The 1960s were monumental for civil rights, but one side of it isn’t really discussed in our history books: the fight for gay rights. Currently, there is legislation across the country trying to restrict the discussion of gender and sexuality in classrooms. This also limits being able to teach youth about an important facet of history, the history of the LGBTQ+ community. A monumental moment in the fight for gay rights took place at the Stonewall riots. Now, what were the Stonewall Riots?
Throughout the 20th century, the civil rights movement in the USA was steadily building. Before the Stonewall Riots, there was another riot in 1966. It took place in San Francisco at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria and in an area that had been described by the news as “a hotbed for homosexuals and transvestites and a marketplace of vice, degradation and human misery.” In a 2005 documentary called Screaming Queens, trans and queer people were able to share their experiences with Compton’s. One described it as a home, where the queer people “took care of me like big sisters. They were just so sweet to me and to each other.” It was also shared that police violence was ever present; Collete LeGrande testified that she witnessed “a policeman drag a trans woman and beat her with a club” at Compton’s. The women in the film said that the cafeteria was a safe haven for queer and trans folk, to check in with each other. In 1966, while the exact date is unknown, a police officer put his hand on a woman and the fighting broke out. It ended that night with many people heading to jail, but not without doing some damage themselves – “a destroyed police car, a newsstand set on fire.” The queer people of Compton’s were fed up with the treatment they had been enduring, as the film revealed, they were being arrested for “for all kinds of “crimes”, including “female impersonation” and “obstructing the sidewalk.”. Currently, the area where this took place is trying to create a ‘trans district,’ you can read more here.
Having just turned 23, I continue to ponder what it means to be at this stage of my life. What has my transition from girl to young woman been like? What is still in store and how can I continue to cultivate and remember this journey into womanhood? I realize that this transition isn’t something I’ve formally been prepared for. There are times when I feel mature beyond my years and naïvely adult. I’ve watched my rooms change over the years, my clothing preferences, and my taste in literature expand into more intimate and serious topics. Trying to define where my girlhood ends, and womanhood begins fills me with conflicting feelings. Is this growth private or something that can be evaluated? Perhaps there is no real preparation past puberty – you just grow up, learn to take change in stride.
From pexels.com
As with all great periods of change, there is a feeling of loss that comes over me when I think of the years I left behind. While there is reason to be proud of getting older, I draw my focus towards objects, memories, people, and places that have defined this transition. Some of these aspects are universal, but stories of women and girls as individuals are diverse and complex because there are many ways to be a woman, despite what society narrates. For some, growing up means facing reality. This could be moving out of one’s childhood home, a relationship, the loss of a loved one, starting birth control, or even just starting menstruation. Personally, I’ve grounded my transitions in my identity and sense of self. I felt like a woman when I started to understand the complicated emotions shown by my parents and how they reflected within me. I realized that as I was getting older, I had new thoughts and opinions emerge. Asking myself questions about whether I’d want to be a wife and mother someday, what sort of career I wanted and how to navigate those expectations through the lenses of society and my parents.
My father often told me that being a woman of color in Journalism would not be easy. So, I had another facet to consider about womanhood – the color of my skin. If being Black has made me less of a person, does having my skin make me less of a woman by default? Growing up, women are told they can do and be anything, but always within the confines of sexist restraints and double standards. I want to believe that womanhood is an ongoing and beautiful adventure. The characteristics that describe a woman can be stereotyped when it comes to personality. Traits like sensitivity, tenderness, helpful, and nurturing have been linked to what defines the “typical” woman. But this definition of femininity is sometimes linked with sexual objectification and how forward or passive a woman is or “should be.” Down to the clothes we wear, whether “tomboy” or “girly,” there are endless ways to define being a woman. The lists can be biased towards traditional ideals that sadly have not yet been done away with. I do not believe that the traits listed define a woman poorly, but rather, society has curated a particular image of how to exhibit each trait. As part of my growth into womanhood, I find that my empathy gives me resilience, my sensitivity fosters deep understanding, and intuition, which in turn give way to patience and creativity in my words and actions. The clothes I wear showcase my version of my own beauty and allow me to express the nuances that make me who I am.
young woman of color from pexels.com
I do agree that most women I have met tend to be more in-tuned with their emotions, myself included. However, gender socialization also plays a major role in the stereotypes embedded in modern culture. What is expected of women and men has been instilled since childhood for many people. It involves teaching children to behave under an umbrella of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors associated with their gender. As time goes on, girls learn to behave in a docile or modest way and are often expected to be more emotional due to their hormone fluctuations. Boys, on the other hand, can often be taught to suppress their emotional sides in effort to look strong, capable, and masculine. That said, many of the personality traits we see among young men and women are often apart the gender conditioning that occurs well into adolescence.
The journey to womanhood is rooted in the sum of my experiences and how they form a sense of self. Self-concept is the perception of behaviour, abilities, traits, and overall personality. As I grew up, my interests and thought patterns began to shape the girl I was growing into. As I age, I continue to learn what’s important to me, what virtues and characteristics I want to embody within the framework of a woman that has been provided by society, my spiritual beliefs, and female figures in my life. This collection of internal conditions lays the foundation for the experiences that will follow. There is no single way to be a woman, but I do believe that all women are unique in the way that we process emotions and make use of our intellect. One is not better than the other and that is the beauty of being human; of growing in my own way from girl to woman. I do not want to despise my bifurcated self; I will not choose whether I am strong or kind. There are no parts of me that are useless, no matter how society views them. The stereotypical traits of women do not represent the fullness of womanhood, and with this in mind, as I get older, I can learn to be content with the version of me that is both strong and tender, or sensitive and assertive.
There isn’t a time of preparation for the changes from girl, to adolescent, to young woman. Cultivating my own journey of growing up and defining who I am as a woman is what will go towards the breaking down of social expectations for girls and women. No one can tell us who we ought to be, a sense of self is formed inside of us long after we have left our parents and living communities behind. I want to remember my transitions as they were. To join all the woman who have come before me in the frightening, yet fulfilling, path to growth. Nurturing the freedom to be the strongest woman I can be by the standards of my own personal beliefs.
The vastness of the internet gives us all access to more information than we’ll ever know what to do with. Those of us that experienced the introduction of technology during our childhoods can’t imagine living in a time before Google was readily available at our fingertips. Having constant access to anything and everything you can think of might sound like a negative thing, and at times it can be a bit much. But it also allows us to learn about things we might not otherwise. In the case of social media, we can learn things about ourselves and other people. The popular video-sharing platform, TikTok, has recently become a popular place for all kinds of advice, though the most noticeable is the increase in relationship advice and how to identify toxic traits in partners.
Most social media platforms focus on presenting perfectly manicured versions of our lives. We post our best days on Instagram and Facebook, often not sharing the reality of those moments. But TikTok has proven itself different as a social media platform with its large number of creators dedicated to exposing the real parts of life and relationships. One thing that I learned about fairly recently on TikTok is the idea of weaponized incompetence. Though the term first showed up in 2007, it’s not really a new thing.
The language of poetry is deeply evocative. Poetry is cathartic. When minds are racing, and hearts are beating poetry gives form to experiences that can’t be spoken aloud. Women have long been emphatic about expressing feelings of oppression, discrimination, gender roles, race, and mental health. Women have also created poetry about daily life, motherhood, and romantic love and frustrations. While there are many great male writers, Ernest Hemingway being a personal favorite, women’s writing deserves to be known just as widely. In high school, the poetry and literature we read tended to focus on male writers. For the curriculum, only ¼ of books were written by a female author. I don’t believe it’s done intentionally, however, there is a quiet but collective belief that women are secondary to men. Though, times continue to evolve and with that, more women of all ages have stepped up to represent other women, to advocate for and inspire them.
Just to name a few, poets that have greatly influenced female writing include Emily Dickinson, Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, Anne Saxton, and Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary was a women’s rights activist as well as a writer, -most known for writing A Vindication of the Rights of Women. This work was famous for the criticism placed on the lack of women’s education in the 18th-century. She wanted women to be seen as relevant to society and not valued only for their domestic duties of raising children and maintaining a household.
Journal from pexels.com
Each woman used her own style and technique to communicate through poetry. Emily Dickinson often wrote about her frustrations surrounding religion, law, and nature. She was very inspired by other writers in the Romantic Era. Today, Dickinson is considered one of America’s greatest original poets. In her writing, she showed incredibly sharp-sighted observations a noteworthy ability to explore social and literary concepts. Despite not having any formal education, she wrote because “it is liberating but also knocks our feet off the ground”, as she once described. I think anything women do is backed by passion that is unique to us. These poets continue to inspire from the 17th century into the modern day.
Poetry can be a struggle to read and understand when the diction is something resembling Shakespeare’s style. However, many poets today handle the language of poetry with grace and authenticity. Rupi Kaur, is one of today’s most renowned poets. She reached millions of people with her 2014 publication “milk and honey”, and continues to do so today through her new works, “the sun and her flowers”, and “home body”. She creates a space where all women can relate to each other’s ache, and the need to feel heard and seen. Women in poetry utilize writing as a tool of agency and expression. Just as Dickinson felt, writing is liberating.
Whether you are a writer or not, I believe all women should read literature and/or poetry. It can give names to experiences and feelings that are difficult to understand. Poetry benefits the reader and the writer. It gives rhythm to silence and brings creativity and imagination to the forefront. Reading helps improve ideas, skills, and self-development Being mindful of the present world and daily life and routines is also something that poetry captures well. Mundanity becomes meaningful in just a few lines.
writing in a cafe from pexels.com
One thing I noticed is that writing quickly connects us to other people. Many of the most famous writers were friends! Many participated in the same workshops, visited each other’s homes, and wrote letters to each other from afar. Likewise, today, with the use of social media, local and university courses, and events- writers can continue fostering a community. Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield are widely remembered as bitter foes but in truth, the two had an affectionate albeit turbulent friendship. Both women were ambitious and had a mutual understanding of their literary talent. They challenged each other with insight and critique. Woolf was even hurt by one of Mansfield’s critiques, and yet it was one that ultimately improved her next three works.
Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton both attended Boston University and took the same poetry classes. They discussed writing and enjoyed discussing and pushing back against the expectations for women of that time. It will always be incredible to me the power behind women standing together. When we share works with each other we become inspired. Proofreading and receiving constructive criticism strengthens everyone. Others bring a different perspective, new ideas, and a nuanced imagination. Women in the poetry world are brutally honest and this level of depth has a profound influence over the culture of writing.
Reading/Writing from pexels.com
Still to this day, many writers have captured the struggles of isolation and loneliness because of COVID-19. This is how we stay connected. For eons, the written word has always been a way to preserve history, to have the self-remembered. Every woman should read or write poetry (even if its “bad”). The goal is to have fun expressing and play with language and create your own. As a place to start, here are 11 Beautiful Poetry Collections written by female poets.
Haiti. The world’s first independent Black republic and one of the world’s most impoverished nations. Wrecked by the disastrous earthquake of 2010, Haiti has yet to recover from it. Women and girls have been left struggling more than ever in the aftermath of another 7 magnitude earthquake that occurred in August of this year. In the wake of political, social, and economic unrest, – the struggle of gender-based discrimination and violence gets even further pushed out of sight.
When I think about the freedom women in the U.S. have today that is not available to women in Haiti, it’s disheartening. Even now, women are still fighting for complete autonomy and equality – this is a universal struggle. As a Haitian-American young woman, I find my heart divided between the grief of two nations. Everything I deal with now, women in Haiti struggle with even more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that “suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and suicide rates in the U.S. have increased about 33% from 1999 to 2019 (Purdue)”. Women, however, are affected differently than men biologically, psychologically, and socially, making them more susceptible to emotional distress.
Within the Black community, the stigma of mental health and suicide is harrowing. Women of colour are the outliers of the growing mental health crisis and according to a 2019 Pediatrics study, the number of white children attempting suicide in the U.S. decreased from 1991 to 2017, while the number of Black children attempting suicide went up. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, as of 2018, suicide became the second leading cause of death in Black children aged 10-14, and the third leading cause of death in Black adolescents aged 15-19. Researchers have been able to deduct that Black people are more likely to die by suicide than their white counterparts.
As long as there has been feminism, there have been many myths about it. As time has moved on some of these myths have fallen away and new ones have sprung up. In this article I will be discussing some of the most relevant and common myths in 2020 about feminism. I will be looking into how the misconceptions are wrong and providing links to other sources (both through the University of Idaho’s Women’s Blog and other sites) that can be utilized to dig deeper into these myths.
Women are already equal/there is no need for feminism anymore
While it is true that feminism has made many strides in furthering equality, there are still many areas where women are behind. Women are still twice as likely to do the majority of the housework (averaging 14 hours of housework a week, while men are reported to average 7). Women still get paid less in many fields of employment. Many jobs are also far more exclusive of mothers then of fathers. For more on why feminism still matters, I suggest looking into Kailyn Eagy’s article “Is the Women’s March Still Relevant?” and the APA’s article “What Feminism Means Today”.
Feminists can only be women/Men can’t be feminists
While it is a true statement to say that women care about their own equality, it is not exclusive to only women. Equality between the sexes is important to all. The idea that if you are not female you cannot relate to feminism is nonsense. There are many notable male feminists: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and John Legend, who said in 2013, “All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered — it leads to a better society.”
Feminists believe that women are above men.
Yes, there are some who claim to be feminists who do believe that women are superior to men, however that is not true to the spirit of feminism and that is not what feminism represents. Feminism is at its heart about fighting for the equality of all. No gender is better or worse than any other. Feminism endorses and advocates for human rights for all gender identities since everyone deserves to be treated equally. I recommend the Forbes article “True Feminism is About Equality for Both Genders”. I also recommend the post by Beatrice Santiago called “Feminism”.
Feminists hate men
This is one of the most harmful of the myths about feminism. Not only are many feminists men themselves, but it is entirely unfounded to say that all feminists are man-haters. The stereotype of the raging man hating feminist is entirely unfounded. Feminism merely seeks to point out the gender imbalance that is often perpetuated by both men and women. Believing this myth perpetuates feminism as misandry and creates a mindset of hatred of, contempt for, and prejudice against men in general.
Feminists can’t be feminine
The idea that feminist can’t be stereotypically feminine is an outdated idea. That feminists hate fashion, make up, and all things that are traditionally feminine is flawed for one primary reason. It is based on the idea that all feminists are the same. While there are many feminists that are very much against flowing skirts and heels, that is their personal choice based on their own interests. There are equally as many feminists (both male and female) who embrace the ‘girlier’ aspects of appearance (many of the most traditionally feminine clothes have even been used as symbols of feminism). The choice to embrace traditionally feminine or masculine traits is exactly that, an individual’s choice and not a representation of feminism as a whole. Being feminist means giving and getting the chance to not be forced to follow either way. It is about having the freedom to CHOOSE what each individual wants without fear of judgement or condemnation.
Feminists are crazy and oversensitive
Just as there are feminists who are traditionally feminine, there are feminists, non-feminists and anti-feminists that are very easily offended. There are also members of each group that are hardly offended by anything. Neither of these mindsets are wrong, just as neither are right. They are simply facts of each person’s identity. The reason this one is held to be true is due to the fact that the media tends to display the most radical factions of any group in order to gather the most attention and readership. There is no single type of feminism, and there is no single type of person who is a feminist.
As with any defining movement in history there have been and are a wide variety of misconceptions and myths that have been spread about feminism over time. I hope that I have given you some insight into some of the most common misconceptions about feminism nowadays, as well as a variety of sites and sources to look further into. For an interesting view of anti-feminism, I also suggest reading Sierra Rothermich’s article “Looking Through The Eyes Of An Anti-Feminist”.
All clothes are not created equal. While you would think that the only difference between men’s and women’s clothing is the physical appearance of it, that just simply isn’t true. Clothing is meant to be a way to physically represent who we are, a symbol of our fights and struggles, and not a clear divide between the genders. Women’s fashion is held in a different opinion, made of cheaper materials, and is not designed with the needs of women in mind.
One of the first and most harmful ways in which female clothing is unequal is due to the public opinion and mindset of it. The female fashion industry is seen as superficial, and putting an emphasis on the clothing you wear is viewed as vain. And yet, not putting effort into looking the absolute best deems a woman a slacker, lazy, or simply unpretty. Feminist Naomi Wolf once wrote in her book The Beauty Myth that “The way we looked determined our value to society.” Those who dress in female marketed clothing are judged by whether or not they conform to how that garment should look. The public mindset of female clothing is predominately that a woman’s worth is intrinsically and unconsciously linked to her appearance. This is an opinion that is often reinforced by the media that we consume as a culture. How many shows have you seen where the female character spends an inordinate amount of time deciding what to wear? I bet if you stop to think about it, you’ll find yourself surprised by how many there are. But this does not hold true for male’s clothing. With the exception of high end fashion, the men’s fashion world is viewed as more acceptable. GQ, one of the world’s leading men’s fashion companies, claims in an article on the clothing price difference that “Men are thought to approach buying clothes with more pragmatism”. Whereas women’s clothing is viewed as a physical representation of their worth, men’s clothing is just clothing. And that’s not even digging into the issues of dress codes and the way they reflect on the clothing.
Red lipstick, one of the many ways women have accented their feminism over the decades. Source: Steve Snodgrass
Miniskirts, short bobbed hair, power suits, what do each of these items have in common? What is the prevailing thread that ties all three of these together? Each of them is, in their own way, symbolic of women’s rights. Throughout history there have been many symbols that represent feminism, many fashion choices utilized by womankind to display the fight and advocacy for our rights. Now, this may seem trivial-I mean, what’s the importance of clothing-but by looking into each of these fashion symbols you can trace a timeline of how feminism came to be what it is today and look into the lives of women who lived and argued for female rights throughout American history. Let it be stated; that while not all of these articles of clothing were accepted and promoted by suffragist and feminist organizations each of them did have a part to play within the history of the struggle for equal rights. So where did it begin? When did women begin to use clothing as a way of displaying their strength and rights?
1850s: One of the first traceable uses of clothing to display women’s rights occurred in the 1850s. In a time period when women were still heavily encumbered by tight fitting corsets and multi-layered petticoats one woman dared to stand up and fight against it. Her name was Amelia Bloomer. Having spent the earlier part of her life working to win women’s rights, even being one of the founders of the first recorded American .feminist paper ‘The Lily’, Amelia Bloomer heavily advocated for trading in the bird and some petticoats and hoop skirts for a wide leg style of pants that later came to be known as the bloomers. And while she did not intend initially for the bloomers to become such a widespread phenomenon of the time, they became the first in many instances women using fashion as a way to reclaim the power.
Something individuals rarely do, but it is of great importance…
Up for the challenge?
Try to understand a different perspective — look through the eyes of an anti-feminist.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is defined as “the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” However, some women don’t consider themselves feminists. In fact, there is a website called womenagainstfeminism.com dedicated to expressing anti-feminist views. According to a national survey by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation, six in ten women and one third of men consider themselves a feminist or strong feminist. About seven in ten people said they thought the movement was empowering.
However, four in ten Americans said the movement is angry and unfairly blames men for women’s challenges. A writer on womenagainstfeminism.com explains, “modern-day feminism has taken a different path that I cannot relate to.”
So here is the challenge — Let’s try to understand this perspective. Take a moment with me to look through the eyes of an anti-feminist.
uiwomenscenter.wordpress.com 