Mame Leye Discussion #2

When I first heard of the term feminism it was through my older sister. Although we grew up in a household filled with women, there were times when feminist thinking wasn’t always followed. I remember there were many discussions in the family, especially concerning misogyny. We as a family have grown from that but I can see how it may still be internalized in us by the ways we think or the ways we act. I first heard that feminism was the belief that men and women should be equal. I still believe that that can be a good simple explanation you can give to kids. However, growing up I learned feminism was more about advocacy. When you see inequalities happening, especially between different sexes, you should fight for fairness. I did this all the time, alongside my older sister. 

We read “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand” by Bell Hooks and they define feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” I can definitely agree with that definition, it gets straight to the point but also adds more to it. My definition just says to treat men and women exactly the same in all ways which can be misleading. Yes I want women to have equal pay for equal work but I also want equal opportunities between sexes. In order to get those equal opportunities we have to stop oppressors from oppressing. Hooks definition gives people actions to follow instead of just a way of thinking. Ending sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression are all things people don’t have to think too long about because they know that they are wrong. They can see all the ways this system negatively impacts all women in society even if the oppression comes from other women. The reading has changed the way I will interpret feminism from now on. I understand now that feminism isn’t just going against the discrimination of our sex/gender but by our class and race too. 

The reading “Sex & Gender 101” by Kyl Myers didn’t really change much about what I thought about gender. This is mostly because I didn’t know much. The article informed me a lot. I think what changed was how I thought about labels. I respect all labels such as pronouns and all the different ways people may identify/ express themselves, however I would like to disregard most labels regarding me and my gender expression and sexual orientation. I liked reading that gender identity and gender expression do not have to align. I liked reading that sexual behavior and sexual orientation also do not have to align. I think that changed a lot in me. I have been focused on labels concerning sexuality for a long time but in the end I’m just realizing it doesn’t really matter to me. Sexuality can change at any time in people’s lives as well as the way they identify themselves and express their gender. Overall, reading these two texts furthered my understanding of gender and feminism and I look forward to all the other readings in the future because I just got a glimpse of all the things i do not fully know.  

“a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Explain what you understand this definition to mean.

Hooks believe that feminism is for everybody for our equal rights and that some women make it about themselves and want to live like men. What I believe about this definition is that it speaks about men and women or any gender should have the same rights and that feminism stands for the change of positivity where there’s no domination. “See how feminism can touch and change your life and all our lives. Come closer and know firsthand what the feminist movement is all about. Come closer and you will see: feminism is for everybody.”(Hooks)

How does this definition compare with what you thought “feminism” meant before you did this reading?

I thought feminism was about women who demanded the same right as men and wanted to have the same equality, and the empowerment of all women to realize their full potential and rights. This might sound funny but I actually never read about feminism because of how bad social media makes them look. I think I learn more about its bad image or reputation than the advantages of strengthening human rights. I watch more about when women make it to their advantage and take it too far without acceptance of Men and women being born with different characteristics. Where I came from people judge badly the women who call themselves feminists clearly they do not have any knowledge about this topic because they think that those feminists are changing the culture and the reality of the role of men and women in society they believed that feminism is only about women who want to have higher power than men or want to do take domination over men which hurt their pride, unfortunately, both parties do not have any education about the meaning of the word and women in my country take it for their own advantage. 

How do the reading Sex and Gender 101 compare with what you thought about gender before you did this reading?

“Gender assignment means that a person is categorized as either a masculine gender (boy/man) or a feminine gender (girl/woman) based on their external genitalia. This typically happens at birth or in-utero. Typically, if a baby appears to be biologically female they are assigned a feminine gender. If a baby appears to be biologically male they are assigned a masculine gender.” This is how I always view gender because this is how I grew up and my beliefs are due to my religion. I was raised due to my culture and more about my religion. We only identify ourselves as male or female depending on our sex, a lot of people have a different way of viewing genders and I think everyone has the right to believe or follow whatever they want as long as it’s not affecting anyone’s life. 

Ivan De Los Santos

Prof. Hollis Glaser

GWS 100-1300

Discussion 2 

“a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Explain what you understand this definition to mean.

What I understood from this definition is that Hooks felt that one of the major problems in society was sexism, And then not only men but women have sexist thoughts. Hooks stated, “it was clear that men wanted to lead, and they wanted women to follow.” Her saying showed how most men think about women in a traditional sense. Men wanted to be the leader, and women were the follower. That is not what feminism stands for. Feminism, to me, is about equality and that women should be seen as a contributor to society, not background characters.  Hooks’ definition States that it is equality for women and any gender. That is what I understood from this definition. 

How does this definition compare with what you thought “feminism” meant before you did this reading?

Before I read this essay, my thoughts on feminism were utterly different than now from my experiences. I thought that women who are feminists hated men for us not being equal when it was  our fault the society was like this because, in my eyes, I felt like I got hate for just being men when I supported the calls until I started getting hate from feministS also my idea of feminist was that it was not for us to be equal but to belittle man. I understand what women go through and the experiences and sexism they face, but I can’t say personally that I have done that because I grew up in a family full of women. Technically, I was the only male, so I was taught not to do that, but I do know people that have sexist thoughts and say sexist remarks, so this definition was completely different than what I have thought before because it shows me that all women want it’s to be equal or be seen equal to the opposite gender.

How does the reading Sex and Gender 101 compare with what you thought about gender before you did this reading?

Sex and gender 101 was a great article. It gave me some insight into stuff I didn’t know before. I didn’t understand why people used pronouns because I had never used them. This article talks about how girls are taught and expected to be soft and submissive as men are expected to be tough and rowdy. I could say that I didn’t grow up like that, so these Norms did not apply to me, but they apply to many people around me. I feel these norms shouldn’t be used because they put people in a box. I feel like from a man’s perspective. It gives mental trauma to men because they always think they shouldn’t cry. Still, this reading gave me some insight into some stuff. Still, I already knew some things, like the sexual orientation aspect, but when it comes to everything else, I learned A little bit more about gender assignment and how that goes together with pronouns.

 “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Explain what you understand this definition to mean.

This definition was said by Hooks more than 10 years ago in her book Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center. As the movement progressed, it became clear that the problem is sexism and sexist thinking in both men and women. Hooks spoke about oppression when she stated “Whether it was white women working on behalf of socialism, black women working on behalf of civil rights and black liberation, or Native American women working for indigenous rights, it was clear that men wanted to lead, and they wanted women to follow.” Men didn’t think a woman could lead and were better for the background. From my understanding Feminism is the act of equality for all without thinking of age, gender, race, or any other label that may be put on you, this is what became the movement. Hook’s definition made it clear that it’s genderless because there are women who support sexist exploitation without being aware due to their cultural backgrounds. The freedom to be who you are and be accepted by all is what I also felt while reading this.

How does this definition compare with what you thought “feminism” meant before you did this reading?

Before I did this reading I thought Feminism was strictly about women’s empowerment and it was anti-male. I believe feminists were a group of women who felt as though they were just as equal to men or even more superior to men. While reading it stated “As contemporary feminism progressed, women realized that males were not the only group in our society who supported sexist thinking and behavior” and I had to think back to childhood. While growing up my older family members who are women believed that a man must work and bring home the money while a woman stays and cares for the home. I can now say I understand that those same older family members were part of the problem instead of being a part of the movement.

How does the reading Sex and Gender 101 compare with what you thought about gender before you did this reading?

Sex and Gender 101 was very interesting to me, I work for Apple and we accept everyone for who they are. I have done my own research to educate myself on pro-nouns since I do have some co-workers who use the pronouns they/them. I think the way everything was broken down into categories in the reading will help me teach new hires about one identity. When someone sees a female they may not understand that the “female” identify as a male, the way a “female” has a tomboy style instead of being quick to label them ” lesbian” one has to understand their gender expression. I identify as a cisgender female but there are days when my expression may throw someone off to my gender because I choose to wear a sweat suit and sneakers and look less “girly”. “The nature of one’s sexuality is changeable and subject to change throughout time and that sexual behavior/sexual identity doesn’t always match” when I read this it reminded me of one of my cousins she is a cisgender female but comes of masculine due to her gender expression, recently she has been more open to her feminine side and has switch it up and it shocks the family since we were used to her one way.

Prior to reading the first chapter of “Feminism is for Everybody- Passionate Politics” by Bell Hooks, my thoughts and opinions on feminism were as simple as equality for all. Though I am not a consistent activist, I always seemed to agree with the protests and general posts regarding feminism. A fault on my behalf is not taking action to make a change on such topics- avoiding the troubles. Oblivion may be bliss but it does not take away the injustices we face. Myself, as a queer woman, find myself enraged when I hear the cruel reality of the standards some individuals (both men and women) still believe against women, races, sexuality, culture, etc. I just want to yell: “CAN YOU JUST LET EVERYONE BE HAPPY WITH THEMSELVES!?”. Unfortunately, to avoid anger, I catch myself avoiding it, therefore lacking knowledge of what exactly feminism is all about. At least in details.

Bell Hooks begins to make it simple for me in a way that makes sense. In a way that I agree. A movement not only consisting of enraged women like many may believe, but simply humans, in favor of equal rights. To create a future world where sexism, racism, and sexual exploitation is not an issue we continue to face.

Following the reading of Bell Hooks, I enjoyed the reading “Sex and Gender 101”. As a New Yorker experiencing this city, I have met all types of people. Rather interesting, in the last couple of years, I have caught myself googling and teaching myself about different genders and sexual orientations. There is so much to learn! I loved the categories it was broken down to, I find it an easy way to be able to explain it to someone in the future that is easily self explanatory: Gender assignment: The gender you were assigned by basically your family based off body features.. Gender identity: The gender you choose to identify yourself as. and Gender expression: The gender you choose to express yourself as, perhaps by style, hairdo, personality, etc.

To conclude, I would love to share my current identity. Though I agree labels are not needed, I have been pretty set and stoned on mine : Cisgender female- bisexual.