I’ve noticed that when feminism is discussed, intersectionality isn’t brought up very much. Because I think intersectionality is so important, I thought I would list three reasons why we should all be intersectional feminists and not just feminists.
1. It’s inclusive of everyone.
Intersectional feminism is the concept that multiple identities such as race, class, gender, sexuality etc. contribute to one’s oppression and can not be examined separately. Feminism has gotten a lot of flack for seeming to mostly represent white, cis-gender women. However, when you look at feminism from an intersectional approach, you also consider people of color, people of all abilities, all sexualities, all socio-economic statuses and all genders.
2. It brings people together.
The wonderful thing about intersectionality is that it makes you look at the unique experiences of other people and try to look at things from their point of view. When we are able to do this, we are able to come together and understand each other a lot better.
3. It helps us look beyond ourselves.
As a straight, black, cisgender women, I used to just be concerned with issues that directly affected me. I wasn’t intentionally ignoring issues that didn’t directly affect me, but it was something that kind of just happened.
I realized that wasn’t okay and that I needed to advocate for everyone, not just myself. This is definitely one of the most important things I have learned from intersectional feminism. I need to look beyond my own experiences and need to focus on issues that don’t directly affect me.