#cis white women

[educational-cryptid]

a brief history of white feminism

what is intersectionality?

intersectionality is the inclusion of all different types of people in a movement for change. an example of intersectionality is acknowledging the different struggles that different lgbtq people face, and realizing how those struggles may differ based on race, etc. intersectionality aims to realize that identities can and do overlap, leading to different experiences of one’s identities and oppression. 

what is white feminism?

the generally accepted definition of white feminism is “expressions of feminism focusing on the struggles of white women in particular, while excluding women of color, particularly by weaponizing misogyny to direct it towards women of color, lgbtq women, disabled women, etc.” essentially, it is non-intersectional feminism.

the origins of white feminism, part I

feminism today began with the first wave of feminism in the late nineteenth century, which focused mainly on women’s political status, ability to vote, etc. the goal of this was to open more sociopolitical oppurtunities for women, with a focus on suffrage. while many women of color were part of the first-wave feminism movement, the suffragist movement remained particularly white. this is thought to have been because the first wave of feminism began a few decades before the movement for african american equality and right to vote. during the first wave, african american women were excluded from the movement. proof of this includes the black suffragist mary church terrell being denied help by white activists. 

the origins of white feminism, part II

the second wave of feminism is what we commonly see as feminism today, starting in the 1960’s and leading well into the 1980’s. this wave focused on women in the work environment, women’s expression of sexuality, reproductive rights, and sexual and domestic abuse. this time period garnered more of an area for women of color and white women alike to talk about these issues. during this time, women of color began to emerge in the feminist literary space. among such were gloria jean watkins, better known by her pen name bell hooks, who wrote about intersectionality and the struggles that black women face. hooks advocated for white women to recognize that they, like ethnic minority men, were both oppressed and the oppressors, thus giving them a position of weaponizing their oppression and using it to oppress others, though this tactic is more noticeable within white feminism. an example of this includes the work the second sex by simone de beauvoir, which is noted as a striking example of the prioritization of women in the idea of the so-called perfect white woman. 

the origins of white feminism, part III 

the third wave of feminism began in the late 1980s and 1990s and focused mainly around women and female sexuality, particularly including issues with pornography and sexual abuse/violence. this is sometimes referred to as “riot grrrl” feminism. third wave feminists worked to fight against ideas that demonized female sexuality by advocating for female sexual liberation and gender expression, as well as reclaiming derogatory terms used to demonize their sexuality, such as ‘whore,’ ‘bitch’ and ‘slut.’ this movement, depending on which angles you look at it from, both included women of color and excluded them extremely. some see the third wave as a deconstruction of the predominantly white, so-called perfect woman (weak, passive, fragile, virginal and faithful) and replaced it with more empowering ideals of women (domineering, demanding, emasculating, and assertive). however, this wave has also been criticized for the hyper-masculinization of women of color, particularly black or african american women. the third wave of feminism is also attributed to the beginning of victim feminism, which reinforces the idea that women are fragile and need to be protected, which plays a large part in white feminism.

what is victim feminism?

as said before, victim feminism is generally defined as a subsect or warped ideal of feminism that reinforces ideas that women are delicate and need to be protected. this tactic is weaponized often by white feminism. it is often difficult to understand the correlations between victim feminism and third wave feminism, given that third wave feminism seeked to empower and emasculate women. third wave feminism had undertones that prioritized women as being, although in themselves powerful, masculine and assertive beings, under the control of the patriarchy. often this is used to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, instead blaming it exclusively on the patriarchy. 

how is victim feminism used by white feminists?

throughout the history of white cultures and environments, white women were often seen as the standard for all women, being viewed as (both mentally and physically) delicate, submissive, pure, virtuous, and needing to be protected. these views were not upheld for women of color, as they were seen as masculine, strong, and inherently violent (which there has been no scientific proof of). white womanhood looks very different from the womanhood of women of color due to this. the way white feminism enhances and embraces victim feminism is by accepting the idealized image of white woman goodness, which equals powerlessness. 

what are white woman tears?

white woman tears ia a phenomenon displayed by white feminists that employs the use of crying as victimization. societal norms in most cultures inform us that crying indicates helplessness, which triggers sympathetic chemicals in the brain. certain stereotypes of people of color show them as unfeeling, violent, cold, and devoid of emotion, particularly positive emotion. when white women cry, they are seen as helpless, pure, sensitive beings and are often prioritized and victimized. when people of color (particularly women of color) cry, reactions vary from normal sympathy, low sympathy, confusion, and assuming they are ‘alligator tears’ (pretending to cry as a manipulation tactic). essentially, white woman tears seek to prioritize white female emotional discomfort in the face of other forms of oppression. it also paints people of color and men as the so-called caretakers of white women and that it is their duty to keep their fragile feelings intact.

why is white feminism bad?

this is simple. white feminism is bad because it excludes people of color, opposes intersectionality, and takes on the view that one’s identities are inherently separate from one another. this is objectively false, as all social identities overlap due to the different perceptions and amalgamations of these different identities in today’s society. white feminism is a strategy used to weaponize misogyny and direct it towards women of color, lgbtq women, able-bodied women, etc. which is oppressive and wrong. white feminism is not true feminism. if your feminism does not include all women, it is not feminism.

how do i undo white feminism?

like any other form of bigotry and oppression, undoing white feminism is a slow process. if you are a woman of color, seeking to understand what womanhood means to you and how it has been impacted by white society’s views on womanhood can help to perceive and pinpoint white feminism in action. if you are a white woman, seeking to understand and undo the ideals of white feminity based upon you by white society and understanding what womanhood means to you and how it has been impacted by white society can help you better understand the struggles of women of color. also, avoid victimizing yourself and painting yourself as fragile, race-wise. if you are a man, listen to and try to understand the experiences and perceptions of women of color, and do further research into intersectional feminism.

Sources

hooks, bell (1981). Ain't I A Woman?: Black Women and Feminism. 

Palmer, P. M. (1994). White Women/Black Women: The Dualism of Female Identity and Experience. 

Breines, Wini (2002). What's Love Got to Do with It? White Women, Black Women, and Feminism in the Movement Years.

this, this and this

#white feminism #feminism #feminist #intersectionality #womanism #womens rights #equal rights #fuck the patriarchy #intersectional politics #racism #white women tears #white women #cis white women #trans rights #transgender #trans woman #educational cryptid #leftist #leftism #anarchy #communism

[scrawnytreedemon]

some picked-mins i doodled, alone in a server vc :}

#pikmin #scrawny draws #fan art #red pikmin #yellow pikmin #blue pikmin #purple pikmin #white pikmin #rock pikmin #pink pikmin #ice pikmin #ghost pikmin #plant ant yuri ! #obviously the pikmin are genderless and assigning any such sentiments is very silly #but as pikmin take heavy inspiration from ants and all worker ants are (mostly sterile) females i think the goofery lands <3 #side tangent but honestly in an anthropomorphised ant society the thing that would serve them the way gender svers us would be *caste* #different morphs allowing for different biologically-assigned roles #that are honestly WAY more distinct than cis perisex human men and women ??? you best believe it #also potentially niche opinion for a fandom i've been in for two whole weeks #but pikmin colours are giving me caste more than they are subspecies #the pikmin cooperate and the onions fuse with ease they balance each other out (ideally) it's so very smooth #there's your tag tangent ok now enjoy the pikffections on display <333 #and the icecaine.

[weallpartyatybcpatricksfuneral]

"girls support girls-" okay but are you normal about queer women? are you normal about BIWOC? are you normal about disabled women? are you normal about autistic women? are you normal about fat women? alternative women? unattractive women? are you normal about women who choose not to shave their legs and armpits and faces? are you normal about butches and tomboys and masculine women? are you normal about trans women? are you normal about trans men? are you normal about nonbinary folk and people who lie outside the gender binary or renounce gender all together? are you normal about women who absolutely despise and detest the latest trends? are you normal about weird women who unsettle you with their interests? are you normal about women who don't wear makeup, who will never wear makeup, who openly dislike makeup and the makeup industry?

#ive seen a LOT of (usually white cis het) women and girls on instagram say shit like girls support girls and then turn around and shit on #women who dont follow trends #i really hate it when a woman posts about how they dislike [insert trendy thing here] and all of a sudden shes a pick me who doesnt like #other girls #ESPECIALLY when it comes to things like makeip #*makeup #its really pissing me off #this and the rise of the 'im just a girl' 'girl math' 'girl dinner' 'girlhood is-' #SHUT UP!!!! #WOMEN HAVE MANY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES!!! #if i have to see one more 'normalize femininity' post again im going to LOSE IT #alas i need instagram because i contact people from my school on there #me posts #edit: something else ive seen is just how prevalent white feminism has become #white feminism and blatent radfem rhetoric has just started being spread EVERYWHERE #like holy shit we are regressing

[apas-95]

'transmisogyny is the intersection between the axes of misogyny and transphobia, the specific oppression applied to trans people who are also women, composite of those social systems of repression directed against those two groups separately, but also possessing unique character greater than the sum of its parts' vs 'transmisogyny is a vague ideological miasma, that aren't we really *all* victims of? how are cis people and men in the intersection of transphobia and misogyny? no clue. and really aren't some white men victims of misogynoir too?'

#if 'transmisogyny can apply to gnc cis men too' seems more reasonable than 'misogynoir can apply to white people' #it's because your framework of oppression doesn't consider trans women to be genuinely women

[uncanny-tranny]

I'm actually so done with people (including "allies") using trans* men in order to attack trans* women. There is no trans liberation without all of us.

"Oh, you don't see trans men doing [x], but you see trans women doing it!" Actually, that just tells me that you intentionally leave trans* men out of this specific bias against trans people. It tells me everything about your attitude about trans* men and trans* women.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbtq #ftm #mtf #nonbinary #transphobia #transphobia tw #transmisogyny tw #going to actually steal something out of y'all's houses if i see that EVER again #'trans men aren't invading manhood!' every time y'all say that i ~invade~ manhood even harder #genuinely saw somebody like 'trans men know they're too weak to go after [cis] manhood' and y'all are so sexist it hurts... #...like y'all really just think women(/anybody you force into womanhood) are INHERENTLY weaker... #...and people wonder why transphobia is so tied to things like racism/antisemitism/white supremacy/so many others... #...because rhetoric like this RELIES and DEPENDS ON people believing in the idea of a lesser class of peoples... #...without the idea that there is a Lesser Class/Less-Than-Human Class these ideas (eg transphobia/homophobia/sexism/rascism) CEASE to exist #scratch a transphobe and a fascist bleeds

[stupot]

I feel like, regrettably, this website needs a crash course in recognizing a particular brand of post about female martyrdom and suffering that is really, at its core, based on OP's views on a holistic level, a post about hating """men""" in disguise. Female anger is righteous and does come a from a place of personal and historical suffering, and should be expressed. I truly do think that. But I guess Tumblr's userbase sucks because then you go on these blogs and it's post after post about how men are ontologically evil and sex work should be criminalized and women are these broken shattered creatures unilaterally scorned by MALES with no hope for justice. Just the absolute most childish reductive way of analyzing misogyny in our culture that always boils down to racism, prejudice against sex workers, and transphobia

#there's a post that's pretty innocuous on its face going around #about how people love characters until they're women or something #and there is hope in my heart that something that is generally a truthful observation such as this can be made in good faith #with a sufficiently consummate understanding of how sex and gender operate in a patriarchal cis normative society #and then I go on the blog and it's talking about how people should stop bullying terfs #there's also a post about how generalizing about white women means white women should get to generalize about black men #like a fucking course you're also racist #these posts are almost always by white women whose understanding of misogyny is exclusively informed by their own white experiences

[genderkoolaid]

woah you idolize a skinny white feminine cis woman that's so original and radical. is your eyeliner also sharp enough to kill a man. i bet you're super normal about black men & trans people too

#anyways something something the way that white skinny cis women are ALWAYS the idolized version of female violence #and this aesthetic is so deeply tied to trfs and racist fatphobes and abusers #m.

[miraclemaya]

ill be honest i don't think it's worthwhile trying to talk to people who say tme/tma is racist because these people could not give less of a shit about trans women of colour it's such a joke. like fuck off.

#ah yes of course silly me i don't understand that brown cis women can't actually be transmisogynistic against me #yes don't you know we are both brown and caring about transmisogynisy is just a white person thing of course of course

[dyketubbo]

not to be a woman womaning all over the place but i feel like if you genuinely like. do not have friends that are women then you have something to work on. if you cant think of any female characters that you treat the same way you do male characters then you have something to work on. if you cant handle even seeing "i dont like being called a guy/bro/lad/etc because it doesnt feel gender neutral to me" but can understand when one of your masc besties is uncomfortable with being called girlie or sister then you have something to work on. if your default in regards to how you handle other people and even characters is to assume masculinity then you have something to work on. if you cant even let women and otherwise feminine people speak about our experiences without bringing up how you suffer too then you have something to work on.

it doesnt matter if youre queer or a poc or a minority in whatever which way, if you do not include women in your life and cant even stand a fucking inch of genuine feminism (and i dont mean terfs but god is it fucking agonizing that thats all you people can think of when you hear feminism anymore) where the point is to treat women, all women, equally then you have something to work on. listen to women, even the ones whose experiences completely dont align with yours (hell ESPECIALLY the ones whose experiences completely dont align with yours). just like how we all have to check ourselves for racism, ableism, queerphobia, we all have to check ourselves for misogyny too. stop acting like it got solved at some point. it still exists and it exists within you and you have to actually fucking work on that. "women should be included in your life and you should listen to them" shouldnt be a hard goddamn pill to swallow.

#mask mews #truly i dont think if you can call yourself a feminist then thats a red flag. actually. like legit #yes fuck terfs we all fucking hate terfs but if thats all you can think of when you hear feminism youre letting them win #youre lettin the misogynistic assholes who call people 'feminazis' win. the mras the pieces of shit who treat our rights like a debate topic #and no transmascs yall are not exempt from them just because youve experienced misogyny too #i see misogyny from queer men all the time and yall need to stop acting like being a minority #prevents you from being harmful to other minorities #black men often perpetuate misogynoir. trans men often perpetuate transmisogyny. gay men often perpetuate lesbophobia #just as women can perpetuate the harmful shit against all of those groups too #we're all being shit to each other and we all need to check ourselves and im tired of people acting #like its just okay to like. exclude women from shit #its exhausting and its misogynistic and i think especially in this fandom none of you ever moved on from thinking gaming is only for men #watch yourselves. watch how you talk about women. about femininity. #how when yall talk about the annoying cis white women #its clear which of yall are annoyed about the cis white parts. and which of yall are annoyed about the woman part

[godofsmallthings]

as somebody who initially became a swiftie because i felt so isolated from girls my age and desperately wanted to be 'normal' by relating to their interests and still doesn't really relate to taylor swift's experience of womanhood (despite loving and valuing her art/perspective about it) i despise the current trend of generalizing one monolithic piece of art or culture to be about the entire experience of 'girlhood'

#stories about girlhood NEED to be told because girlhood is just an experience of humanity #and yes there are certain experiences that unite many or most women. but i think at best approaching 'girlhood' #as one thing is isolating towards individual women and girls who don't relate to those experiences #and at worst can turn back into being reductive and misogynistic #and so often this mythologized experience of girlhood is middle class/american/white/cis/straight/etc. #vi is typing...

[triviareads]

Liana de la Rosa calling this wave of "feminist" heroines in historical romance a new marketing tactic is hard facts

#it's the shoehorned often white cis-het feminism basically #y'all know which author i'm talking about lol #as opposed to authors who have always written women with diverse personalities backgrounds and interests #historical romance

[mist-sterious]

lololol

#white women tears #transandrophobia #cis or trans it doesnt matter #they get so offended when i reveal that im not a smol uwuboy community punching bag #im a person who bites back LMAO #go bother cis men or something

[alilaro]

its so funny hbomberguy uploads a video like once every millenia, but when he does he manages to send every person he scrutinizes into oblivion, never to recover

#hbomberguy #not to be a hater but.... 🙈 i fucking hate james somerton and internet historian so much YESSS #internet historian is an edgy right-wing dickhead that makes edgy 4chan videos and hosts racists (including himself) #and james somerton is THE WHITE CIS GAY MAN QUEERS ARE WARNED ABOUT #plagiarism aside he prioritizes white gay men as the worlds biggest victims CONSTANTLY; and invalidates nbs women and poc #the video he did on jeffery dahmer made me want to scream in anger bc he goes on and on about gay men and how women dont care about them #but doesnt fucking mention a god damn thiny about how he targeted black gay men over white bc he knew he could get away with it #like he talks about queers but he only gives a shit about white gay men. thats it. #anyway sorry im tired and bitter but byeeee to these youtube bitches pls dont come back lmaao

[stemmefemme]

Friendly reminder that it's not biphobia to feel like a show isn't doing enough with a character's queerness. Especially if it was only mentioned once before the character was put in a heteronormative ship

#yes this is about Strange New Worlds #yes this is about Christine Chapel #seriously though. stop making women bisexual for diversity points and then only making them be interested in cis white dudes #it's bullshit #there is a GENUINE lack of sapphic rep in media and people always use the bisexual woman with a boyfriend as proof that there IS good rep #when can we admit that that ISN'T enough???? #shut up tessa

[lollytea]

Tbh I think the Barbie movie handled its theme of existentialism better than the feminism.

#the feminism of the barbie movie is nothing new #its nothing you wouldnt have seen in a 2016 tumblr post #and in its efforts to platform the struggle of misogyny it unintentionally shrinks the issue of other forms of bigotry #like it IS about a cis conventionally attractive white woman and the prejudice that she applies to her #because shes a woman. so is not on the TOP of the privilege scale and is going to face bigotry as a result #like Greta Gerwig clearly wrote what she knew #and she didnt feel she was educated enough to touch any other topics #the mistreatment of women is a layered topic and it is a complex matter depending on the varied range of women in this world #queer women trans women women of colour #they dont all experience misogyny in the same way that Barbie does #so its definitely not a very rounded discussion #like even Gloria focuses entirely on the pressure of just women in general #like you can claim that shes speaking from her own experience but. its very mouthpiece-ish #her speech is for the purpose of whacking you over the head with the film's message #yknow i think the focus leans too heavily as ''look what we as girls have in common'' #but doesnt touch enough on ''but look how we differ too.'' a balance between those two concepts would have been nice #i feel like Sasha being like ''hell yeah white saviour barbie!'' was like a lazy acknowledgement that theyre AWARE of this issue #but like. theyre too deep into the script now #anyway yeah i was just thinking about this cuz of that gifset #Barbie feeling unsafe and being objectified in a public space #while Ken faces no issues whatsoever. even tho he is a loudly colourful flamboyantly dressed man on rollerskates #because we are going for a misogyny message here. so we need to poof homophobia out of existence for a bit okay?? #like this is basically what i mean. putting misogyny under the spotlight #and as a result quietly pretending other social disadvantages dont apply right now. bending reality to reinforce the message that we want #this isnt like. a scathing criticism on barbie btw. i dont have a film critic brain #im dumb and i love everything #also im really not the person whos qualified to talk about this #this is just some word vomit because i cant stop thinking about it #anyway i think the themes of what it means to be human and live and breathe fucked royally #i loved that stuff

[genderkoolaid]

I don't think No True Scotsman-ing feminism is helpful but there are a lot of people (esp, in my experience, middle class cishet white women, but not exclusively) whose entire feminist education is pop feminism, & they tend to have a very shallow view of feminism & its politics while thinking they are better educated than they are. and they also have very badly made arguments that physically hurt me to hear made even if I agree with the point they are trying to make.

& tbh I think this is part of how radical feminism gets so popular especially amongst the aforementioned group. because radical feminism, for all it's flaws, DOES promise to make feminism a radically left movement again, purposefully ties itself to historical Marxist feminist theory. & if you are tired of lukewarm liberal pop feminism & want something with teeth, that's really enticing. and if you are a cis woman, especially a white one, it's very easy to let that desire for something with teeth & unexamined transphobia/cissexism guide you into Being An Asshole

#I had a class recently that was overwhelming white cis(and likely het) white women #& I am not kidding. the women of color consistently had more grounded and developed understanding of feminism #as well as fiction and class dynamics in general #white the aforementioned white women consistently had extremely shallow and poorly thought but very confident feminist takes #it was such a palpable difference when they talked #anyways I'm not saying I'm a feminist guru or anything #we all have things to learn #m.