What is White Feminism?
Lately, the
internet has been exploding
with
conversation about
White Feminism—but what is it? White Feminism is a non-intersectional
brand of feminism, which generally limits itself to the experiences and
oppression of white, middle class, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied women.
Basically, White Feminism works against some gender-based oppression, but turns
a blind eye to many issues that are primarily salient to women who inhabit
other oppressed identities.
There are
examples of White Feminism in action all over the place. Patricia
Arquette’s comments about the wage gap that ignored the impacts of race and
sexual orientation received a lot of attention earlier in the year. So did Hillary
Clinton’s statement, “all lives matter,” during a recent speech in a black
church near Ferguson, Missouri. It’s also frequently seen in cultural
appropriating behaviors among some white feminists.
Sometimes White
Feminism is more evident in what is not said, such as the substantial amount of
silence in feminist circles regarding the death of Sandra
Bland and countless other women of color who have died in police custody.
The same can be said for the lack of feminist conversation focusing on violence
against transgender
women of color.
I’m white and a feminist. Does that make
me a White Feminist?
Maybe, but it’s
not guaranteed. White individuals who are also feminists can avoid being White
Feminists by taking an intersectional approach to feminism that includes discussion
of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, health, and other social
locations. There are plenty of white feminists who generally do an okay job of
keeping their feminism intersectional. However, there are substantial amounts
of societal privilege that come with being white, and there are many things
that I as a white person don’t have to think about on a daily basis because I
don’t experience race-based oppression. With those givens, it’s that much easier
for white feminists to overlook intersectional issues. Though not all white
feminist individuals are White Feminists, most White Feminists are white.
I’m a person of color and a feminist. So
I’m good, right?
Maybe, but it’s
not guaranteed. The term White Feminist is most commonly used when referring to
non-intersectional, white feminists, but people have multiple identities, and
experiencing oppression in one area of life doesn’t mean you’re not blind to
your privilege in other areas. Feminists of color, queer feminists, low-income
feminists, feminists with disabilities, and feminists with any combination of
these and other oppressed identities likely still have privilege in some area
of life. And where privilege exists, usually there are blind spots. Part of
intersectional feminism is keeping us all accountable to being inclusive.
What is Intersectional Feminism?
Simply put, intersectional feminism
is a form of feminism that takes other oppressed social locations into account.
It acknowledges that not all women have the same experiences (and that not all
individuals experiencing gender-based oppression are women!). Intersectional
feminism doesn’t limit its advocacy to people who are only oppressed in terms
of their gender—it considers how sexism impacts individuals differently depending
on all the social locations they inhabit.
How can I be an Intersectional Feminist?
At its core,
being an intersectional feminist is all about working to be an ally as well as a
feminist. It’s acknowledging that individuals may experience sexism differently
based on their other social locations. It’s acknowledging that your privilege
may leave you with some blind spots, working to educate
yourself to reduce those blind spots, and promoting a more inclusive version of
feminism. Need some inspiration on how to make your feminism more
intersectional? Start by looking here,
here,
here,
and here for
some ideas.
But wait—isn’t talking about White
Feminism divisive?
No, no, no, a
thousand times no. Feminism will never be all it can be until we hold each
other accountable to take intersectional perspectives. As #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen
has pointed out, glossing over White Feminism in order to avoid being ‘divisive’
really only maintains the status quo for feminists who already benefit from the
most societal privilege and power. Calling attention to instances of White
Feminism is a way to educate relatively privileged feminists, while empowering feminists
who have oppressed identities other than their gender. When privileged feminists
are open to being checked and working on their growth areas, we make progress
toward a more meaningful version of feminism that benefits everyone and builds
genuine solidarity.
How can I call people in, instead of
calling people out?
Calling
attention to moments of White Feminism doesn’t have to be hostile. Almost
everyone inhabits some privileged
social locations, so chances are we all have blind spots and will all make
mistakes at times. The more privileged identities we have, the truer this is. Consequently,
we (especially feminists with many privileged identities, myself included) need
to recognize our own vulnerability to blind spots, and keep that in mind when
we notice a slip from someone else. Intersectional feminism isn’t a competition
where the morally superior winner is the one who makes the least public
mistakes. And just because I notice a slip from my peer today doesn’t mean I
won’t make one myself tomorrow. That’s why it’s important to lovingly point out
blind spots to our feminist peers, and to listen
when we’re called out ourselves.
So, what now?
This post
barely scratches the surface of White Feminism as an issue, but I hope you’ll
take the conversation from here. Please, take it up in the comments, in
classes, in research, with your colleagues, and especially in feminist spaces.
We’re all going to slip up from time to time, and that’s okay as long as we
acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them. White Feminism needs to be
addressed wherever it rears its ugly head, because it undermines the core
values of feminism and prevents our movement from meaningfully affecting all
but a narrow, privileged range of women. So please, go forth, and remember the
inspired words of Flavia
Dzodan: “my feminism will be intersectional, or it will be bullshit!”
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