Reading Reflections – Sex and Gender 101

I thought this was a very informative article! There was a lot that I learned about, such as different variations of intersex individuals, and gender assignment. I also wasn’t aware that being intersex is such a common occurrence. I think this is a very important fact for people to understand, and I appreciate its inclusion in the article. Intersex generally isn’t included in conversations regarding sex/gender or welcomed to a lot of safe spaces for gender/sex minorities. I thought that the article’s exploration of gender assignment was also important. The inclusion of medically necessary surgeries is essential in shedding light on the lack of autonomy for intersex individuals. Gender assignment, identity, and expression are explained very well in this article and can go a long way in educating people on the subject and the differences between sex and gender. The relationship between sex and gender is often misunderstood, and the premise of educating parents to teach new generations would definitely be helpful.

Reading Reflections – Feminist Politics: Where We Stand

Bell Hooks does a wonderful job of identifying the purpose of feminism and how it is misunderstood. It’s unfortunate that its meaning is sometimes lost. However, even so, it’s important to not let those who misconstrue the movement stop others from supporting it. There is extremism in all important issues. I feel that it’s important for the movement to include all women, including women of color, trans women, and disabled women. Women who conform to traditional gender roles shouldn’t always be labeled as oppressed if that is what they consent to. Bell Hooks delves deeply into many different facets of the issues feminism faced. I liked Bell’s exploration of the issues that black women faced in their lack of representation in the movement, their goals being overlooked, the clash between revolutionary feminism and reformist feminism, and the part that racism had to play in it. Bell explains that black women were involved in feminism, however, were never credited to the same degree that others in the movement were. Their goals for dismantling patriarchy and sexism were at odds with reformist feminists, who focused on equality between women and men. The presence of racism also influenced how revolutionary visions were generally not being accepted. Reformist feminism was able to claim more rights for women, however, left working-class and poor women with more to be desired.