I really appreciated this weeks readings, both on gender and feminism.

I really felt that particularly bell hooks’ writing in “Feminist Politics Where We Stand” helped coalesce many of the thoughts I have floating around in my head. I particularly appreciated the way she highlighted race and class and the way they intersect with the feminist movement, how gender equality looks different from different racial and class perspectives, and how some pursuits missed the mark in failing to recognize those differences. I felt like her definition of feminism really illustrated how in many instances, when seeking to address inequalities (e.g. race, gender), focusing on the result of those inequalities does not alleviate the cause of them. I also felt this tied into her final point on lifestyle feminism and the removal of politics from feminism. If you pick and choose issues as they relate to yourself, without taking into account their effect on others, you do the whole movement a disservice, if you can even include yourself within it.

“Sex & Gender 101” was a great starting point for our discussions on gender. In providing the basics concepts or terms it managed to demonstrate how things such as gender identity and expression are universal. I think this is the greater point, or what I look forward to exploring. The ways in which these concepts can be disregarded when they follow the societal norms, but how when we consider them as universal they begin to illuminate the full spectrum of gender identity and expression.

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.

“Feminist Politics Where We Stand” Bell Hooks defines feminism as: “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.”  Feminism’s main goal is to create equality between men and women overall. It just implies that all sexist thinking and actions are the problem, whether it be a female m male. What I understand feminism to be to me is to understand sexism and erase sexism from the world. In the book Bell Hook explains that most people viewed feminism as anti-men which created some negative opinions regarding feminism. Feminism was thought to be used as an excuse for women not to do housework, not have children and be lesbians. Bell Hooks states that “early on most feminist activist the majority of who were white after a while as they worked on socialism the Black women joined in and they worked on behalf of civil rights and Black liberation’s the Native American women worked on Indigenous rights. Throughout history women have had to fight for equality they were not allowed to work or vote. To society women were supposed to get married be homemakers and bear children. This is so true see my aunt was just like this, her husband did not want her to work at all. She stayed home and had eight kids she could not do anything without his permission. This I think still happens today but quietly. It is time for women to stand up for themselves and make a change. As Bell explains, “giving the reality of racism, it made sense that white men were more willing consider women rights when the granting of those rights could serve the interest of maintaining white supremacy. We should not forget that white women began to assert their need for freedom for civil rights, just when racial discrimination was ending and Black people, especially Black males might have attained equality in the workforce with white men.” (Hook, pg 4). This means that whit women were not the only ones that are fighting for feminism, but Black people are as well. They all want equal rights when it comes to society and the workplace. Before I read this book, I thought that feminism meant a movement for women who were superior to men and that women were against men for everything. But I have to say that I never investigated it, I just believed what everyone else’s opinions were on the meaning of feminism. Now I can say I understand feminism to be wanting equality for all people and for them not to be sexist against anyone. I have explained to some people around me what it really means. They themselves were saying wow I never knew. Well now they know. I am sure there is more to learn. 

Giselle Valentine 

Reading Reflection for Bell Hooks “Feminist politics, where we stand”

Feminism is anti patriarchy it is against male domination and power dynamics between men and women in public and private matters. Equity for women is what the goal is in feminism. For  many women they have or still experience harassment and violence disproportionately more often than men because of their gender. Men who do not engage in this violence and domineering still benefit from the privileges this form of oppression provides and that was mentioned in Bell Hooks article. In the work place women are more likely to be sexually harassed as well as more likely to go through sexual assault. Every woman knows at least 1 other woman who has experienced SA and pursuing justice is damaging and rarely sees justice through. These are things women go through that have been normalized or gas-lighted. Feminism is necessary to dismantle the structures that exist to oppress women due to gender. In my reading I was reflecting on my own experiences as a woman and frustration on how anyone can be blind to how women are viewed and expected to behave. We are literally still fighting over autonomy over our own bodies and it is irritating to have to educate people consistently in the ways we are silenced and devalued. I appreciate Bell Hooks point of view and stance in restorative justice. She had the patience and compassion to view the men and society as willing to learn and give them the benefit of the doubt. I hope to not internalize the frustration and learn the same ways. 

Reflection for Sex and Gender 101 by Kyl Meyers

In the Article Sex and Gender 101 I was pleasantly surprised that this reading was apart of the curriculum because i work for an organization that specifically services LGBTQ clients  and we are big in affirming clients and pronouns and we consistently take workshops and it is wonderful but outside of the doors of my job feels like a different universe . Where even in profession setting things are not addressed in ways that feel affirming to an individual I was also able to learn terms I havent thought of before and give me a different lens to view the concept of gender too in the article Meyers says this “Gender refers to the social and cultural roles that males and females are expected to subscribe to based on their biological sex.” I honestly have never viewed it in that way. I know in other cultures we acknowledge more than one gender but I have never connected the notion that this whole idea of Gender is just another construct of this country’s reality. That can be reconstructed and built in support of people and their identities. Providing people with the services and safety education and skills they deserve in daily life can support people to have a better quality of life in the challenges  they face and it is extremely important to educate ourselves as best we can. This article was wonderful and rich in the explanation of differences between sex and gender and all the definitions in between. Thank you for assigning this reading.

The belief of one being born a certain sex and gender was once the only thought I had. One couldn’t identify themself as gender neutral. This all based on my ignorance around the subject. In the article“ Sex & Gender 101”, by Kyl Myers explains, raising zoomer in a gender- creative way relies on the fact that sex and gender are not the same thing. For example some people are assigned male at birth but identify as women. Aswell as some are assigned female at birth but identify as men. Males have XY chromosomes, females have XX chromosomes, and there are also several different sex chromosome variations. There are some intersex variations that are apparent at birth, others become apparent at puberty, while others may go undiscovered throughout a person’s lifetime. In my own experience I have seen one of my good friends identify themselves more male like, I tried to encourage them to go with the flow and didn’t take the thought as how they identified themselves. A child should be able to identify themselves as they see fit. The way we can allow our children to be comfortable being who they want to be is showing them that they will be accepted no matter who they are. Making sure they can be allowed to show the opposite from what society believes how male or females should behave. Understanding this as a child might be hard but incorporating acceptance can be a start. I would also encourage this topic to come up in future classrooms. There are children terrified to feel different but there are ways we can help them know that being different is okay. We need to empower children to be themselves. I wish I had a better understanding as a child but I can only continue to learn and understand all perspectives.

I would like to talk to you about the two readings this week, the first being ‘Feminist Politics: Where We Stand’ by bell hooks and ‘Sex & Gender 101 by Kyl Meyers’. From the first reading, I was seriously surprised by the fact that when they fought for women’s rights, only white women did it and that after a long time black women have joined this movement. In addition, there is also the fact that at that time the man was only looking for a way to have more power than any woman for which they treated her as if she were not something of value. I remember, in my world studies class, we were talking about John Locke and how he talks about natural rights ‘For man’. This always made me curious, because in a certain way, why did he emphasize men? In his time I thought that it was just a way of saying and that rights were for anyone regardless of gender. Until my teacher explained everything completely and made us see how toxic the mentality of men was at that time, and how they only cared about themselves and not the women there. Meanwhile, in the second reading we have ‘Sex and Gender’, in which he explains what Biological sex is (which is the gender that is assigned to us as soon as we are born, in which it is divided into three, female, male and intersex, showing us the different numbers of chromosomes and the differences that exist between the X and Y chromosome), the gender (which is already a little more advanced, since this is where it is applied when the baby grows and begins to think what gender it really feels like) , and finally the sexual orientation (which focuses more on what attracts the person, and how this also develops as the baby grows). I can say, the importance that exists between ‘Sex and Gender’, since coming as I grew up I could see how around me I was not taught this topic in a good way. I remember, that just as it says in the text, they always said about how there are only two genders and how the male must like one thing, and the female must like the other. I remember I had a friend, he always played barbies with me and loved the color pink. This child suffered at school for that simple fact, and it is something that made me helpless since he could not make others see reason. What bothers me a lot is how people at that time could not understand, and how many people could go through the same thing without being understood until now. Tastes are tastes and in the end what you want and how you feel will always prevail.

This week’s readings were very interesting, I always enjoy reading about sex, gender, and feminism. Sex & Gender 101 explained the difference between sex, gender, and sexuality. Biological sex refers to the physiological characteristics that define if our sex is male, female, or intersex. This can be defined by sex organs, external genitalia, sex chromosomes, and sex hormones. Gender is a social construct that assigns certain roles and behaviors to each one of the sexes. Gender assignment is the gender assigned at birth based on the genitals, gender identity is the one which the person feels more comfortable with, and gender expression it’s how you choose to express your gender identity. Sexual orientation is who you feel attracted to. I feel like the spectrum of gender is very broad and even though one identifies as cisgender, it is impossible to fit in a box. For example, I identify as a cisgender female, but the idea of being a mom isn’t something that excites me. I am a messy person since I was a kid and I am not necessarily high maintenance when it comes to my appearance, but I do like the color pink, I do like to cook sometimes, and I tend to be kind and respectful. Am I really a gender-nonconforming person? I don’t know, but for now, I feel comfortable saying I am a cisgender woman. I’m also interested in exploring the “gender abolitionism” concept since it proposes a model where our biological sex doesn’t dictate how are we supposed to behave or who are we supposed to be. The chapter of the book talks about what is feminism and its evolution throughout the years. I think that everything the author says is very accurate. Feminism was supposed to be a movement to end sexism, attack the patriarchy from its roots. Nowadays it seems that everyone adapts feminism to their lives in a way that is convenient to them. Even though the Western culture has progressed a lot, we still live in a patriarchal society where women are being oppressed