Lynette on What It Means To Be An Intersectional Feminist

It’s hard out here for a feminist.


Every twist and turn you find someone misattributing something new to feminism: man hating, blaming, victimization.

I’m here to set the record straight. 
I am a feminist. 
I am, specifically, an intersectional feminist- I believe in a feminism which includes many different issues.

 So while I focus on women, I also acknowledge the struggles different women face, and how these struggles intersect into feminism.

My feminism is not just for white cis women. My feminism is for women of color, for trans women, for disabled women.

Simply put, my feminism is for ALL women.


And even though my feminism is not for men, it benefits men. I am here to defend and protect male rape victims from the awful people who act as if such a thing never exists. I am not here to man hate. 


At its core, feminism is about the equality of the sexes.

We do not call it “equalism” because we recognize that women are at the disadvantage in this society, especially if you add in the above mentioned factors of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Equalism implies that both sexes and all genders are in equal need of help, and you don't have to look far to see this isn't true. 
Feminism is about lifting women to same social status as men. It means if we do the same exact job, women should not be paid 5,000 less than men every year.

Intersectional feminism is so much more. It’s about recognizing the struggles of the black woman as she encounters stereotype after stereotype; it's about recognizing that trans women die at disproportionately higher rates than their cis counterparts; it’s about recognizing the struggles of disabled women who are often overlooked, even by the mainstream disability and neuroatypical movement.


The next time you wand to attribute something bad to feminism, stop and truly think. 
Feminists have flaws. I’m aware of the some of the “radical” ones out there, although I don't consider them true feminists. That's not what it's really about. What I hope to do is shine a light on feminism and dispel all of these myths about it.

Obviously, this is a feminist book blog. We are five young feminists who met on a writing sites' forum, became friends, and decided to start a blog. We all come from different backgrounds and all have different lives. 


But we are intersected by our views. We believe in equality at its core. That I can say for all of us.