lilitharcane:

queerzula:

lilitharcane:

theroguefeminist:

queerzula:

1. Posts implying that there is equal pressure to make a dominant choice as there is to make a subversive choice (”we all know it’s OK not to shave BUT DID YOU KNOW IT’S ALRIGHT TO SHAVE???”)

2. Posts implying that if you don’t identify as a feminist you’re a misogynist, completely overlooking the fact that WOC, trans women, disabled women etc. have very good reasons to be wary of feminism

3. Posts implying that feminine female characters in fiction are somehow revolutionary??? What?? Pls bring me to this world where there is apparently proper representation for women who DON’T conform to the cissexist, heteronormative Western constraints of femininity.

4. Posts implying that white, rich cishet female celebrities are the epitome of feminism, because they mentioned the wage gap that one time or something like that.

5. Posts implying that “girl-on-girl hate” is only directed towards feminine girls. Critical thought on feminine things like makeup or dresses is seen as girl hate, but people don’t ever see the hatred of gender non-conforming women as “girl hate”?? And you just KNOW that it is because people assume that girl=feminine, and masculine = not girl.

6. Posts that don’t understand that personal empowerment isn’t the same as furthering the status of a whole group. Posts that don’t understand that what one woman finds “empowering” can actually be harmful to other women, and personal empowerment doesn’t go above everything.

7. Posts implying that calling out all these things is “infighting” and “anti-feminist”, rather than the beginning to the construction of a better, more inclusive feminism.

All of this

I’ve really only seen number 6 for any sex work rhetoric tho…… I want to be for this post but nah

I can assure you that when I wrote that down I wasn’t (and still am not) thinking of sex work as a harmful choice.

What I meant was when people say shit like “having sex is feminist” or “makeup is empowering”. Which to me sounds about the same as “I’m having soup for dinner tonight and that’s empowering”. Like, if a woman gets a good feeling from having sex, wearing makeup or having soup for dinner, then good on her, but I don’t want the generalisation to be made that ALL women derive empowerment from the same source, or that one person’s empowerment necessarily helps other people. 

Some women hate sex, and for them having sex would be very disempowering. Some women don’t like wearing makeup and shouldn’t be told that makeup is inherently empowering. And if soup empowers me, then that’s fine, but I’m not going to pretend that me eating soup helps anyone else.

And sometimes, things that empower one woman do that over the back of another group of women. Like, I’m sure there are lots of TERFs who feel “empowered” at the thought of cis-women-only spaces, but that comes at the cost of further marginalisation of trans women.

This all probably sounds very muddled because I’ve just woken up, but the bottom line it:

1. Individual choices can be empowering, but only on an individual level.

2. Sometimes empowerment of one group seems good, until you realise that it is built on the marginalisation of another group.

3. If a woman’s empowerment is built on racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. then I think that that is bad. The feelings of an individual, however empowering, never go before the emancipation of a marginalised group.

Hey there, queerzula thank you for your reply

I totally agree with everything you said. I apologize for being a bit on the offense, I’ve seen a lot of radfems as of late use this tired old saying of “just because you find sex work empowering doesn’t mean it is!!!! 95% of women in prostitution and porn are forced!” (obviously not true but I digress). So that’s where my statement is coming from, plus I’ve seen a lot of anti porn posts from people I’m mutuals with who aren’t SW’s, not understanding being anti porn is being anti SW. 

I absolutely agree with everything you just wrote. I get very tired of the whole “shaving my legs is empowering!” (or wtv) It’s annoying and while I don’t fault baby feminists for doing that, I expect more of women in their 20′s for example. 

I appreciate you clarifying what you meant and responding to my comment. Often, even on this website, sex workers aren’t listened to.