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http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/theory-and-techniques-of-feminist-therapy/

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This is the definition I found most useful in searching for what I thought feminist praxis meant to me.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/feminist+praxis

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http://www.brown.uk.com/selfinjury/mcandrew.pdf

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http://www.sunypress.edu/p-4934-critical-transnational-feminist.aspx

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I didn't really know what the meaning of this was so I thought I should look it up. After reading various definitions, I had a wide variety of thoughts on what the words could mean. Some of the definitions were very different from the others so I decided to try googling some examples. I found a book that had a very good summary and it matched the most of the definitions I had found online.
Some of the things that need to be done are things like forming a practice. For example, instead of saying things that involve sexual assault as a form of saying how bad you did on a test or how bad you performed at a game, you should try to
just say that you did bad on a test or performed poorly at a game. It shouldn't be said as to make a joke out of sexual assault.

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There is a lot of double binds that come into play when talking about the subject of intersectionality. For example, white women can march against Sexism but black women would be barred from doing so because the white women don't want them marching together. The white people are making it impossible for other groups to join the cause if they have the same motives.
Other forms of the problem occur when some people are given better care just based of color. Example of this would be care given in a hospital. Some people are given less care simply because of the way they look or where they come from. It is not fair to those who are receiving the short end of the stick.

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http://sounequal.blogspot.com/2013/10/intersectionality.html

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NptgVU7j94g

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http://www.newstatesman.com/helen-lewis/2014/02/uses-and-abuses-intersectionality

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http://www.academia.edu/3094283/Intersectionality_in_Theory_and_Practice_From_Conceptual_Issues_to_Practical_Examples_in_the_Political_Science_and_International_Studies_Classroom

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http://www.care2.com/causes/what-is-intersectionality-and-why-is-it-important.html

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http://www.returnofkings.com/24321/if-women-were-oppressed-men-suffered-right-alongside-them

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https://www.whitehouse.gov/equal-pay/career

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/men-women-prison-sentence-length-gender-gap_n_1874742.html

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Most people today accuse white people of being the only race that commits a racist act. With things like, white supremacy and cops shooting only people of color, it is pretty hard to say otherwise. Minorities can no longer be the only ones oppressed while majorities can no longer be the only groups that can be racist.
Oppression can happen everywhere. It can happen in the work place, in public, in a restaurant, or even in the store. People have been oppressed since God knows when. Not a lot of people really bat an eye until it happens to them. Once it does, everyone is up in arms against one another. It turns into a competition to see who has it worse. Why are we fighting about who has it worse when we could just unify and try to put an end to it all. That is what we should do.

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Whenever this topic comes up, white people and people of color alike get all up in arms about equality and being respectful, but racism is exactly as the infographic above states. Most people see racism as someone simply calling someone names but racism lies within the power structure that backs up those words.

For example, if I call a white guy a "cracker". Other than maybe getting his feelings hurt, there's nothing else that harms him. I called him a name but what other effects does it have? None.

But, if someone calls an undocumented immigrant an "illegal", there is a lot of power behind that word. It upholds a system where this person is a criminal, doesn't belong and is all around a bad person. And the use of this word can and has influenced people to hate them, discriminating against undocumented immigrants and creating laws and legislation to get rid of them and doing anything they can to prevent these people from succeeding.

The word holds so much power and influence, there is no way one can compare it to cracker. I have no power to take away from this white person, but this white person has all the power in the world to make my life as difficult as it can be. This is what racism is. It's power combined with prejudice.

This is why reverse racism is a myth. My words and actions cannot touch the power system that you have in place. This is why affirmative action is so frowned upon. It disrupts the system that allows whites to succeed over groups of color, threatening the power structure that they hold.

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Why you can't be racist toward White People

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Whenever this topic comes up, white people and people of color alike get all up in arms about equality and being respectful, but racism is exactly as the infographic above states. Most people see racism as someone simply calling someone names but racism lies within the power structure that backs up those words.

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"Omg! That Kurt guy from Glee? What's the deal with him! I don't get it. He's a boy but he sounds and behaves kind of like a girl. And Unique Adams! He's a boy too but dresses up like a girl. I'm so confused!"

A few days ago, I was approached to write for "Schools of Equality" on Gender and Sex. I realized after exploring the deeper issues relating to gender for so long in my study and work, I had lost sight of the fundamentals. So, here I am, re-investigating them. I tried reading up but somewhere down the line, I remembered that examples speak louder than dry facts and theory. I thought that some of my own life experience would serve as a good examples as part of the discussion. But first I'll explain some of the basics.

Gender and sex are often seen as interchangeable terms although it is important to make a distinction. Gender is a social construct while sex is a biological construct. Sex comprises of what makes you male or female such as biological characteristics. For example,

* Women menstruate while men don't

* Women have developed breasts that are capable of lactating and a womb and ovaries, while men don't

* Men have testicles but women don't

* Men have heavier skulls and bone structures than women

It is important to acknowledge the exceptions as well. Individuals with mixed sex factors are intersexual i.e., they may be born with mostly male-like anatomy but may identify themselves as a female and vice-versa. Sometimes intersex characteristics don't present themselves at the time of birth and may appear at puberty in which case, the individual may choose to surgically "change" to the sex they most identify themselves with. The second exception, transgender or transsexuals, are individuals whose self-identities don't comfortably fit with their biological make-up. An individual may be male at birth but may hold a gender identity as feminine. These concepts will be clearer once gender is discussed and how it is related to sex.

Gender refers to the socially or culturally constructed roles assigned to males and females i.e., gender is what makes you masculine or feminine. Culture determines gender roles and what is considered masculine and feminine. For example, the words commonly used to describe femininity are:

* Sensitive

* Passive

* Shy

* Sexually submissive

* Dependent

* Emotional

For masculinity,

* Tough-skinned

* Aggressive

* Bold

* Sexually aggressive

* Independent

* Non-emotional

These gender stereotypes to a large extent impact gender dynamics; how men and women are perceived and what is expected out of them. As children, boys and girls assimilate gender roles from their parents. Usually by the age of 3, they learn to choose toys and clothes that are "appropriate" to their gender. Blue for boys and pink for girls, cars for boys and Barbie dolls for girls, pants for boys and pretty dresses for girls. As generalized and simple as this may seem, it varies greatly culturally and sometimes religiously. The exception in this case are androgynous individuals. These are people who do not exhibit predominant masculine or feminine traits. In other words, they are gender neutral. Many at times these assigned gender roles and stereotypes give rise to gender bias and oppression. For this reason, it is pivotal to recognize the difference between gender and sex and the complexities involved.

I was born and raised in a fairly orthodox South Indian family; my grandfather took great pride in being a Brahmin. In my teen years, I started to realize that some liberties that the male members shared in my family, I was denied of. I grew up seeing my mother being the sole income earner of the family. She would come back from work and make dinner. She would then wake up at 4am the next day and make breakfast, lunch and head to work. And repeat. There were times I have been told by her that as a woman, that's how life will be, that's what you ought to do and there is a certain way you are expected to behave. Sometimes the values you grow up with, become such an integral part of your personality that it is hard to disconnect even if they oppress you and hold you back from being the best version of yourself.

The negative gender stereotypes I grew up around drove me to address these gender issues. I would think repeatedly, why was mom expected to cook 3 meals a day? Why were my male friends allowed to stay out late while I had a strict curfew? Why was I questioned about my decision to pursue a master's degree and then subsequently a PhD? Currently, I am doing a research on Indian immigrant women in New Zealand and their experiences with domestic violence. Identifying and challenging gender stereotypes maybe a difficult task for many of us as we could be viewed as a minority but has the potential to make a difference in many people's lives. Media is filled with negative gender stereotypes. Healthy discussions on how you feel about these issues may help spread awareness in your friends circle and maybe even family. Respecting individuals for who they choose to be regardless of their gender and sex may serve as a key starting point. This could be in the form of pointing out sexist comments and jokes casually made by people you know. "Be the change you want to see in the world" is one of the philosophies I try to live by. Be comfortable under your skin; if you feel like expressing yourself not normally associated with your gender, think about whether or not it is safe to do so. If it is safe, give it a shot. You might be helping other people who are going through similar issues; people will learn from your example.

"Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short and wear shirts and boots because it's okay to be a boy; for girls it's like promotion. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, according to you, because secretly you believe that being a girl is degrading."
―, The Cement Garden

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"Omg! That Kurt guy from Glee? What's the deal with him! I don't get it. He's a boy but he sounds and behaves kind of like a girl. And Unique Adams! He's a boy too but dresses up like a girl. I'm so confused!"

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If guys and girls switches roles at the bar

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What If Guys And Girls Swapped Roles At The Bar?

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What If Guys And Girls Swapped Roles At The Bar?

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http://philpapers.org/rec/STAFPR

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The Difference Between Men's And Women's Costumes

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It seems like men's costumes are often made with more fabric...