I dedicated my statement to struggle. Not only the political struggle we undergo as women under white supremacy and the heteronormative patriarchy, but also the internal struggle I undergo as a person with trauma, fears, and cultural identity that shapes a large part of who I am. I hope that with my writings and my photos, I am able to display my truth, and how I see the value of my fight in every single woman, femme, and vagina owner that I have had the blessing of encountering in this life. I was writing with the purpose of understanding power better, of being able to see where it lies and where it is taken away precisely. I realized after working on this project and after a meeting with my community organization New York Boricua Resistance that there can be two truths that co-exist. While men are the first ones needed to divest from toxic masculinity before we can do anything for gender equality and justice, it is women’s position as a marginalized group that has allowed for us to see the mechanisms of the system at play. Feminist deconstruction is what granted us this understanding and gave the beast a name, therefore, men’s liberation will always be a feminist struggle too. Nevertheless, I aimed a lot of my discussion on women’s liberation towards the brutalization of black and brown women by men in our communities. It’s relevant to me given the current state of things in Puerto Rico. I hope you enjoy it.
