Monday, August 18, 2008
Radical Feminism And CIS Privilege
H/T Renegade
http://www.womanist-musings.com/2008/08/radical-feminism-and-cis-privilege.htmlOkay ladies and feminist identified males, it is time for a reality check. Privilege is a loaded word, and it is often thrown around in feminist circles. Time after time I have seen feminists complaining that men don't own their gender privileges. Women want acknowledgment that we are a historically marginalized and oppressed class, but there is a proviso to that statement. To qualify as 'woman', you must exist with class privilege, race privilege, be able bodied, straight, and CIS. If you can somehow fit into all of these categories at the same time, you have won the lottery and you get to proclaim yourself woman. Not only woman, but long suffering woman whose day has finally come.
Yes celebrate on the land...Declare yourself free. Don't give a moments thought that your so-called freedom actually means the freedom to oppress another group of women. This is not equality, it is taking on the Masters Tools. I know that you feel threatened, but this is simply because you and only you have decided that feminism is about your concerns and should privilege your bodies and your experiences. Unfortunately, humanity is extremely diverse and cannot be divided into neat little binary categories. Sure if we all had the privilege to be born into your definition of women, it would certainly make things easier for you, but that didn't happen, and so I am afraid that it is time that you step up to the plate and start owning some of the privileges that you are quick to assert that others don't own.
