The last couple of years were key to questioning our roles as members of this society and reevaluating our identities as we collectively learned and created awareness about social injustice. With the Black Lives Matter movement, the Covid-19 pandemic, and other huge events that made evident the inequality among the United States, a discussion about oppression and privilege started. This week’s reading allowed us to further our knowledge about oppression and privilege.

In the first reading, the author, Marilyn Frye, creates an interesting analogy between being oppressed and being a bird trapped in a cage. She explained that being oppressed is being repressed by systematically related barriers, just like the wires of a birdcage. These barriers immobilize the oppressed group, mold them and reduce their options in life. Women are oppressed because they are subject to multiple barriers that were created to benefit the oppressors, men. Frye explained the differences between being miserable and oppressed, one can be miserable without being oppressed. For example, a man can suffer because he is broke and his wife cheated on him multiple times, but that suffering is not because of his sex or gender. Also, one can be oppressed and have privileges at the same time. For example, a man of color can be oppressed but he’d still have privileges because he’s a man. An interesting point the author raised is the gallant gestures and how they actually mock women. These gestures seem to be a demonstration of kindness and respect toward women and plenty of women, especially the older, love a “gentleman” who opens the door for them, pays for their food, or carries their bags. These are actions that every woman who isn’t physically impaired can do by herself. In reality, the meaning of men doing these gestures for women is that they are not able to do it by themselves. I’ve never liked men doing this kind of stuff for me, it’s cringy and unnecessary. Oppression can be seen in multiple ways and the term can be misused very often. To know if someone is a victim of oppression, it is important to evaluate the context of the situation, and identify who is the oppressor and how the situation benefits them.

Privilege is a benefit one obtains without earning it. It gives you advantages that other people don’t have and they also deserve. White privilege is something we have seen throughout history, is very tragic how your skin color was used to define your value as a person, even though we are all equals. Peggy McIntosh digs deeper into white privilege, showing us her perspective on privilege as a white woman, how it benefits her, and why it is important that people are able to recognize their privilege and use it to help unprivileged people. The author reveals how white people don’t see themselves as oppressors or as fairly advantaged people. She describes privilege as an unearned entitlement and an unearned advantage. It is important that people are able to recognize their privilege in order to create equity among people.

In my opinion, it is very important that people recognize their privilege and use it for the better. Our society is very unfair, and it is sad to see how unequal everything is. Systematic racism keeps people of color oppressed, and even though racism is not as evident as 50 years ago there are still many barriers that keep them from succeeding as a lot of white people in the U.S. As a black queer latina immigrant, I definitely have a lot of stuff to deal with, and I experience a lot of injustice in different ways. As a woman, I am more likely to be harassed on the street than a man, as a bisexual, my sexual orientation can be used against me in my own family, as a black person, my skin color can make people believe that I’m loud or any other stereotype. Even though I am at a lot of disadvantage, I know that I have some privileges like being “cisgender”, not having a disability. Also, my parents being able to afford a good private school in my home country, that’s why I know English, and I’m writing this, and the privilege that my father was a U.S citizen. It is important to keep discussing these topics, so we can help everyone to succeed.

To move beyond the gender for Alok means to acknowledge that there are more genders than the binary normativity men and women. Non-binary means not identifying with either of the men or women genders. Because of the gender binary normativity in western society, nonbinary people suffer from discrimination, being more likely to experience murder, physical violence, homelessness, and job discrimination. Because gender binarity is a way of repressing people, it has been difficult to create a change and more policies where the multiple genders that exist are acknowledged and protected. To move beyond the gender binary to Alok means to reduce the dismissal against gender nonconforming people. Things are not supposed to be a certain way, throughout the years we evolve as a civilization, discovering new things, and accommodating the needs of everyone. For this reason, to dismiss gender non conforming people is a way to conserve old beliefs and norms that were created to benefit the oppressors, instead of looking for every single person’s wellbeing. To move beyond the gender binary also means to stop supporting actions or policies because they are convenient to us, but not for everyone. In my opinion, this is a way to keep people oppressed and no one should be oppressed because of how they decide to identify themselves. Biology is used as an excuse to not move beyond the gender binary. There are multiple variables to sex, not only female and male but there is also intersex. It is important to acknowledge each one of the sexes, and also everyone’s body is different, so the female and male sexes should not be taken as the only ones. In our society, many policies have been created on the basis of sex, as if it was a very determining factor to our capacities and right as human beings. I think that in actuality this is good because of the gender inequality that history created, so having policies based on sex it’s important to achieve equity. However, sex or gender shouldn’t be a determining factor when giving jobs or opportunities to someone. To recognize that there are many other genders besides men and women is necessary because everyone should be respected no matter their gender. To have a job, and opportunities based on your skills, morals, and values, is something that everyone regarding their gender should have. Personally, I feel comfortable identifying as a woman, however, I don’t feel like I am the stereotypical woman. For example, I am not that caring, I notice that my mom is very protective and always checks on everyone, I don’t. I am also very messy and disorganized. I kind of fit the women stereotype because I really like the color pink, I enjoy make up and dresses. Gender is a social construct, and our skills, morals, and values do not depend on it, regardless of our gender we all are humans, and that’s what people tend to forget

The author describes feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression”. Among society, there is a belief that feminists do not like men and feminism is a movement to start a kind of female supremacy and prove that women are better than men. Some people when they think of a feminist, think about a butch lesbian who doesn’t take care of her appearance and hates men. In Bell’s Hook definition of feminism, she proves wrong the people who have this misconception about it. She portrays feminism as a social movement dedicated to fighting for women’s rights and equality between both sexes. Feminists try to create a society where women are not constantly sexualized or objectified, where women receive the same pay as men working in the same position, and where women have autonomy and can make their own decisions without depending on men. In the book The Moment of Lift by Melissa Gates, she talks about issues like mothers and neonatal health, no remunerated work (being a housewife), child marriage, etc. Melinda tells the experiences of women living in underdeveloped countries and explains how all of these issues are a barrier to their personal growth and development. Clearly, the patriarchal system we are part of intends to keep women oppressed, feminism fights against these issues, so women can climb the ladder of society and succeed. I share the same position with Bell Hooks about feminism for approximately two or three years. I did primary, middle, and high school in an all-girls, catholic school in Guatemala. The school always taught us feminist values, they encouraged us to express our thoughts and to stand against inequality, so I had an idea about feminism. What I found out later is that there are multiple types of feminism. In the book, Bell Hooks talks about revolutionary feminists whose goal was to cut patriarchy from the roots and reformist feminists, who adapted feminism to the patriarchal system. It was very interesting to read how the initial purpose of feminism faded and adapted to the patriarchy. This makes me think about sex workers, and how some actual liberal feminists think it is empowering to earn money with your body. Also, the reading made me aware of how only a highly literate sector of society has access to some revolutionary theories and ideas. The second reading Sex and Gender 101 explained the differences between these two terms. I already knew the differences between sex and gender, but this article clarified some things. For example, I knew that sex refers to our physiological characteristics, but I wasn’t that aware of the “intersex” and the different variations of this sex. Gender refers to a social construct based on the feminine and masculine sex. It determines how are we supposed to behave, think, and what norms are we supposed to follow according to our genitals. Gender is something fluid, since I don’t think there are people who are completely subscribed to their gender, there are different combinations.

Hello everyone! My name is Catherine, and my pronouns are (she/her). I’m a psychology major and this is my last semester at BMCC. After my graduation, I want to transfer to Hunter to get my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I want to become a clinical psychologist and especially support immigrant LGBTQ+ youth. I also want to travel as much as possible, I love discovering new places. Some things that I like are Ru Paul’s Drag Race, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, writing, listening to music, trying new dishes, and coffee. I’m also enjoying learning more about relationships and questioning monogamy. I don’t like closed-minded people and math.

I am originally from Guatemala, a country in Central America, and I moved to New York two years ago after my high school graduation. Moving to the U.S, was a very bittersweet experience since leaving everything behind, my friends, my home, my family, and just letting go of the place I always called home was uncomfortable, sad, and even scary. On the other hand, it was exciting because New York is a wonderful city, nothing compares to the rats under the subway lol. No, seriously, this is a gorgeous city. I love that it is like a little world, with people of so many different countries and cultures, and although we are very different, we all have something in common, which is courage and passion to work for our dreams. Something else that I love about New York it’s that it has some gorgeous places, and you are able to be whoever you want to be. In my natal country, marriage between same sex couples it’s not legal, as well as abortion, and there aren’t any laws protecting people of the LGBTQ+ community. Also, there are high rates of femicides, women disappear frequently, and the government doesn’t seem to care at all. Also, many people in Guatemala, still are very close-minded and conservative, which leads to the preservation of beliefs full of hate and disrespect, harming future generations. For example, I am bisexual, but I am not out of the closet with my relatives since they are homophobic, I am only out with people who are not my family. Another example is my friend who was suspended from my all-girls catholic school for months because they discovered she was in a relationship with another girl from my school.

This happened when we were 14 years old and it really touched me because I think it is so unfair that a school denied education to a child for her sexual orientation. Issues like this make me very passionate about social justice and psychology. Also, made me curious about learning more about sexual orientation, gender, and women. Therefore, I am taking this course. I am interested in taking further my knowledge about what does it mean to be a woman, the big spectrum that exists between the masculine and feminine gender, women throughout human history, and I want to know about things I am not aware that I don’t know. Wish you all the best this semester!