#peak yt feminism | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

taylorftparamore · 7 years

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to elaborate further still on my issue with white feminism is that it equates an intentionally ignorant white woman with a feminist of color (race, in the case, does not matter just as long as they are not white) in their beginning stages. the problem with being a woman of color is that you can never tell if the reason you’re being passed over for a job, promotion, or education experience is due to your womanhood or due to your race. it’s a very real reality that allows us to be blinded to racism at first because it’s accompanied with sexism.

white feminism is intentionally arming feminism to further their whiteness. i disagree that “any woman of any race can be a white feminist” because it’s a lie. it’s not true. a latina woman will never be able to be fully immersed in whiteness. a black woman who does not realize how her blackness has shaped her life because she’s managed to be cushioned by her parents will never have the same privileges a white woman has.

a black woman cannot be a white feminist. an asian woman cannot be a white feminist. a latina woman cannot be a white feminist. by very definition of the word, they are excluded from whiteness and ergo unable to be white feminists. white feminism as a term has its place, but i really think it’s being applied wrong. basic beginner feminism isn’t white feminism, per say. while there’s an overlap (women deserve equality to men is a founding principle of all forms of feminism, in fact), there’s little to suggest that white feminism as a term has been pinned down properly.

i know that this particular explanation of white feminism isn’t as soundbite friendly nor is it easy to parrot off the top of your head, but i think that’s the big problem i have with the term: it’s too soundbite friendly. at some point, we’ve allowed a toxic ideology that is used to defend against accusations of pedophilia, rape apologia, and racism turn into a soundbite that now includes “anyone can be a white feminist” which... only cushions white women who are white feminists or white women who aren’t feminists - even so called “intersectional” white women have benefited greatly from “anyone can be a white feminist” ideology.

white feminism must be defined as a white women who uses feminism to shield against criticism, to further their own white privilege, to abuse other women, and to attack other women (esp women of color). it must STAY defined exclusively as a white woman trait. doing so otherwise risks defining anyone who is beginning to learn feminism (esp women of color, who are expected to understand feminism perfectly from the get go or risk being seen as Unfeminist) as a white feminist, which is NOT what white feminism should be defined as.

#i have a lot of thoughts in regards to the use of white feminism on this site #it's become a very big buzzword #but what IS white feminism?#and i realize that a lot of y'all aren't going to read all dat #but y'know what #fuck anything that's riddled with buzzwords #fuck anything that can't go in depth of their thoughts in regards to feminism #if all you can do is parrot buzzwords are you really as radical as you think you are #[eyes radfems] y'all especially are peak yt feminism tbh

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