This week’s reading, The Combahee River Collective Statement, was such a pleasure to read. I genuinely admire how these women gathered together and wrote such a concise, yet powerful piece on what they expect and how they expect to be treated in society. Not only are they speaking for themselves, but are speaking for an entire group of people and that’s a huge responsibility. As I always get when I read about the unfortunate experiences women go through daily, it’s horrific to think about when that was written, and our present day. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then in regards to the racism and sexism we face, not including physical attacks being made on women. The film that was assigned, Paris is Burning, was also a great film to watch. This semester I am also taking Critical Thinking: Inquiry through Queer Theories, and many of my peers mentioned this film as a must-watch. I very much enjoyed watching everyone come together and build their own homes free of judgment and close-minded opinions. Identity politics is something that I have never truly thought of or learned about in previous courses, but I felt that this film, and reading, were great examples of showing how they play out. It also showed me that just because some aren’t accepting of who you are, you can always find a home elsewhere where you can experience acceptance and love. It was both inspiring and moving to see how we are capable of lifting one another, even when society tries to do the opposite.