Disclosure is an eye-opening film I have never felt so deeply about a film. This documentary opened gave me a clearer insight to the life of trans people throughout the years. And to be honest it made me dislike the entertainment industry a bit. Why have trans people been depicted as comedy it is go degrading. I truly felt so heart broken for all the little kids that watched shows with misrepresentation of trans people. Imagine how they much of felt and think. What really upset me was the way they made trans people seem like liars. They never lied they are who they say they are regardless of the genitalia they were born with. The Construct of gender really is a toxic thing that truly is causes a lot of issues for Queer individuals. It also brings into question how humans really love because if you try to kill or beat someone just because they don’t have the genitalia you associated with their physical representation, you are not only abusing that person mentally and physically, but you are dehumanizing them. This misrepresentation of trans people is not benefiting anyone. One it makes it seem like all trans people are nothing more than their physical appearance with I find is the lease important it is how they feel inside those counts. Second it gives of the wrong reaction to finding out a person is trans, trans people are human and do not deserve to be represented in a way that degrades them and sees them as revolting. They representation of men dresses in movies as women to represent trans women affects both the cis men and the trans women because it gives the message that without their makeup, they are a man and that could not be further from the truth. Trans women ARE WOMEN and that is that! With makeup without make they are women. Gender goes way beyond gender. And brings up the question of homophobia because why is the idea of kissing a man so revolting. Finally, this dramatically effects young children and other people in general who have not come out to their family and society because they think they will not be accepted and well be beaten for being them. Pose and Naomi from Sense 8 was the first time I saw beautiful representation of a trans person on film. Naomi in sense 8 is true to herself and her relationship with her girlfriend is beautiful. Sense 8 is one the best shows I have ever seen when it comes to representation of sexuality outside of heterosexuality. I have never watch Boys Don’t Cry but I have so much empathy for the real person and people that go through that. I tried so made to hold back my tears when they showed the scene of the demon teen boys bullying him and exposing his to his girlfriend. It was too painful to watch I would have to work up a lot of courage to watch that film because I know I will be heart broken after. I don’t understand why some humans are so cruel. It really baffles my mind because humans find it so are to realize that we are all the same from the trees to the animals to the smallest being. Who are we to beside who’s existence is valid and who’s is not? This film has made me more conscience of how I look at people and how people view others. It took me a long time to realize that I was pansexual and know that I know I would not want someone to take that away from me. And I will fight for the rights and pure representation and happiness and well being of all trans people.

Abortion Division was sad yet comical to me. I truly felt bad for the women that went in to get an abortion and felt like they were doing something wrong. Or the older women that learned she was having twins and began to cry. I understand that it hurts to think you are losing a baby, but I agree with them and their choices. If you cannot afford to bring a child into the world and give them what they deserve, do not bring them here. And those who kept the baby and put them up for adoption after, are also so strong. I can only imagine the feeling, the attachment, they feel after 9 months together and then giving them away in hopes they live a happy life. I was highly annoyed by the creepy old white men that prayed and protested outside of the clinic. Why are you so concerned with women and their body? Why is it ANY of their business? I connected with one of the speakers when she said, “There is a sense that woman simply can’t make moral decisions on their own. The state must intervene and tell them what to do. I think it’s pure hypocrisy.” I completely agree, why is it that men always feel obligated to tell women what to do with their bodies, it is not your body, so you have no say. It is sad that even today they see a women’s body as their property. When they mentioned the clinic that attempts to talk women out of abortion I laughed because their values are hilarious. One of the nurses said, “We offer pregnancy test, but we don’t provide contraception here. We don’t want people engaging in behavior that’s risky to them.” This was pure comedy to me, you expect humans to refrain from sex, something we naturally do. Can you be so illiterate to think denying contraception will stop people from having sex when they want, that is like telling a child not to touch the cookie jar. Then there was the old white doctor who said, “contraception takes away a natural barrier to promiscuity. And promiscuity is what drives abortion.”  First off, I would like to say that one-night stands and unprotected sex between unmarried people is not the only cause of abortion. It was proven in the documentary that even married couples have abortions and it is because they do not see themselves financially or mentally ready to have a child. That is the main reason people have abortions, because they do not think they are fit to have a child at that point in time. This documentary was filmed in the early 2000s and nothing has changed. People still think they can tell a woman what to do with her body. Just look at the protest that were going on in Texas for woman’s reproductive rights, the white old man was right this is a fight that might go on for more generations to come but it will be a pro-choice victory. Heather Lee’s, post represent exactly how these men sound trying to tell a woman what to do with HER body, hypocrites. Let us flip the switch a pro-life man gets a woman other than his wife pregnant, most defiantly he will not want that baby, why? Because it will be an inconvenience to him, but it is okay for him to tell a woman what do with her body. Literally disgusting. And regarding the hobby lobby video, yes, I will no longer be shopping there.  

Too Latina to be Black, Too Black to be Latina by Aleichia Williams, Is the most relatable article I have ever read, and I am sure it would be the same for other people of ambiguous features or mixed backgrounds. Alechia spoke about not fitting in, in North Carolina because people could not grasp the fact that she is a Black-Latina. This bias of what a Latina should look like or how a black person should act has come from the classification and stereotypes placed in society by the white man. When you are not accepted in either of your racial backgrounds you feel like you don’t belong, and it brings up the thought as to why one should have to look and act a certain way to be acceptable by society. This reminded me of Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon because gender non-conforming persons experience oppression in the same way. They do not fit into just one category so our existence is questioned. Alechia speaks about not understanding why one must fit into the roles of society and why we just can’t be seen as human. I really connected with this point of view, growing up as a mixed child being Black, Indian, and Hispanic people always tried to fit me into just one category. I would always be asking about how I am so mixed and if I knew how to speak all the languages and if I didn’t, I would be considered lesser than. If I had a dollar for every time, I get the question “What are you?” I would be rich. This always bothered me in the same way it bothers Alechia why does it matter if I speak the language or not that does not make me any less connected with my heritage and culture. The problem with society is that we use race to separate us from one another instead of bringing us closer. Alechia states, “I am Black, I am Latina, Also I am human.” This quote spoke to me because it reminded me of the moment, I realized I am who I am and I will never be able to please those in society but I can make peace with myself. Heather lee’s post illustrates exactly what many people of ambiguous features face due to stereotypes of race and what people should be and look like based on their skin color.

After reading The Power of Identity Politics, the many conversations I have made with my friends and family were proven correct. I speak to my mother often about how before colonization the world did not know race, homophobia, sexism, in other words, oppression. The article reads, “In other words, if white people had not created a false classification for people based on skin color genitalia or class status in order to maintain power and privilege over others would we even be having this conversation?” and answer is no. Colonizers stripped ethnic groups of their heritage and killed out those who did not want to give up who they are. It is the white cisgender Christian man that put the idea into all ethnic groups that fair skin is power. The Blonde woman spoken about in the article does not understand the significance of seeing more colored people on screen because she has seen people like her all her life. Yes, a person should not be hired because of the color of their skin but it is important to understand the power of representation of colored people and the power it has to lead us to be seen as equals to the cis straight white man.

Black feminism started when white feminist leaders did not share the voices of black women. After reading (1977) THE COMBAHEE RIVER COLLECTIVE STATEMENT it was clear that the same issue black feminists of the 70s tried to solve is the same issue we face today. Black women are not only oppressed because of the color of their skin but for simply being a woman and for those who are a part of the LGBTQ community they face a triple threat from society. Black women or not only oppressed by the white man but the men of their own community. Some black men do not agree with black women being feminists and prefer to hold on to the oppression they have over black women instead of seeing them as their equals much like the white men. However black women face and must fight against multiple forms of oppression, oppression of race, sex, and sexual identity. Black women from a young age are sexualized in our communities many black women have faced sexual assault by their own relatives.  The article reads, “Issues and projects that collective members have actually worked on are sterilization abuse, abortion rights, battered women, rape and health care. We have also done many workshops and educational on Black feminism on college campuses, at women’s conferences, and most recently for high school women.” Black feminists all over have been dealing with these issues since their teenage years and saw their mother sisters going through the same thing. I think black feminists have contributed more to the world of feminism because they are fighting not only for all women but children and people of color, along with the LGBTQ community. Even today black women of the LGBTIQ community are treated inhumanely look at the rate of black trans women that have been killed over the past 2 years or the black lesbian women how are shamed for just being themselves. Black feminists are fighting against oppression for the girls, the gays, and POC.

Paris is Burning really touched my heart, being a part of the LGBTQ community and knowing people that have had to go through similar situations like the young men in the documentary. It is very sad to know that families disown their children for being true to their identities. On the other hand, it is better to adopt a family that will give you love and is with you through thick and thin rather than being treated like you are lesser than by your blood. This documentary reminded me of the TV series POSE, if you have not seen it, it is about these houses that compete at a ball every week, but it shows the trials and tribulations of a queer person in the 80s. one of the man characters is this young man who wants to be a dancer and he is in the closet because he is afraid his parents will disown him. eventually, his father finds out that he is gay; beats him, and proceeds to say he no longer has a son. It is very sad that their so-called parents stop loving their kids just because they are not who they want them to be. I appreciate Kevin Kimble’s post featuring legendary because it really does show the confidence and strength house families give each other. If you haven’t seen Pose it’s a great show to see what queer people dealt with within the 80s.

The Feminine Mystic is something I think all the women of the 50s needed to read. Women from a young age are taught that a true woman is nurturing and lives solely for her husband and kids. The Feminine Mystic speaks of the “problem with no name” that all housewives had in common, but they could not place their fingers on it. The problem was they were living for everyone else around them but themselves. The Feminine Mystic speaks about the way women were brainwashed by society to think true femininity was being nurturing and beautiful; nothing more. Women only focused on keeping their husbands and children happy and keeping their home looking like it belongs in a magazine. The Feminine Mystic reads, “Experts told them how to catch a man and keep him,  how to breastfeed children and handle their toilet training, how to cope with sibling rivalry and adolescent rebellion; how to buy a dishwasher, bake bread, cook gourmet snails, and build a swimming pool with their own hands; how to dress, look, and act more feminine and make marriage more exciting;  how to keep their husbands from dying young and their sons from growing into delinquents.” This is what the women of that period were taught, magazines told them how to keep their home beautiful and husbands happy not to find their true purpose and do what makes them truly happy. The problem with no name was that calling for something more than cleaning and cooking. I loved how The Feminine Mystic spoke about true femininity and what it really means to be a woman. The Feminine Mystic reads, “it says this femininity is so mysterious and intuitive and close to the creation and origin of life that man-made science may never be able to understand it.  But however special and different, it is in no way inferior to the nature of man; it may even in certain respects be superior.” Women are the most powerful being God created, we bring life into the world, we are so multitalented it’s a superpower. Full career women with families keep the home in check, raise the kids, work full time, and find the time for self-care and hobbies; if that’s not a superhero then I don’t know what is. On the other, it is mind-boggling to see that after all these women are still seen as inferior to men in the modern day. Why are women still expected to cook and clean and look after the kids after a long day of work or hell just being at home?

In The Politics of Housework by Pat Mainardi, Mainardi speaks about the way women are undermined in relationships when it comes to housework and if we are truly liberated. She speaks of men and their need to feel superior in every aspect and how housework makes them feel lesser than because it’s a never-ending cycle and there is no higher goal.  Mainardi said that she spoke to her partner about how they should share the housework as they share everything else, and he said sure, but she knew there was a catch. Mainardi writes, “I don’t mind sharing the housework, but I don’t do it very well. We should each do the things we’re best at.” MEANING: Unfortunately, I’m no good at things like washing dishes or cooking. What I do best is a little light carpentry, changing light bulbs, moving furniture (how often do you move furniture?).” Men will not do anything that they believe questions their manly hood so washing dishes is out of the question because it’s a “women’s job.” The fact that some men still think this way is revolting. Why is cleaning seen as the job of a woman; we work the same hours, same field, yet the women are still expected to cook and clean. Then when you nag them, and they finally get up to do the housework they play dumb and act like they don’t know how to do it in hopes that you will get frustrated and do it for them. Most men from a young age have everything done for them, cooking cleaning, tying their shoes, hell, even brushing their hair. So, as they get older, they expect their partners to do the same. A while back there was a tik tok going around of a wife who had to print out images of the items she wanted her husband to get from the grocery along with the number he needed to pick up. This was manipulation at its finest, he didn’t want to do the hard job of thinking and doing the grocery shopping, so he played dumb and had his wife do the work for him.  I liked Mainardi’s example with the wolves and female spiders. She claims that men see themselves as the alphas they are meant to lead and make a change, not to do housework. But I know that most of the time the alpha of a wolf pack is controlled by the female wolf.  Female spiders eat the heads of their mates, and the queen bee does the same and runs the hive. Male birds must dance and look pretty to win over a female bird, and sperm whales fight to the death to win over a mate. In most species, if not all, the females are the superior ones. So, what’s not clicking with the human species why are women still seen as inferior. Men judge everything else but themselves, I loved Hannah Nichols’s post regarding a woman keeping her stocking perfect in the 50s. It’s so funny to me that a man would care about his wife’s stocking when she is running the home and keeping his life in order. It is funny how they are always so concerned with our appearance even today, yet they don’t know our anatomy. Most men only focus on their needs and want, women on the other hand are naturally peaceful caring beings. Yes, we are working harder than the men in most professional fields, we run the home raise the kids, and fulfill our needs, but I believe we will not be completely liberated until we stop caring about the needs of others; it’s time to be selfish.