Author: Taavixiqua

While watching the “Out in the night” film it made me very emotional. Hearing how these 4 women had their story flipped like that was crazy. And it was at a point that with all the news articles, and media coverage that was covering this story how quick they were to blame these women. How quick they were to put those women in boxes and label them as “animals” all for defending themselves. Even with all the evidence presented they were unfortunately convicted with extreme sentences. Ya know when I say this I don’t mean this to sound bad but its true, its scary being a woman sometimes. Being in fear to walk to the park, school, home, just about anywhere and worrying if you’re going to be attacked or something just because you’re a women. And that’s what got me upset with these women who were the actual victims in this case, how they became the attackers. These 4 women were called “lesbians, b!tches, wolves, gang members, etc. All of these horrible things were said about them even though they were the VICTIMS. But of course the story of man attacks lesbians wouldn’t garner the medias attention the way the way their story did. Cause women should just give in right? they should just be called disgusting thing by men who think they have power of them, by men who can’t bear rejection right? This was really upsetting. And hearing about other events that occurred after this like a rise of homophobic attacks were happening. This story touched on how oppression to black women, homosexuals, is often taken lightly when attacks are done upon them, but when they defend themselves now they are the “animals”. These things just really don’t make sense to me, and its really sad. like honestly and truly its sad that these thing occurred and are still occurring, that people are hurt physically and emotionally for being who they are.

The concept of the “nuclear family” which is commonly known for two parents: A father, a mother and one or more children is a structure which in my option should be discontinued- if that makes sense. This idea of what it is to be a family has been implemented for centuries, and this continues to have an affect on todays society. This really got me thinking. Who decided that this is what a family is composed of? Cause if were being real im pretty sure there’s a big percentage of people who did not live like this- mom and dad etc. Another thing is the whole idea of family which people think can only be related to you. This is not true. Family are the people who love and care for you, who are there in times of need.. which makes me think about how people have the idea of the “nuclear family” only being a mom and dad. I know people who were raised in single households. Also people who were raised with same sex parents. The limits that exist like being raised by mom and dad should not matter when it comes to raising children, and I don’t believe it will have an effect as people think it would on a child’s development. The interventions of the LGBT+ community can offer many children who aren’t fortunate to grow up in a “nuclear family”. Personally if a family consisting of whoever mom and mom dad and dad or mom and dad can provide a stable, loving and caring environment for their family then that’s all that is important, all the other stuff people make an issue just creates unnecessary boundaries for society and peoples lives.

Ya know it’s funny to think that we still have gender disparities in the workplace today. It’s like mind boggling. Like the relationship between gender and the workplace. I have a friend who says One worker who is male makes sexual jokes to the women on the staff and even after he was told to stop he continued, he happens to be very close friends to the manager who is also male. so its like even bringing it to the manager you kinda know who side he’s going to take.
Or even if i’m standing next to a male coworker on the floor a male customer would speak only to him as if I couldn’t give him the same information. It’s really sad that these things are still happening, and its only the tip of the iceberg.

I become more and more appalled hearing about the struggles people of the lgbt+ community face, more specifically transgender people. something so simple as bathroom access to cis gender people is not as easy for transgender people. And its crazy even saying and typing this out because whether your cis, transgender, gay, bi, non- binary you’re still a person. WE ALL use the bathroom because that’s a thing people do, everyone does it. And so for people to decide that a transgender person can’t access the bathroom that matches their gender expression is ridiculous. No cause like if you really try to understand this it just doesn’t make sense. Like your pressed about seeing a transgender person using the bathroom they feel comfortable with.. like why you minding they business. Just use the bathroom, you only gonna spend like 5 mins in there, then you leave, that’s it. Or even the fact that non binary people who don’t identify as male or female would have a bathroom that is separate from the rest. Like why if the male and female bathrooms are on the first floor they should have to go to the 6th or 7th floor because that’s the only private bathroom available?? First of all thats not even fair. Well, these are just some thoughts and feeling i have about after this weeks readings. I really hope things can change.

hey guys hope all is well:)

If you haven’t already heard about the tea with the royals… well i hope you’ve at least seen the memes. This one in particular I cannot escape, and has been a highlight of my week. Like how do people come up with these. Also Oprah line “were you ??silent??.. or were u?? silencedddd ??deserves an oscar.

btw the next slide after this is where she would say her oscar worthy line.

The primary issue that concerned feminist in the late 60’s was the oppression of women. Throughout most of the text there’s a common discussion of women’s roles in society, and how they are viewed. In both “I want a Wife” and “The Politics of Housework” there’s a clear message of what men think of women, or at least what they are expected to be like. The entirety of “I want a wife” stresses the many responsibilities and burdens a wife was subjected to. And honestly thinking about it, how did women live like this? Like psychologically that must have been h3ll, to be at home all day taking care of children, cooking, cleaning and then to have your husband come home and treat them like royalty, and do that everyday of their lives… Idk still can’t believe that.
Another thing is that “women are inferior to men”. And this is an issue still occurring today. In “women’s liberation” Gloria say people believe women have smaller brains; inability to govern themselves, limited job skills; identity as sex objects, and so on.” This whole belief just doesn’t make sense because how could someone have this idea of women if they never were allowed to do much beyond the home? How could you know of a women’s capabilities, or ability to govern herself if all you don’t see her beyond a housewife, or a sex object?

I think, despite the fact that we can vote now, and serve in the military, women are still confronted with many obstacles today. Yes there has been substantial progression from the late 60’s until today but for example women are still fighting for equal pay, and even freedom of their own bodies.

Sojouner Truth original speech sheds light on the inequalities she faced as a women. She shares how she can do everything a man does but is not given the same rights as him. Whats the excuse? Like when she says ” if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart, why can’t she have her little pint full. In those days people said men were smarter and stronger than women and everyone went with it that. I think that Truth is saying why women can’t utilize that “pint,” regardless of whether it is a smaller than that of the men. She also makes biblical references saying ” And how Jesus came into the world? Through God who created him and women who bore him. Man where is your part? She is relating the bible because religion and God and stuff was used a justifications and references relating to slavery and womens rights. She is saying how Jesus came from God and a women. Man, the same men/man who think they are superior, smarter, and stronger than women has nothing to do with this, they play no part.

Frances Gage’s very inaccurate version of Truth’s speech I think should have not been published. I get that she was also on the side of womans rights and abolition of slavery but I feel as though she took Sojourner speech and devalued it. First off by falsely giving the speech a “southern slave dialect” its like she wanted to “dumb it down”. Truth didn’t even talk like that, she spoke dutch so that is kinda offensive. In addition if Gage was trying to tell Truth’s story/speech it wasn’t even correct. She is talking about things that 1. wasn’t true and 2. things she can never even relate to. When she says ” I have borne thirteen chillen, and seen ’em mos’ all sold off into slavery…” Gage was a white women and she didn’t have thirteen children. She never was a slave, and she never had her children taken from her. So for her to have taken Truth’s speech, devalue it, “dumb it down” and not only practically take credit for it and have no idea of the hardships, trauma, and suffering that African Americans endured for over 300 years is down right offensive. But this is not something we haven’t heard before, this has been going on even before this too.

When I was reading Ijeoma story she says there are four commandments incorporating what a womans responsibilities are to her family which include: “her office is a kitchen, she is responsible for ALL the chores in the home, she is accountable for the children and their actions, and she must pledge total allegiance to the man”. I legit had to read this twice to make sure I was seeing that correctly. Now I understand that the culture in Nigeria is different than here in America, but I think those rules are another form of enslavement. (don’t take this the wrong way) In addition the whole idea that a woman marry and have children. Saying things like that puts a lot of pressure on women. And this just continues the vicious cycle of women conforming to the needs of men.

When I was reading Pascoes excerpt, makes so many point but these hit a nerve. he writes “boys lay to claim to masculine identities by lobbing homophobia epithets at one another….they also assert masculine selves by engaging in heterosexist discussion of girls bodies and their own sexual experiences”. Hearing this is so funny/ ironic because men do all of this to “prove” their manlyness/ masculinity TO OTHER MEN!!! Men feel like the only way to assert their dominance is by calling other males homophobic slurs and degrading women, like who said that please let me know. Or homophobia, don’t even get me started.. because the suffix phobia is defined as a fear. So technically speaking men who are homophobic have a fear of homosexual men but then the wouldn’t make sense cause why would you as a big and strong, super manly man be scared of another man right? anyways… yea *chuckles*

Honestly growing up it wasn’t like Ijeoma story having to clean up after males in my family or make sure they are taken care or but it was more in the aspect of trying to explore the way my brothers did. Like if i would ask my mom to go to a party or go out she is telling how something happened to a girl like kidnapped or something… never to my brothers though. Its like males are invincible right? I guess indirectly I was subject to norms like acting a certain way, and speaking a certain way as well. Girls are supposed to wear this… girls are supposed to talk like this. Is that fair? no.

When I hear the terms Feminism, sexism, and gender and women studies I think of oppression, and people wanting equality. Feminism defined is a range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. When some people hear feminism they have this negative beliefs like they are women who hate men. Which is not true. To better put in words “Feminism is a movement to end sexism”-Bell Hooks. I really like this definition because not only does it address the issues of feminism but also sexism because they both tie into one another. The overall goal of feminist is not to be better or more superior to men but to be equal to men. In Audre Lorde: Age, Race, Class, and Sex, she highlights how issues in certain communities and groups goes beyond just gender, race, etc. How we ignore differences within our similar communities. Shew specifically says ” ..not the differences that separates women but our reluctance to recognize differences..” This really resonates with me because of how true it is. or when she says ” the three ways we react to differences: ignore it, copy it if dominate, or destroy it if subordinate.