I would like to start off with Allan G. Johnson’s Patriarchy, the system. He makes a point when it comes to men thinking that they are the patriarchy. Somehow men believe that they automatically own rights to everything, meaning the government, making laws, owning women, and controlling women especially. There is this unspoken word or rule that men run the show. Truth is there is not any way to make this untrue because our government is mostly run by a bunch of old white men. The oppression of women comes from men. He explains how maybe we should not blame one person or a broken system, instead of placing blame on society or men, that we should realize where the problem is and fix it. The government tends to ignore the problem. We live in a system who creates the problem and then acts oblivious when it comes to solving it. There was something that really hit home for me and that was class oppression, there are a lot of people who would love to succeed and make a ton of money however the system is built to keep you stuck. I have experienced this first-hand. When a system is against you it is extremely hard to keep moving forward. The patriarchy is obsessed with controlling women and people who are less fortune. The system is full of vague responses as to why or how things happen, no one who is in power has ever taken responsibility or accountability. A person of color’s experience in the patriarchy is different from the white women and men. I must mention how Allan G. Johnson mentions how in patriarchy the men are considered most valuable because they build, they are strong, they fight the good fight, and are good leaders. Which he explains that powerful forces taught us to believe that men are more capable. When it comes down to, we are not a patriarchy.  

Now when I read There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions by: Audre Lorde,  

She expresses how she is black and a Black woman at that, society has made her into this strong woman because she has no other choice. Society makes it extremely hard for her to even express her thoughts on when there is a problem she is known as being defiant, difficult, inferior, or plain wrong. She explains that people who want the freedom to live in their truths all come from mostly the same problems. However, there are a bunch of people who are in a state of acceptance of how this is the way things are specifically within the Black communities. People tend to ignore oppression and the unjust systems until it affects them. 

This week’s reading were very insightful and I love how these women were not afraid to express the different ways that they weren’t informed of how privileged and how oppression correlate.

Marilyn Fyre goes into detail about oppression, specifically pointing out the word Press in Oppression meaning there is always applied pressure somehow. Whether the pressure of a society, the pressure women feel after speaking up or defending themselves. The word press relates to being flattened or reduced, which was a remarkably interesting thing to mention. Women are molded and restricted by barriers society has placed. Women in general have truly little to no support. She continues expressing how women at times are considered difficult or unpleasant if they are not smiling in the face of oppression. Women are victim shamed for being sexually active and are consider promiscuous. If a woman says no, she is offend killed or talked down to for saying no. I experienced this when I was a teenaged girl. A guy would try to talk to me, I would ignore him, and he would say you are ugly anyway. Being a woman, we get sticked with a double standard that is so unfair. Oppression has always been a word I have been familiar with, I have experienced oppression walking on a sidewalk when I white person is walking, I would move out the way, and unknowingly for a while I did not realize they expect for me to move, til one day I decided I would not move out the way they had to step aside and let me pass for once! It was the funniest thing they were flustered and did not know which way to go LOL!.  I know this type of oppression is minuscule compared to those of others. Try it when you are walking down the street, white people see right through you like you do not exist. 

This also relates to Peggy Melntosh’s article White Privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack,  

She explains how most white people are not taught about their white privilege, especially Men. How they have this unwillingness to acknowledge that they have privileges. White people are taught not to recognize their white privilege and men taught not to acknowledge their male privilege. Honesty passing as a white Latina I did not realize that I had that privilege until I was in my twenty’s when I started to open my eyes outside of my own experiences. I can act as a shield to protect my Brown and Black family members and friends. Then there were things like the disrespect from strange men on the street that other women have experienced that I no longer felt alone. Men have the simple privilege of walking down the street at night with no care in the world and us women walk with precaution and on high alert the whole way home or we do the buddy system to make sure we get home safely.  

I would like to mention how optimistic I am for this generation because people are becoming more self-aware and having these uncomfortable conversations that make people aware of their actions and the ways they can change them for the better. We can all just look out for each other and acknowledge each other’s experiences. 

Natasha Luciano

Beyond The Gender Bianary is relatable. As I was reading, I could relate to Alok so much. The feeling they get when walking down the street and someone has the nerve to comment on your body and what you are wearing, I always get the urge to yell “nobody asked for your opinion!” Alok writes in a way where I can see their experiences because I too have been in uncomfortable situations. I say only the girls, the gays, and the theys understand what it is like to be harassed walking down a street minding your business. I was not surprised at all when I read about how the government is making laws to not protect them, that it is certainly a state of emergency because they are being discriminated against, so it leads to homelessness. The fact that they do not want to let transgender athletes play any sports. Imagine someone telling you to stop being yourself and stop doing the things you love because it makes them uncomfortable, or they do not want to understand or even relate to you somehow. The you choose to live like that is quite common and ignorant. Why can’t we just be and live life without people wanting to control us and squeeze us into a box? Why does anyone have control over how we choose to live our lives! Alok said something that will forever stick with me, they said how are you supposed to believe the harm that you experience when people do not even believe that you exist. The fact that we live in a world where people really have the audacity to scrutinize someone because they feel that entitled. 

I would like to really discuss the chapter of Feminism is for Everybody. This was a remarkably interesting read. Women were not allowed to even breathe without a man telling her to do so. Women had to obey and not speak up or fight for their right and become workers of society. The fact that they used religion as a weapon against women was ridiculous. I was not surprised to find out that it was white women to start the fight for equal rights. Back then Black women were not even allowed in the same areas as white women or white people. Feminism was not for everyone back in the day. when is come to reading the article of sex and gender it is more When it comes to sex and gender 101 it is a more progressive article. I feel that there will be a brighter future where gender and sex will not exist. That we will simply be known as a human with a heart and purpose. There are intersex people who were born with both parts, and it is not fair to force them into a box. Gender identity is someone who identifies as one gender or another. It does not matter if they were born female, male, or intersex. Then there is gender expression, which is when some express themselves with different looks, hairstyles, clothing. Then there is sexual orientation which is a spectrum within itself, people like what they like and everyone should not be put in a box.  

Hi My name is Natasha Luciano, I was born and raised in the big apple. I love and hate it here sometimes. My pronouns are she/her. I love great conversations with people who actually have life stories to tell. I have a hard time talking about myself. I will share that I love making people feel confident and beautiful, That explains my love for hairstyling,make-up and skin care. I Have been in the beauty industry for about 12 years now. During the pandemic i was bascially without a job and looking for other interests of mine that I had put in the back burner to concentrate on my career. I have always been into movies,how they are written and story telling. I hope to one day write a book that will be converted into a big screen movie. I am excited to start this class and to get into some deep conversations with you all.