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With a combined cast of over 40 individuals from all walks of life-entertainers, athletes, government officials and advocates-the NO MORE PSA Campaign offers a simple call to action: NO MORE excuses. NO MORE silence. NO MORE violence.

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"Your job - as students who are receiving an education - is to be aware of your privilege. And use this particular privilege called "education" to do your best to achieve great things, all the while advocating for those in the rows behind you."

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This Teacher Taught His Class A Powerful Lesson About Privilege

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"Your job - as students who are receiving an education - is to be aware of your privilege. And use this particular privilege called "education" to do your best to achieve great things, all the while advocating for those in the rows behind you."

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"I was very scared of how you'd react..." Like BuzzFeedVideo on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ilcE7k STARRING: Nick Zephyrin Lauren Parsons E.M. Fredric MUSIC: Optimistic Changes Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. GET MORE BUZZFEED: www.buzzfeed.com www.buzzfeed.com/video www.youtube.com/buzzfeed www.youtube.com/buzzfeedvideo www.youtube.com/buzzfeedyellow www.youtube.com/buzzfeedpop www.youtube.com/buzzfeedblue www.youtube.com/cnnbuzzfeed BUZZFEED VIDEO BuzzFeed is the world's first true social news organization.

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Representation of Seniors in Popular Media

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There are a lot of things feminists in general know to be true, but there are also a lot of specific things that queer feminists know to be true, perhaps better than most, when it comes to the feminist movement. In fact, there's an entire set of theories - a sub-movement, so to speak - devoted to what's known as "queer feminism," or the "radical opposition to patriarchy." And indeed, speaking from experience as a queer feminist myself, I find that many queer feminists often take topics within the movement into consideraton in a way that some straight feminists may not - intersectionality, for example. To be clear, this is a good thing; having many different perspectives on one movement helps to strengthen it. The perspective of, say, a trans feminist may open my eyes up to a different part of the movement I never knew existed, while my perspective may open someone else's eyes up to a world they weren't aware of, either. And it's by sharing all these things that specific identities within the movement know to be true that we can make the feminist movement better overall, which will ultimately help us achieve our goals - and do it in a way that will help everyone, no matter who they are.

First, it might be helpful to define what "queer feminism" is. The website Queer Feminism is a terrific resource for learning about the topic; here's what they have to say about it as a general definition:

The term queer does mean that this definition of feminism explicitly includes queer people, but it goes beyond LGBT and other gender/sexuality minorities. By Queer Feminism, we mean a feminism that is different - a feminism that directly challenges [issues like racism, homophobia, transphobia, imperialism, sex-negativity, and similar ills] and does not rest on its laurels. We believe that the definition of feminism that focuses on equality between men and women both excludes non-binary genders and ignores the serious problems created by patriarchy that harm people of any gender and can be exacerbated by people of any gender.

It's an important definition - one that acknowledges that a patriarchal society harms everyone, that there are a huge number of issues at play that many don't realize are feminist issues in the first place, and that intersectionality is absolutely key. It's a similar sentiment to the one now famously penned by Flavia Dzodan: " My feminism will be intersectional or it will be b*llsh*."

So, with that definition in mind, here are seven things queer feminists believe and know to be true - and which, if we all take them to heart, will help make the feminist movement immeasurably stronger.

1. Embracing Sexuality Is An Important Part of Feminism

Many queer feminists understand that discussing women's liberation is linked closely to discussing the liberation of queer women. Too often women whose bodies, politics, or partners don't fit the mainstream ideal are marginalized. But inclusion makes feminism stronger, so embracing sexuality definitely matters.

2. Embracing Different Genders Is An Important Part of Feminism

Trans and gender nonconforming people have historically been left out of the feminist movement, but as is the case with sexualities that don't fit the mainstream ideals, leaving groups of people out is harmful to the very core of feminism: If liberation is the goal, it must be liberation for all people. Although anti-discrimination legislation exists for many groups of people, there is still an incredibly troubling lack of legal protection for LGBTQ people, and trans and gender nonconforming people in particular; for example, people may be denied housing, healthcare, and jobs due to these glaring omissions in the anti-discrimination landscape. Feminism can and should be fighting for these protections - and many others.

3. Many People Are Often Left Out Of The Discussion

Queer women and trans and gender non-conforming people are among those who are frequently left out of the discussion of feminism. So are people of color, people with disabilities, sex workers, people who are fat, or people who are undocumented. The experiences, and those of many others, are frequently not addressed. But these experiences matter. All our experiences matter. They need to be part of the discussion.

Which leads us to the next point:

4. Liberation Cannot Be Achieved Unless It's Collective

It is not enough to care about one group of people, but not another. It's not enough to support the liberation of people who fit a certain ideal or mainstream image, and not support those who don't. Liberation and empowerment cannot be selective. They can only occur when there are no exceptions.

5. Feminism Can Look Different For Everyone, But Intersectionality is Key

It isn't that every feminist must have the same vision. Some feminists might focus more on sex positivity; others might focus on equal pay. Every feminist can have a different set of values and a different way of promoting equality. But at it's very core, feminism must necessarily be intersectional and work to uplift all.

The more perspectives to which we're exposed and the more views and opinions that are available, the better our understanding of feminism will be. It's not enough to understand what drives one person; we must understand what drives as many people as possible. When the voices of many people are joined together, we hear a wide chorus, rather than one, single voice. And our solutions to the societal problems that affect us all will be stronger for it.

7. The Patriarchy Affects Everyone

Whether you're gay, straight, queer, trans, male, female, able-bodied, fat, skinny, brown, black, or any other of the literally countless identities that exist in the world, the patriarchy affects you. It affects what you have access to; it affects the media you consume; it affects your behavior; it affects how you think; and so much more. No matter who you are, the patriarchy affects you or someone you love. And it's hurting us all. So let's all work together to smash it.

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7 Things Queer Feminists Know To Be True

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There are a lot of things feminists in general know to be true, but there are also a lot of specific things that queer feminists know to be true, perhaps better than most, when it comes to the feminist movement. In fact, there's an entire set of theo...

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We know the cultural myths that encourage us to blame the poor for their own poverty, and we know that poor folks suffer from a brunt of exhausting mind games in our money-obsessed society.

We know that our economy is structured in a way that limits the ability of poor people to get ahead. We know that, in turn, those poor folks suffer from workplace, education, and other forms of systemic discrimination.

Because we know that these societal mechanisms exist, feminists have long worked to change them, and that fight has always been personal.

Across lines of age, race, and sexuality, women are the poorest in their communities.

And it's because the way our culture treats issues of class, gender, violence, and family devalues women's labor and denies them the opportunities they need to compete alongside men on equal footing in the workplace.

The "feminization of poverty" describes the social and economic patterns that keep women disproportionately poor around the world.

Although the term specifically addresses only the whole of "women," it's also worth adding that women living at the intersections of oppression - like women of color, trans women, and less-educated women - feel the impact of gendered class oppression the most.

In America and across the globe, women bear the brunt of financial insecurity and find themselves struggling to maintain or amass wealth like their male counterparts.

When women are poor, it negatively impacts families, children, and entire economies.

And yet, at home and abroad, the feminization of poverty persists.

There are policies in place in America that are meant to keep women afloat and give them a fair shot at financial stability and even economic opportunity, but for decades they've fallen short of actually ending workplace discrimination and other factors that hold women back.

Instead, women's wages have gone stagnant, and women continue to find themselves on the bottom of every ladder, looking up through a glass ceiling.

Whether it's the impacts of the wage gap, violence, or an imbalanced workforce that keep women poor, there are things everyone - even you and I - can do to end the gendered impacts of poverty - and, along with them, many of the class issues that keep all poor and working-class people down.

Money and poverty are a numbers game. That's why there's no better proof of inequality than statistics when it comes to issues of class, and especially the feminization of poverty.

The following five statistics prove that women are suffering most here at home from class oppression - and for each, there's at least one action we can all take to change them.

1. 18 Million Women Live in Poverty in the US Alone

Despite the overall poverty rate declining in America, 18 million women remain below the poverty line .

That's one in seven American women - and 40% of women who head up families.

, regardless of education or geographic location. And for women of color, elderly women, and LGBTQIA+ women, Women are poorer than men in every state it's even worse.

The poverty rate for Native American, Black, and Latina women is almost double the poverty rate for white women. 27.6% of Native American women and 26.6% of Black women live in poverty .

, and 5.1 million LGBTQIA+ women are on the brink of poverty only 24% of LGBTQIA+ women would say they are "financially thriving."

For LGBTQIA+ workers of color, and especially women and gender-nonconforming queer workers of color, a lack of workplace protections and career-oriented resources and opportunities leaves many in the community unemployed, financially insecure, and all-around flat broke .

The rate of elderly women in poverty skyrocketed up 18% in 2012 , and retired women are twice as likely to live in poverty than their male counterparts .

To lift women out of poverty, policymakers and advocates have to address the specific gendered impacts of poverty as well as its gendered roots.

That means carving out spaces for women specifically to learn about financial management, entrepreneurship, and investing in our communities. That means seeing anti-poverty programs and other economic programs like SNAP, Social Security, and Welfare as integral to equalizing women's opportunities.

That means making salary negotiations that have nothing to do with gender and employment processes more focused around diversity. And it means working on economic issues with a gender lens that examines differences along the lines of race, age, sexuality, gender identity and presentation, and ability.

2. Domestic Violence Survivors Lose 8 Million Days of Paid Work Per Year

Women are the majority of victims of intimate partner violence and domestic violence - and the abuse they suffer keeps them struggling financially.

Nearly 8 billion days of paid work per year are lost due to domestic violence , and 96% of victims experience problems at work related to their abuse.

A majority of Americans have observed and believe that the Great Recession and a long-standing economic downturn has made things worse for domestic violence victims - victims who may stay in a relationship with an abusive partner for economic reasons or face worse abuse due to economic stressors.

Moreover, the impact of financial abuse - when abusers interfere with gainful employment opportunities, control financial resources, or negatively impact the credit of their victims - can leave survivors lagging behind other women when they do leave a relationship with an abusive partner.

Despite a clear need for these kinds of resources, domestic violence shelters and other social programs that assist survivors in recovery and re-establishing careers are struggling to survive across the country .

These kinds of programs are invaluable for women looking to create stable, violence-free lives, and they keep abuse victims safe and off the streets.

We need to keep these shelters open , and we need to ensure that they are as inclusive and all-encompassing as possible.

3. 12,728,000 Women Work in Low-Paying Fields

Women are often pushed into "pink collar jobs" - like teaching, nursing, and service jobs - that pay less, in part due to gender discrimination that lets us consider "women's work" less valuable than work fields dominated by men.

In 2007, 43% of women in the workforce were employed in just 20 disciplines , all with a median income of just $27,383 per year.

For women, and especially women of color, the fight to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 or $15 is very personal - and could be the difference, for them, between barely surviving and finally thriving.

Joining the or pushing for local, state, or national minimum wage increases -as well as protections for low-wage workers, who are often exploited - would keep millions of families above the poverty line.

Supporting and helping to sustain programs that prepare women for work in male-dominated fields will also help women, over time, close the achievement gaps in their chosen industries.

Whether that means speaking up for women in tech or volunteering at trainings for women who run their own businesses, giving women the space to learn new skills and the support network to practice them is key in helping them access more leadership positions and job opportunities across the board.

4. Women Make at Least 23% Less Than White Men at Work

Although we've seen slight progress since then on closing the wage gap for women, discrimination persists - and its impact haunts women for the rest of their working and retired lives.

Overall, women earn, on average, 78 cents to every white man's dollar in America. That means that over a lifetime, women lose an average of $434,000 to the wage gap.

This kind of inequality is seen across fields and seniority, and is actually worse for women of color, LBTQIA+ women, and women with more academic achievements.

, and Latina women make only 54. This means that although all women are suffering economically from the wage gap, Black women make 64 cents on that white man's dollar women of color carry an even heavier burden.

A recent study also found that even in states with the smallest wage gaps, women of color experienced some of the largest gaps in the nation .

And the reason so many elderly women live in poverty is because the impact of workplace discrimination like the wage gap leaves them with less overall earnings, a smaller pot of money in their savings, and less financial security throughout their lifetimes.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, which has failed to pass through the House twice, would eliminate barriers to equal pay for women in the workforce. It would make it safe for workers to discuss their salaries without fear of retaliation, which is a luxury many workers aren't afforded. It would also extend the amount of time women have to press charges for wage discrimination once it begins.

These kinds of reforms would help women workers demand equal pay, and make it possible for them to do so without risking their careers.

Whether it's poor maternal leave policies, an inability to structure their jobs and access flexible work environments, or the caretaking duties - which so often fall on their shoulders - the careers of women with children are suffering simply because of their gender.

Some of those women leave because caring for a family becomes too imposing to allow them to keep up at work.

But even when everything is good at home, pregnant women and mothers still suffer at work.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act was put in place 37 years ago to end this kind of gender-based discrimination against expecting employees, but complaints about pregnancy discrimination have actually been on the rise.

They miss out or be passed over for advancement opportunities, see an overall stagnation or decrease in earnings, and potentially go up against inflexible environments that make it impossible for them to balance their career and their families.

Men who parent, however, are rewarded for doing so with higher earnings and more opportunities for advancement.

Fighting for national reforms like the PWFA, as well as supporting efforts to make childcare affordable and workplaces more flexible, will help working moms juggle their responsibilities without having to sacrifice some of the most fulfilling aspects of their lives.

One of the most important aspects of intersectional feminism is the understanding that when we fight for the most marginalized women, we liberate all women along with them.

While it's possible that none of these statistics encompassed or addressed your experiences - but for millions of women, this data represents a lived experience that is wrought with financial insecurity and societal challenges. When we act to improve the lives of those women, we all stand to benefit.

Money and poverty are a numbers game. But we have the power to change the math.
Carmen Rios is a Contributing Writer for Everyday Feminism. She splits her time disparately between feminist rabble-rousing, writing, public speaking, and flower-picking. A professional feminist by day and overemotional writer by night, Carmen is currently Communications Coordinator at the Feminist Majority Foundation and the Feminism and Community Editor at Autostraddle. You can follow her on Twitter @carmenriosss and Tumblr to learn more about her feelings.

Filed Under: Tagged With: Articles, Class, Fem 101 Posts

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These 5 Statistics Prove That We're Feminizing Poverty (And Keeping Women Down in the Process) - Everyday Feminism

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We know the cultural myths that encourage us to blame the poor for their own poverty, and we know that poor folks suffer from a brunt of exhausting mind games in our money-obsessed society. We know that our economy is structured in a way that limits the ability of poor people to get ahead.

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Uploaded by Nicolee Alcibar on 2016-11-03.

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Emmy history was made when " How to Get Away with Murder" star Viola Davis won outstanding actress in a drama series, becoming the first black actress to claim the prize. Davis overcame fierce competition, including Taraji P. Henson - whose own nomination made this the first year two black actresses were nominated in the category.

"The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity," an emotional Davis told the audience.

The star of ABC's drama series also quoted Harriet Tubman and thanked her fellow African American actresses, including Henson, Kerry Washington and Halle Berry.

"Thank you for taking us over that line," she said.

"Fame" star Debbie Allen was the first black woman ever nominated for drama series lead actress back in 1982. She was nominated four consecutive times but never won.

Alfre Woodard ("St. Elsewhere") and Cicely Tyson ("Sweet Justice") were nominated in 1986 and 1995, respectively, while Regina Taylor earned back-to-back noms for "I'll Fly Away" in 1992 and 1993 and Kerry Washington did the same for "Scandal" in 2013 and 2014.

Backstage, Davis told reporters that she is very happy with her career and the progression of opportunities for actors of color, but she looks forward to the day when the conversation is over. "Not just stop saying it, but also stop writing it," she said, praising Shonda Rhimes for writing roles for all humans, adding that her " How To Get Away with Murder " character Annalise Keating was not written for a black woman. "I made her black," she said.

As for her competitor Taraji P. Henson, who was also nominated for best actress in a drama, Davis raved about the "Empire" star.

"We hugged each other three times," Davis said of Henson. "By the way, [what] people need to know about Taraji P. Henson - and it's very, very, very rare to find this in the business - she is the most supportive actress you can possibly imagine."

The rest of this year's drama lead actress field included "Orphan Black" fan favorite Tatiana Maslany, "House of Cards" First Lady Robin Wright, three-time Emmy winner Claire Danes of "Homeland" and "Mad Men's" Elisabeth Moss, who lost out on her sixth and final bid for the AMC series.

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Viola Davis Becomes First Black Woman to Win Lead Actress in a Drama Series

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Emmy history was made when " How to Get Away with Murder" star Viola Davis won outstanding actress in a drama series, becoming the first black actress to claim the prize. Davis overcame fierce competition, including Taraji P. Henson - whose own nomination made this the first year two black actresses were nominated in the category.

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Equipped with a growing arsenal of digital tools to organize boycotts, spread poor reviews and otherwise negatively impact sales, consumers are increasingly putting pressure on companies to address their concerns. Policies on gender and sexuality have repeatedly become points of contention, putting some businesses on the front lines of battles over social issues.

Last year, for example, a number of companies vocally opposed so-called religious freedom laws intended to give businesses legal cover to deny services to gays and lesbians. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, was among the most prominent voices, and its influence was widely credited with pushing the governor in its home state of Arkansas to sign an amended version of the state's religious freedom bill.

And the head of Chick-fil-A, the restaurant chain, took a position against gay marriage in 2012 only to back off two years later and say that he had not meant to alienate customers.

"Generally speaking, as you saw in the gay marriage debate, the big corporations tend to be out in front of Congress and most of the states in implementing anti-discrimination policies," said William Eskridge, a professor at Yale Law School and a co-author of "Sexuality, Gender and the Law."

"The policies generally do not cost the corporations anything or very much, and they create some degree of good will," he said.

The ordinance in Oxford would make it a misdemeanor for people to use bathrooms that do not correspond to the gender on their birth certificates. Target's liability in such a situation is unclear.

A company spokeswoman, Molly Snyder, said Target would comply with all local laws. But she also said, "Our belief in and commitment to inclusivity has not changed."

Ms. Snyder said the company's policy had applied to employees for years, though it had not been as widely distributed. She referred to the original announcement, which said that Target "regularly" assesses issues that could affect business, guests and employees, and "given the specific questions" raised by recent legislative proposals, "we felt it was important to state our position."

Target may be betting on a more progressive shift in national attitudes on gender and sexuality. Many states have updated their statutes barring employers from discriminating based on sexual identity to include gender identity, too.

"Making these progressive value statements is a new form of advertising," said Jonah Berger, an associate professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

There may also be more practical benefits than just netting good will: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws, has made it clear that blocking workers from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities violates federal law.

"Any employer that has a rule to the contrary is going to find itself in very hot water," said Jillian T. Weiss, a professor of law and society at Ramapo College who has worked on a number of cases involving transgender workplace issues. "Companies have got to be aware that federal law essentially prohibits them from having rules like the one passed in Alabama."

Other companies, including Barnes & Noble and Hudson's Bay Company, also have policies explicitly allowing transgender people to use a bathroom that does not correspond to their birth certificate gender.

"We're hoping that other corporations will see that there is a price to pay, potentially at least, for pushing this L.G.B.T. agenda too far," said Tim Wildmon, the president of the American Family Association. "We just think this is a bridge too far."

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Target Steps Out in Front of Bathroom Choice Debate

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Equipped with a growing arsenal of digital tools to organize boycotts, spread poor reviews and otherwise negatively impact sales, consumers are increasingly putting pressure on companies to address their concerns. Policies on gender and sexuality have repeatedly become points of contention, putting some businesses on the front lines of battles over social issues.