommended widely in activist circles as a method of practicing intersectionality.
An immense amount of learning can take place through observation, conversation (with their consent), and experience-sharing.
Befriending people who are not your identical match will enrich your life in countless ways!