When I think of the ways I experience privilege, I automatically think about my mother and father. They both did not go to college and worked their way up in order to live comfortably. They did this so that I would be able to live a happy life with a roof over my head and food on the table. As a child I was told repeatedly to be grateful for everything I have, especially my health. It was seriously ingrained into my mind that health is wealth, and therefore I must keep my body healthy in order to work hard for the things I want. To be healthy, is a literal privilege. Some people are born with serious health conditions that stop them from being able to flourish with the rest of society. I also experience privilege by going to BMCC. Not everyone has access to education, and I try to remind myself that by having this privilege, I must put it to good use.

As for oppression, I do not feel that I myself have been oppressed. I definitely have had times in my life where I have been discouraged as a woman, at school boys have put me down and made me feel insignificant, and at work I have had some troublesome interactions with men. Otherwise I have only witnessed oppression outside of myself. I think that is why I try to ground myself as often as I can with how privileged I am, as a reminder that there are many people who struggle.

I do want to note that after watching the YouTube video, I cried. I could really feel the pain of the people in the video, I could see it on their faces how awkward it was to start holding hands as equals and gradually move apart from one another. I wish more people had access to videos and resources such as the ones we are reading and watching, educating ourselves on these uncomfortable topics is so important. This weeks readings provided so many examples of privilege and oppression, I was able to find definitions that made it clear for me to understand. In Oppression by Marilyn Frye, she states “The experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional and hence avoidable, but are systematically related to each other in such a way as to catch one between and almong them and restrict or penalize motion in any direction.” – This meaning to stop those oppressed from having any outside gain, stripped of resources such as education and affordable housing, and penalized when they show resistance.
In our reading White Privilege by Peggy McIntosh, it was hard to find an exact definition of privilege because she focuses heavily on how white people are not educated on recognizing their privilege. She explains this as; “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.” I like how she uses the word unearned, as many think that their parents privilege does not reflect back on their own- and then goes on to list how she cashes in these unearned privileges and to act oblivious to it when doing so.

In Beyond The Gender Binary, Alok explains that moving beyond the gender binary helps us understand that there is a huge difference between what is normal, and what is forcibly normative. It is normal to be straight, gay, pansexual, non-binary, transgender, etc. We must remind ourselves that what we are taught growing up isn’t normal, we shouldn’t take gender and color code it with feelings and accessories to enhance masculinity and femininity. To move beyond the gender binary means inclusivity and acceptance. To make space for gender non-conforming people and transgender people, so that they feel safe and secure in their bodies. It is also to erase the notion that these people do not deserve basic human rights, and allow for positive publicity in mainstream media. I find Alok’s excerpt is similar to our last reading by Bell Hooks wherein she states “Let the movement begin again.” Alok’s points throughout the chapter stop us in our tracks with thoughts, questions, and statements people have in regard to non-binary, transgender, and gender overall. This allows for drastic change, for people to pursue a new thought process when learning about these topics.

I notice my gender identity when I dive into fashion. I love brands that argue gender and create beautiful pieces that anyone can put on and feel good when wearing. I also believe fashion is a huge part of binary norms, that girls should wear pink skirts and boys’ blue sneakers- but that is not what true fashion is all about. Fashion is complicated because it is used as a norm to define someone’s gender from birth- by putting a baby girl in a pink onesie. At the same time, people have the luxury of buying whatever they want to put on their bodies, thus breaking these norms and allowing room for new ideas and creativity. I find myself always running to the men’s section in thrift stores to find the perfect pair of baggy Levi’s, as well as big oversized t-shirts and flannels, because all of the items in the women’s section are tight-fitting, exposing, and uncomfortable. I do love tank tops, crop tops, and fitted pants, but I sometimes hate what the women section has to offer. I only wear dresses, skirts, and heels on special occasions because I don’t feel like it’s necessary to “dress like a girl”. I am a girl, wearing my favorite crewneck, Levi’s, and sneakers. I don’t need to prove that to anyone, and neither should someone who is non-binary.

In the essay Feminism Is For Everyone, Bell Hooks explains feminism as “A movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression.” When I reflect on this definition I gain an understanding that in order for the world to progress, specifically the United states, we must break down the preconcieved notions of a women’s purpose. Hooks lists ending sexism, sexist exploration and oppression because those are the building blocks of patriarchy. At the end of the chapter Hooks states “We can share the simple yet powerful message that feminism is a movement to end sexist oppression. Let’s start there. Let the movement begin again.” Hooks definition of feminism comes full circle in this chapter and enforces that feminism needs to be broken down before it is built back up again. It is difficult to solve centuries of oppression and sexism, therefore this movement requires constant progression from both men and women.

Before reading this essay, I believed that feminism was solely putting an end to the stay at home, cooking and cleaning mother figure, thus, allowing for women to be present in the work place and obtain high positions and gain equal pay to men. I now see that it is much deeper than just fighting for equality and fair pay. Hooks helped me to understand that the at home cooking and cleaning mother figure is a microscopic portion of the bigger picture. I also now know better than to think that feminism is anti-men, for there are many women who were raised to think that men are the breadwinners and women must stay in their lane. In order for feminism to build, both men and women must be present in furthering this movment.

When reading Sex and Gender 101 I was able to dive deeper into the topic of intersex and how chromosome variation plays a huge role in the genital form a person is given at birth, along with hormonal imbalances and complications with sexual development. I was able to clearly break down sex chromosome variations and have it laid out in a way that was understandable. I enjoyed reading the differences of biological sex, gender, and sexual orientation and how these terms are completely separate from one another. It is important to differentiate the three terms and know that each category breaks down into smaller ones, for example, gender breaks down into assignment, identity, and expression. I was also not well versed in the definition of pansexual, being that a person is attracted to the qualities of a person over their biological sex or gender. I find that fascinating, to disregard the physical and exterior aspects of someone and focus on their attributes instead.

Hello! My name is Olivia, I am 22 years old and my pronouns are she/her. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and my major is multimedia programming and design. I am currently working as a personal assistant but hope to land an internship this summer that goes hand in hand with my major. Some of my hobbies include shooting film, drawing, and researching runway, vintage vogue, (all things fashion related). I love fashion, reading good novels, and trying new foods. I also love my switch, I play animal crossing and super smash. I truly dislike picky eaters, laziness, and disorganization. I have a very strong work ethic and take school seriously, but I still like to enjoy myself and leave room for self-care Sundays. I took this course to further my knowledge of women’s rights and how they’ve progressed throughout history. Being that my mother is gay, I was raised and surrounded by strong women for the majority of my life. I am taking this course as a general elective but I am looking forward to the readings Dr. Waychoff provides us. Considering this class is asynchronous, I have found it helpful in the past to utilize Whatsapp group chats for further discussion outside of class. If anyone would like to create one and talk about our assignments and readings please let me know!

Looking forward to a productive and fun semester with you all.