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I think intersectionality is such an interesting concept and to see that it isn't as widely conversed as it should be, bothers me. I found some pretty cool artifacts this time around, that I feel as though do a tremendous job of covering the topic of intersectionality. The first artifact I have is a video that gives a quick explanation of what intersectional feminism is. It also gives some examples on how different issues can be looked at from the traditional and intersectional feministic point of views. Next, I have a simple picture that shows all the different things that can "intersect" and construct a person's place in society. Right below this, I have an article that give more specific examples of how intersectionaliry effects people. It touches on some history, what has changed, and some things that still need to be worked on. Then, I posted a picture that I found to be very neat. It shows a group of women that vary in size, religion, etc. and above them is a banner that stay "We can do it!". This picture is promoting empowerment for women all around the world, no matter their background. Lastly, I have a video of Janet Mock's speech from this year's Women's March. Mock knows intersectionality all to well as she is a transgender women of color. Her speech is incredible, she speaks out for so many pressing issues that a lot of people aren't brave enough to do so. I learned a lot from these artifacts and I hope you do as well!

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I never dared call myself a feminist until college.

Before then, I always believed feminism was reserved for white women.

The way I saw it, I had way too many other issues to be concerned about. And because these issues weren't addressed in the feminist movement, I disassociated myself entirely.

REX/Shuttestock

Black or intersectional women, must constantly fight the battle to win equality for both identities (black issues + women's issues) that do not fall in line with the typical white male agenda.

Black women have looked to the feminist movement as a support group and ally in this fight, but many times our issues regarding race fall short. Historically, this has always been the case.

Feminism in history.

The National American Women's Suffrage Association, formed in 1869, sparked from an everlasting divide when group leaders excluded black women in order to maintain white supremacy in the south.

This exclusion amongst white feminism persists today in subtle ways.

White feminists often preach of " color blindness" that affords them the opportunity to act as though racial inequalities aren't relevant to the movement. It's as if women's movements can only maintain enough leverage to skim the surface of equality, without diving under the surface of race and class issues.

Latina, Muslim, Native American, Asian American and LGBTI women share similar experiences in the underrepresentation of the mainstream feminist movement.

The lack of inclusion amongst white feminism often encourages us to step back and switch our focus to other causes.

Although you shouldn't have to choose, I've come to know many women who tend to be more passionate about feminism and others who are more concerned with racial equality, gay rights, etc.

I tend to fall into the latter.

The intersectionality of being a woman and being black can be quite puzzling.

The intersectionality of being a woman and being black can be quite puzzling at times. The stereotypes created for black women, specifically, are very contradictory.

As women, we're generally viewed as weak, but our blackness also tells the world that we're too masculine. We are belittled and feared. For hundreds of years we've been forced into a losing battle in the never ending comparison to white women.

White women are shorted over $400,000 over the course of their careers in comparison to men. Concurrently, black and Native American women lose over $870,000 and Latinas lose out on over a million.

Aside from a difference in earnings, cultural appropriation has played a pivotal role in an already strained relationship between white and black women.

Countless black hairstyles and fashion have been shunned by society only to be stolen, repackaged and credited to and by white women. Even when we bask in our natural beauty and recognize our brilliance, our confidence threatens society, and we are once again condemned.

Our necks are strained from constantly being forced to look up at white women on pedestals built by society.

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Many white women claim to want equality, yet fail to acknowledge that there is a hierarchy amongst women alone that they sit on top of. You can be well-intentioned and still be detrimental to the growth of a movement if your intent is clouded by ignorance.

Cis, white feminists often reference the many struggles they face: misogyny, sexism and reproductive rights. White women have one force they are up against, and they aren't shy in calling him out.

White women have one force they are up against, and they aren't shy in calling him out.

This force, of course, is the cis white man: the one group that supersedes their hierarchy.

I hope I am wrong in my suspicion, but many times I've felt that cis white women sometimes point the finger at cis white men in hopes that having a common enemy will clear them of any wrongdoing of their own.

White women tend to take "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" approach when it comes to opening their arms to black feminists. Many think it's enough to simply point the finger at cis white men, but fail to acknowledge the detriment of ignoring other minority struggles that do not apply to them.

then how are we supposed to be able to separate the two from each other?

Historically, white women have contributed to racism. The vicious lie that led to Emmett Till's murder still haunts us and has resurrected itself in many false claims landing innocent black men in prison.

Today, white women have played a majority key role in the disempowerment of not only minorities, but of themselves. By now we should all be aware of the 53 percent of white women who voted for Donald Trump.

These are the facts that fuel our hesitation to unite as one. Not just because of the women who voted for Trump, but because of those who don't hold this group of women accountable.

We do not blame all white women for the 53 percent who turned their backs on us, but we cannot sweep this fact under the rug as if it did not happen.

Any reluctance in calling out your white female counterparts in being on the wrong side of history just assures us that the overall image of white feminism is more important than actual equality for all women.

How do we fix this?

We cannot simply grant immunity of white privilege to white women off the strength that they come second to white men. We black women recognize your struggles because they are our own, but the disconnect begins when you fail to acknowledge the levels of inequalities we face that you are not subjected to. Even worse, inequalities that white women often benefit from.

Our stories are not the same. While we share some experiences of being marginalized for simply being women, many intersectional feminists have endured immeasurably more suffering.

Women of all races have been victim of hyper sexualization. In the past, white sexuality was used to lynch black men based of of false claims of rape. Meanwhile, black women were over sexualized and dehumanized to be used as tools for rape and reproduction. See the difference?

Many highly praised and well known feminists have set the tone that the feminist movement revolves around white women. From Susan B. Anthony, whose documented racist comments are often hushed, to the likes of Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham, who often fight for one type of feminist cause.

Their perpetual ignorance toward minorities is regularly excused or overlooked, leaving intersectional feminists to be the ones to call them out.

We need to be solidified so we can become a greater force in fighting inequality for women.

We need to be solidified so we can become a greater force in fighting inequality for women.

This will never happen if minorities continue to be excluded. We will not sacrifice our needs to serve yours under the misconception that it is for all women.

In order to solidify feminists of all backgrounds, white feminists need to recognize their privilege over ours and fight against it. We need them to hold each other accountable for the ways in which they contribute to the divide, instead of turning a blind eye.

We must have full representation and be treated as though we are equals rather than pawns in an agenda against the patriarchy. Our burdens need to be understood and taken seriously.

The day "all women" actually means all women, we will be a force to be reckoned with.

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What Will It Take For Feminism To Be Completely Intersectional?

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I never dared call myself a feminist until college. Before then, I always believed feminism was reserved for white women. The way I saw it, I had way too many other issues to be concerned about. And because these issues weren't addressed in the femin...

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I was able to find some very interesting artifacts that show what it's like to have and not to have privilege. The first picture I have above shows two people about to begin a race. The person on the left is a white, well-dressed male and in front of him are just two hurdles. The person on the left is a women of color, dressed in athletic wear and in front of her are a number of difficult obstacles. To me, this represents how your gender, ethnicity, social class, etc. has a big effect on your race to the top of the totem pole. Next, I have a link to a quiz that is meant to test your level of privilege. I feel as though it is important to recognize how much privilege you truly have. If you are unaware of the advantages that you were simply born with you are more likely to come off as oblivious and ignorant to the struggles of people around you. After that, is a video showing a diverse group of people performing a social experiment dealing with privilege. The video is powerful because it physically shows the gaps between each persons privilege. The next artifact below, gives out some advice to those of greater privilege. It gives examples to help people recognize when it's necessary to speak up for what's right, but also when they may be wrong and need to take a step back to just listen. The last picture I found is a very simple example of what it's like to be born with privilege. It's a small comic style post, showing two kids with very different home lives. I enjoyed searching for all these artifacts because they all made me appreciate the privileges I have been granted.

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Women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, and the poor are on the front lines of Trump's war on civil liberties. Here's how straight White men can help.

A lot of us are frustrated. We feel like hate has won the day, even as many of our family members maddeningly celebrate Trump's election as a victory for the little guy. Many of us will be frustrated into inaction, while others will be inspired to get off our butts and follow some of the action lines written in publications like this one. Through it all, we need to remember to be good allies, especially those of us with privilege to spare.

Women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, and the poor are going to be on the front lines of Trump's war on civil rights and civil liberties. Those of us who are safer need to step up and get involved, too. We can't just leave it to our brothers and sisters who are more directly in the line of fire to deal with.

So, yes, I'm primarily addressing the straight White males of the world (like myself). But even if you remove two out of three of those qualities, you're still working with some measure of privilege that can be used either to help your fellow humans or worsen their situation while also making yourself out to be a total asshole.

It's my hope that this article will steer us all toward the former.

1. LISTEN AND TRUST.
This is obvious, but it warrants constant restating: To help the people most affected by Trump's reign, we have to really listen when they speak about

the issues they face, and believe what they're saying. It's easy to feel like you already know what the issues are. But if you haven't been experiencing them first-hand for your entire life, there's a huge difference. That one time someone treated you badly because you were White in another country doesn't count against the daily micro-aggressions people of color are subjected to.

Listen to where people are coming from without any "but actually" or "well, in my experience" kind of unsolicited advice. If folks are sharing with you, they're already extending you some measure of trust themselves. So just hear people and trust their experiences without picking them apart. Sometimes that really means a lot.

2. NOT EVERY CONVERSATION NEEDS YOUR VOICE ...
I'll admit that this was one of the hardest things for me to unpack, personally. If you were raised with some measure of privilege, you're probably used to being listened to and knowing that you have something to add to every conversation. In conversations with folks of lesser privilege, this often comes across as gaslighting (manipulating someone into feeling like they are the problem), or making the issue about yourself, even if that's not what you intended. When you're used to being heard, you can totally railroad people who are not used to being heard. It just doesn't work out.

Don't join the Black feminist book group as a White man because you feel like you've really got some good views on the subject. But do give them money, external support, or anything that helps without inserting your own voice into the situation.

Honestly, truly, even if you know deep inside that you've got some amazing piece of wisdom to impart, just shut up while other people are talking. Ask questions if prompted, but otherwise, see Part 1: Just listen.

3. ... BUT SOME DO.
There are some times when your voice is very important. This is when other persons of privilege are present, especially when they're oppressing other people, regardless of their intentions. There are some folks (read: a lot of Trump supporters) who just won't listen unless another White person is talking. And there are people of color who won't or can't speak up because they're either scared of, or tired of, being the "angry minority."

In public altercations in which a visible minority is being verbally harassed, you can draw the attention to yourself, assuming it's safe enough, taking some of the pressure off of them. You can even just be a supportive physical presence, letting them know they're not alone in the situation (as long as they don't view you as part of the attack). If you feel you can do it without harm to yourself, record the altercation on video in case police evidence is needed.

But even more than that, use your privilege to talk to your family members and your friends, who may have voted for Trump without realizing the true human impact it would have. Try to get them to see, now that it's happened, that they have to be a part of stopping the onslaught on human rights that we're facing.

4. SIGNAL BOOST.
If you really want to be a part of the conversation, share the words of marginalized people directly, through social media. Instead of questioning a specific aspect of a woman's complaint, even with the best intentions of trying to "give her a stronger argument," just share it. Put her words in front of people who might not have seen them otherwise. Don't talk about how "Black Lives Matter could do a lot better if they did X."

Share people talking about their daily struggles. But remember to also share people being funny, creative, silly, and human, because nobody is just about the struggle.

Exposing people of privilege to the stories of others, whether they be funny, sad, or true, will help to humanize their issues. Time and time again, I've seen racist older folks meeting a person of color for the first time, usually as a friend of a relative, and having their whole paradigm shift. I actually heard a friend's relative say, "I guess some Mexicans are hard-working!"

I mean ... it's a step.

5. ACCEPT WHEN YOU'RE WRONG, AND TRY TO LEARN FROM IT.
This is a huge one. We saw this a lot with the Bernie Bros phenomenon. I mean, I get it - I voted for Bernie! He's my dude. But a lot of us White folks out there, when we ran up against someone of less privilege saying we were doing something wrong, or that we hadn't considered all the angles, we just picked up our toys and went home. How many people on your Facebook friend list said, "If Bernie doesn't win, I'm voting for Trump"?

I've seen so many folks run at the first sign of opposition, because they're "trying to help," so others should just be grateful instead of challenging them. You're gonna get a lot of stuff wrong. Learn from it, and do better next time. The key is, there has to be a next time. If you just give up when someone says your comment was racially insensitive, that's when hate wins. Figure out what you did wrong. Try to absorb it. Just keep trying.

I know privilege is ingrained and taught over a lifetime. You're not going to unpack it in a day. It's going to take a lot of failure before you can truly help.

And, honestly, you're probably going to make a few people's lives a little less bright as you learn it. But trying and failing is better than doing nothing, as long as you eventually start making a positive difference. It's certainly better than mindlessly continuing to accept privilege as a constant.

6. DON'T EXPECT THANK-YOUS.
You might get some! But someone who has been beaten down by the same ignorance their whole lives is not going to treat you as their guardian angel when you do one nice thing. It's not their job to make you feel good about yourself.

We want to be allies; it's our choice. Nobody asked for our help directly. So don't get all huffy when you don't get thanked for something you did. That's like the men's rights activist who feels a woman owes him when he opens a door for her, and calls her a bitch when she doesn't react. Don't be an ally because you want something, be one because you care about people.

7. USE YOUR PRIVILEGE POSITIVELY WHERE YOU CAN. DO SOMETHING!
Utilize what you've got in a positive way, and engage in some actual activism.

Maybe you've got money. Give some of that away to hard-hit organizations like Planned Parenthood, which can help those who can't afford coverage. Maybe you're a graphic designer. Volunteer for an organization that needs help with outreach. Maybe you've got a big social media presence. Follow and signal-boost a bunch of marginalized voices. Do you have some time to spare? Keep calling and mailing your representatives. It doesn't take a lot of time, but it can make a huge impact.

Hell, throw a mailing party. (Seriously, send snail-mail! Emails can be ignored, but mail takes up space. They have to notice it. It's a war of perception, now more than ever.)

This article couldn't possibly cover everything, but it's a start. I sincerely hope, through listening, conversation with friends, and some good old-fashioned activism, we can start to turn this ship around, together.

Brandon Sheffield is a game developer from Oakland. He also writes the Hot Comics you read in SF Weekly.

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How to Use Your Privilege for Good - By brandon-sheffield - January 18, 2017 - SF Weekly

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A lot of us are frustrated. We feel like hate has won the day, even as many of our family members maddeningly celebrate Trump's election as a victory for the little guy. Many of us will be frustrated into inaction, while others will be inspired to get off our butts and follow some of the ...

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In the Egalia, a preschool in Stockholm, there are no male or female students. Instead, all children are referred to as 'hen' - a gender-neutral pronoun that has become so established in Sweden that it will be recognized next month in the newest edition of the country's official dictionary.

The Swedish Academy's SAOL dictionary, which is updated every 10 years and will be republished April 15, will feature 'hen' as an alternative to the male pronoun 'han' and the female 'hon.' The revised edition will also include thousands of other new words.

According to linguistic expert Sofia Malmgård, the gender-neutral term can be used in two ways. "First, if the gender is unknown or not relevant (as in: "If anyone needs to smoke, 'hen' may do so outside"). Second, it can be used as a pronoun for inter-gender people (as in: "Kim is neither boy or girl, 'hen' is inter-gender")," she explained.

To many Swedes, the decision of the Swedish Academy reflects how quickly their society has embraced gender-neutral language. "Over the last few years, the word 'hen' has more and more found its way into the Swedish language," Malmgård told The Washington Post.

Five years ago, barely anyone in Sweden was aware of the word. The decision to now include 'hen' in the authoritative SAOL dictionary is expected to facilitate an even more frequent use of it in everyday conversations. Set up in 1785, the academy was established with the aim to adapt the Swedish languages to changing cultural and societal influences - a role the institution still feels committed to.

According to experts, the 'hen'-revolution in Sweden has two primary origins: LGBT groups have promoted the pronoun as a way to raise awareness for their cause. However, support for the idea has also come from a more unexpected side: Nurseries, kindergartens and preschools such as Egalia increasingly argue that the pronoun's usage allows children to grow up without feeling the impact of gender biases. "The public debate over the pronoun actually only started after the publication of the country's first gender-neutral children's book", Lann Hornscheidt, an professor of Scandinavian languages and gender studies at Berlin's Humboldt University explained.

Gender-neutral education in Sweden goes far beyond linguistics. As the BBC already observed in 2011, toys and games in some nurseries are placed deliberately next to each other, in the hope that children will feel free to choose the items they feel most comfortable spending their time with.

To Hornscheidt, the popularity of 'hen' has not come as a surprise. "The introduction of a pronoun which challenges binary gender norms has been an important step, following a more thorough debate over the construction of gender within the last 10 years," he said.

The Berlin-based researcher nevertheless cautions that simply introducing a gender-neutral pronoun in other countries may not be sufficient to fight sexism or gender-biases. Turkey, for instance, also has a gender-neutral pronoun. Nevertheless, the country was only ranked 125th in the 2014 gender equality report of the World Economic Forum. Sweden came fourth.

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gender neutrality; women; men; sweden; dictionary; lgbt; nurseries; kindergarten

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Sweden is about to add a gender-neutral pronoun to its official dictionary

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In the Egalia, a preschool in Stockholm, there are no male or female students. Instead, all children are referred to as 'hen' - a gender-neutral pronoun that has become so established in Sweden that it will be recognized next month in the newest edition of the country's official dictionary.

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The artifacts that I have gathered here are all promoting a more open-minded way of thinking when it comes to gender. I think the "Who needs gender roles when we can have sushi roles" picture is funny because I would much rather eat sushi then try to stick to what society thinks I should and shouldn't do because I am a man. It looks like the United States is a ways behind in the race to a gender neutral way of life. There's a link to a news article that talks about the country of Sweden officially adding a pronoun to their dictionary that doesn't denote someone as a man or a woman. This pronoun can be used for a person who's gender is unknown or if they just don't care to be labeled as a man or woman. I also have a link to Ciara's music video for her song "Like A Boy". The songs lyrics talk about how women can do whatever a man can do. I thought the next artifact that I found was very neat. It is a picture of a boy and a girl playing with toys, but the boy is playing with "girl" toys and the girl is playing with "boy" toys. It shows that toys don't actually have gender and there shouldn't be boundaries when it come to a kid simply playing with toys. The last thing I have here is an educational video explaining the variety of sex and gender terms. I think it so important to always try to learn new things and broaden your horizons because then you are better able to contribute to society.

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Subscribe! http://bitly.com/1iLOHml From cisgender to transgender, the terminology associated with identity can be confusing. Here's a look at some of the most common terms defined. Learn More: Tips for Allies of Transgender People http://www.glaad.org/transgender/allies "When you become an ally of transgender people, your actions will help change the culture, making society a better, safer place for transgender people - and for all people (trans or not) who do not conform to gender expectations."

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I feel as though all the artifacts I have chosen do a marvelous job describing what I believe feminism truly is.
My first post is a video of women ages 5-50 doing a word association with "feminism". I thought it was interesting to see what these women's initial thoughts and feelings on feminism were. After that video is an article that talks about how it can be tough to label yourself as a feminist. As a feminist man, I have received some hate from a few of my foolish, close-minded friends but, I like to think that I stand up for what is right and if that offends other people then that's too dang bad. Then, I have a link to a post from urbandictionary.com which has a wonderful definition of what feminism is. I think it's important that people realize it doesn't matter whether you male or female, you can still identify as a feminist. I also have the "If I Were A Boy" music video by Beyoncé linked here. This song does a great job of discussing the social injustices that women must face and how things would be so much different if the roles were reversed. Lastly, I have two photos that I thought were really neat. The first, is basically saying "If you are just a bystander, you are part of the problem". Like I said before, I believe it is so very important to always do the right thing because otherwise you're openly feeding into the issue at hand.The second picture to me just represents power and strength in the fight for equality.

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The belief that women are and should be treated as potential intellectual equals and social equals to men. These people can be either male or femal...

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You'd think feminism was a four-letter word if you came to my campus.

In a seminar a few weeks ago (about culture and diversity, by the way) the lecturer asked any feminists in the room to raise their hands. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't - in fact, only one girl in a class of 20 people did.

I'm not embarrassed about what I stand for, far from it, but I'm reluctant to label myself a feminist because of the assumptions people jump to.

As Siobhan Garrigan, who studies English at the University of Lincoln, puts it: "Young people don't want to identify as feminists because there is this man-hating, frumpy, lesbian image forced on us."

To me, what feminism boils down to is the realisation that, in some areas, women still have a harder deal than men.

The control we retain over our reproductive organs is under threat by Maria Miller - the Conservative minister for women - who wants to shave four weeks off the current abortion limit.

Women are far from equal in the workplace - just ask Dragon Hilary Devey. They still face the prospect of being passed over for promotion in favour of a male colleague because they might get pregnant.

Rape conviction rates may have improved but women remain reluctant to report the crime. The poor understanding by young men of what rape is all about worries me.

Being a feminist is my way of acknowledging that there are still issues surrounding gender equality - but that's not how my friend Dan sees things: "I feel like 'feminism' is often used as a cloak for thinly veiled attacks on men.

"Many - not all - people who identify themselves as feminists seem to be self-serving and employ double standards.

"Feminism doesn't seem to be about equal rights any more. Women, legally speaking, have equal rights. Discrimination still exists but the feminist movement has moved to a point where the aim isn't equality, it's empowerment. They want to gain power and 'punish' men."

Pop-culture representations of feminism have got to be at least partly to blame. TV and movies often portray feminists as over-the-top, man-hating and not all there.

Remember the feminist character in Legally Blonde (2001), who argues that semesters should be renamed ovesters because semester sounds too much like semen. Who'd want to be identified with her?

If you type the word "feminists" into google, one of the top auto-complete options is "feminists are sexist". That seems to be the overriding opinion of my contemporaries - and not just the boys.

Something happened last year, though, which I hope will start to change things.

In years to come, feminist chronology will be separated into BC and AC - Before Caitlin and After Caitlin.

Caitlin Moran's bestseller How to be a Woman has begun to make it okay again for a generation of women to be feminist.

She's funny, she's smart and she explains why it's important to identify that way without preaching, hating men or using words like "phallocentric".

Moran represents today's feminists the way we are - just informed women who don't think we're quite there yet on the equality front.

That's what I'd like people to see when I say that yes, actually, I am a feminist.
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Why is 'feminism' such a tough badge to wear?

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You'd think feminism was a four-letter word if you came to my campus. In a seminar a few weeks ago (about culture and diversity, by the way) the lecturer asked any feminists in the room to raise their hands. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't - in fact, only one girl in a class of 20 people did.

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Trans Author & Activist Janet Mock at Women's March: "I Am My Sister's Keeper"

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http://democracynow.org/womensmarch - On Saturday, January 21, Democracy Now! provided special live coverage of the Women's March on Washington. In this historic event, huge crowds converged on the capital to deliver messages of resistance to the newly inaugurated Trump administration.