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We know this is a stressful time, we hope that our resources are able to bring some comfort in this unstable time. We are experiencing this together!
Sex- Identified Traditionally via Visible Reproductive Organs at Birth:
Sex- Identified Traditionally via Visible Reproductive Organs at Birth:
Historically in societies under colonization, the way you were raised, the color of your sheets, the job you had (or weren't allowed to have), and the life you were allowed to lead as a whole, was all determined by your sex. Sex, as a form of identity, has often taken the name of gender as well; however, gender is a construct that relies on assigning itself to your assigned-at-birth-sex. Now this can get tricky to understand, but it's often easiest when we fully separate sexual (sex-assigned-at-birth) and gender (how one expresses oneself) identities. That doesn't mean that the two groups don't heavily overlap, it just means that they are inherently separate and are applied differently to our lives. To live life in any physical body comes with a lot of nuances and differences in that experience in comparison to others, and to flatten that experience based on an incorrectly held societal definition of a biological sex binary, does no service to the truth of human diversity.
The constructs of gender impact both AMAB and AFAB people in society via enforcement via patriarchy, but there is a need to highlight not just the historic rates of violence against AFAB people across society but to particularly hold space for the context of the weaponization of our own reproductive system against us in the context of sexual assault, pregnancy, and access to reproductive healthcare.
Sex Assigned at Birth:
Sex Assigned at Birth:
AFAB: Assigned Female At Birth, this is a term that is includes the majority of women who identify as cisgender women, transgender men, and non-binary folks, who are effected by the ownership of a 'traditionally' female body at birth. Traditional reproductive organs including but not limited to: Vagina, Cervix, Uterus, Ovaries, etc.
AMAB: Assigned Male At Birth, this is a term that includes the majority of men who identify as cisgender men, transgender women, and non-binary folks, who are effected by the ownership of a traditionally male body at birth. Genitalia including but not limited to: Prostate, Penis, Testes, Vas deferens, etc.
Intersex: There are also individuals who are intersex- and have a mixture of traditional sex characteristics; a percent of the population are born this way and some never find out. Intersex individuals have the right to live in their bodies however, and in whatever identity that they feel is right. As we briefly mentioned, many people have a slight variation and never find out they are intersex, due to the standard of assigning people to an oversimplified binary when deciding someone's sex based on developing body parts.
Intersex Individuals:
Intersex Individuals:
While we don't often hold space for this truth as a society, the sexual "binary" doesn't technically exist. There are about as many people that are 'intersex', or that fall out of line from the stereotypically acknowledged 'male/female' binary as there are redheads in society. And as intersex traits can include visible and invisible differences across hormones, genetics, and sex organs, there are many people who never even learn that they are intersex. In cases with reproductive organ differences, there can be a mix of the two standard forms of genitalia, some that can present 'traditionally' with different sex organs internally (unseen without imaging). Regardless, sex organs are sex organs. Because intersex genitalia can vary, it's important to remember the ways that we can over estimate the frequency of traditional sex organs. All people have different bodily features, this doesn't change when we discuss sex organs.
Intersex: (Planned Parenthood Glossary Definition)
"People born with sex traits that are excluded by traditional ideas about male or female bodies (the sex binary). There are many ways that people are intersex. About 1-2 in every 100 people born in the U.S. are intersex."
As we grow up there are a lot of ways that we imprint on another, and on the larger scale there are social systems (societal norms) that imprint on us as well. Some of these social systems are effective by having us make assumptions about our life's purpose. To have a gender or sexual identity is completely up to you, and don't really carry any weight that you don't want them too. There is fluidity in any identity because all of us learn over time who we are and how we want to be in the world.
All of these terms and understandings come from our prior knowledge of Sexism and its place as a Social System. Sexism has primarily been used in our history to prioritize the white wealthy male ideals which caused women to be abused and seen as property until the more recent century. This is not to ignore the tole sexism has taken on the male community. Femininity and Masculinity are uniquely used against people to make it seem as though your sex at birth has any implication in the way your life must go, or what roles you must take. When it comes to the ways these ideals can affect us mentally, we have to try really hard to evaluate the ways it has impacted us so far.
Deconstructing Our Gender and Sexual Identity:
Deconstructing Our Gender and Sexual Identity:
Deconstructing/Decolonizing the Gender Binary:
Deconstructing/Decolonizing the Gender Binary:
Throughout European colonial history people believed that there are two genders, man and women. Gender is a societal construct that allows it only to exist as well as people choose to believe in it, and follow patriarchal values. The belief that there are only two genders, directly stems from the misheld belief that there are only two sexes. Even though there are two ends of the biological sex spectrum, it doesn't mean that there is not an array of biological expressions in between. While sex is never a determination of gender, biological sex can greatly impact the way we interact with the construct of gender, and aspects of self expression. It's important that we keep in mind the ways that people are forced into gender roles, and gender norms, without their consent by their society and community. However, that doesn't mean that sex=gender, and gender should never be a glorification of sexual biology over self expression. When anyone is expressing themselves genuinely, gender is not really present. Gender is a gaze and construct assigned to a type of expression. Even our descriptor words for these things are not exclusive to gender, such as: 'feminine', 'masculine', 'beautiful', 'handsome'. In fact the social gendering of these words is done through societal constructs being replicated and upheld. For many people, fully deconstructing gender can be a hard mental task- especially when we believe so much of our identity is assigned to gender; however, the fact remains that from a biological, neurological, and gender studies perspective, you are without gender right now, other than what society has assigned to you based on your visible sex characteristics. (eg. hair growth patterns, breasts and genitalia, etc)
While we should never be trying to attain an expressed identity that we don't want to have, that doesn't mean it is bad to want to express yourself stereotypically. Anyone can think that any expression is pretty, beautiful, flattering, etc. without it being in or outside of the stereotypical gender norms. The reason for getting rid of the construct of gender, is that nothing is specifically one way or another, that also means that what we consider stereotypically feminine can be comfortable and feminine to anyone outside of that construct as well. The same goes for the stereotypical masculine, feeling true masculine to some. Now this doesn't mean that we continue to uphold gendered systems and structures through our policing of others expression. The freedom to choose what these words and identities mean to you, is the deconstruction of gender.
Society creates these gender roles for us to play into, and with enforcement via the power structures inherent to colonial, patriarchal capitalism. While we frequently discuss the harms of men and cis-hetero individuals in general under patriarchy, both AFAB folks and many groups within LGBTQIA2S+ circles who are seen by many to be 'queering' from 'traditional values' (Christian heteronormative monogamy), are often active participants as reinforcers of the harms of gender roles, against both AFAB and AMAB individuals.
This can look like 'toxic masculinity' and 'toxic femininity' (internalized sexism) in action, with people acting out patterns of gendered behavior against each other; for example, a transmasculine individual recreating harmful toxic masculine dynamics such as refusing to participate with household tasks that have a feminine association under patriarchy, such as cooking or cleaning, or a woman attempting to gain power in a space by playing into standard femininity to appeal to existing male-dominated power structures or by attempting to recreate those power structures by acting as a "girlboss", which actually usually ends up modeling 'authority' off of toxic masculine behaviors such as domination and aggression. As a further example, transfeminine people can sometimes tend to lean into either toxic feminine or masculine behaviors as a way to attempt to reclaim power under patriarchy that is stripped from them when they reject their masculine assigned gender at birth. Some cishet men will also perform femininity in order to gain appeal/power with women/in queer spaces for personal or particularly sexual gain. On the flip-side, many men like to use the way that we all can tend to play into patriarchy in these ways as justification for the continuation of it, and even as a inlet for them to blame non-men and queer individuals for its existence in the first place.
Politeness culture is often shown to us as simply, “good behavior,” but it operates as a socially constructed system that manages conflict, emotion, and communication in ways that position unbalanced and underlying power dynamics. Its rules are rarely neutral, as we know the word crime can be weaponized to describe actions in a shallow way. They emerge from collective pressures to protect the comfort of those who benefit most from existing social structures, and they shape who is allowed to speak, how they must speak, and what kinds of truths are considered acceptable. Politeness culture tends to prioritize image and perception over substance and experience. It doesn’t just encourage kindness; it prescribes a narrow emotional range (seemingly articulated, presenting calm, socially submissive) and labels anything outside it as disruptive. This may create a false sense of peace, but it can also suppress necessary expressions of frustration, boundary-setting, confrontation, or appropriate restorative justice. This repression of expressed emotions can greatly impact someone's mental health and their self image and identities. Those with little-to-no institutional or social power often bear the greatest burden: they are expected to manage not only their own emotions but also the reactions of those who might feel challenged by their words. Meanwhile, people who hold power are rarely asked to soften their tone or restructure their communication for the sake of others.
This dynamic shows up in workplaces that punish direct feedback as “unprofessional,” in institutions that code discomfort as disrespect. It also shows up in everyday interactions where marginalized people are told to “calm down,” “be nice,” or “say it a different way,” before their concerns can even be acknowledged. These forms of tone policing shift attention away from the content of a message and toward its delivery, allowing the underlying issues (often related to inequity or danger/harm) to remain unaddressed. Recognizing politeness culture as a social construct doesn’t require rejecting courtesy or empathy. Instead, it invites a shift in what we value in communication: honesty over appeasement, accountability over comfort, and mutual respect over one-sided emotional labor. By rethinking these norms, we create space that is safe for conversations that are truthful, equitable, and genuinely human.
Presentation of Gender:
Presentation of Gender:
Gender in itself is a construct of our long standing history in humanity. While we have seen a correlation with gender identity and sexual organs in humans for our history on this planet; there still well-known evidence that humans have always had people who don't identify within their sex given at birth. Being that it is a construct and system that most of our societies have upheld and idolized for its sexual and manipulative nature. Defining Gender as a system means that it has more than the barest of definitions; this system functions on the perception of the self and the people around you. Women, men and others, are given a chance at life all the same, but we all know the not-so-creative differences between the ways we parents and instruct younger girls in comparison to boys. Society often subjects people to having a specific type of childhood, and experiences through life based on their sex-assigned-at-birth, that assignment and subjectiveness is gender. This all comes down to the ways each person perceives themselves and their gender, in comparison to the other identities around them. Many 'men' are compelled to not show emotion or compassion for others as a way of gaining strength; however, this is a self-harm tactic that most men have learned from those around them and older than them.
When we begin to reframe our experiences surrounding gender, we are merely looking at a the same image with different glasses. While a person may be a person and without identification they remain genderless; however, the moment I tell you she is here or he is there, a completely new perception of the interaction is taking place. This is one of many ways that the way we have made gender a system in our everyday lives. Exploring the understanding of any of our genders, is to go beyond anything our sex at birth might convey. Our gender expression is that of what we have been manipulated over the years to be what it is today. This doesn't mean that your expression is incorrect it just means a lot of interactions helped you form that expression. The different groups of people out there today believe the gender expression somehow infringes on the lives around the person expressing their gender differently, while it has no real impact on those around them. Many people of stereotypical gender expression have experienced several times where the impression of their expression gave someone else a false impression of who they were based on stereotyping. This means that gender is a system that serves very few people in the bigger institutions of modern day capitalism which typically consist of rich white males.
Gender can be expressed on a spectrum of femininity and masculinity, but at the basis of breaking down gender norms and constructs we have freedom of expression. There may be a gender attached to someone's identity but you can act, dress, and be whomever you want in this world and feel feminine or masculine in that. Of course this sounds a lot more glamorous than it may be in reality.
Due to the high range of hate crimes that occur every day surrounding gender and sexual orientation, it has been very important for everyone who is queer in some way to be careful about who they share that information with. It can be dangerous for some of us to share our identifying factors with others. Calling our Significant Others or Family Members: "Partner", "Spouse", "Significant Other", "Sibling", "Pal", (etc.) and other non-gendered specific names can ensure a bit of extra safety. However those who are most inquisitive of these kinds of things may inquire deeper; this is why we encourage our allies to discuss their non-queer relationships and non-queers family members in the same way. This has completely destigmatize the word "Partner," and "Spouse," allowing for many more queer individuals to discuss their partners in safety at work or in public.
Gender Expression:
Gender Expression:
Expression of Identity:
Expression of Identity:
In identity there is a range of expressions and positions that can be self-assigned by us or socially-assigned to us. This means that we have the ability to express ourselves how we want to, but society may still assign identities to us that we would otherwise not take on. Expression of sex (not gender) and race for example are not considered optional identities even though both identities are rooted in social oppressionary/discriminatory systems. While gender and sex may be socially constructed, it's a heavily, widespread belief that there are only two sexes and therefore two genders (false belief). Just because these things are misheld/false constructs assigned to us, doesn't mean they aren't an inherently impacting our experience in society.
While these restrictions exist, there are many ways that we have the ability to change the presentation and expression of our identities. We have a lot of gendered terms that we use to describe our expression such as: feminine, masculine, woman, man, transfemme, transmasc, metrosexual, etc. These are terms we may use to describe our style, expression, and identity- but that doesn't mean that they are defined similarly by other people. We all define these terms differently based on culture, and ways that we understand expression such as gender, sexual orientation, and culture. We often experience the assigned identities based on our self expression (such as queer gender and sexual orientation). Trans people, AFAB people, gender queer, two-spirit, and people with androgynous expressions, face this discriminatory social systems in everyday experiences.
When we express our identities we are often thinking about the ways we will be perceived socially, for some that may be thinking about the outside perception from people in public, and for others that may be planning an outfit night with friends. It's important that we remember that these things are never inherently dangerous or bad, but that the ways in which we are motivated to express our identity and interpret other identities can greatly impact people outside of ourselves.
Our identities have many facets, and the intersection of those identities result in a unique expression.
Sexuality in modern day (last 50 years) has been a way of socially labeling or determining your preference when it comes to the attraction you have to other gender or sexual orientations. This definition has grown over the years that people have begin to interact more with the topic. We want to point out that being attracted to anyone you may find interesting could be considered as queer attraction if you want it to, or it can always stay unlabeled. There is no pressure when it comes to identifying and figuring out how you feel about your sexual relationships. For a long time there needed to be language in place to identify consent for pursuing a relationships or sexual activities, this is due to the danger of public outing could be. *disclaimer: we are discussing the consent to approach not consent for sexual activity based on a sexual orientation* Furthermore, sexual orientation was to make sure that people didn't get hurt by the people who were considered homophobic or a danger to queer communities. For a long time gender identities were lumped into sexual idenitites because of the need to have supportive communities in order to stay alive.
Sexual identities now-a-days has become a out-dated system where many of us may still identify within it, but many of us know how to communicate our feelings about one another without the need to mention our sexual identities. However this applies to a small sector of able-out spoken members of the queer community who have learned other ways to communicate attraction consensually without direct mention of sexual identity. If you live in a rural or conservative areas relying on communication of sexual preference may come into conversation, but it's important to be safe and take caution when coming out to new groups. But being surrounded by those who love you for who you love, is important when it comes to coming out. If you want to know more about the common place sexual identities you can check out our LGBTQIA2S+ page (click to transfer pages).
Due to the changes of perception of gender many have reconsidered their ways of identifying in their sexual orientation. Queer as a term itself has become much more popular due to its anonymity and ambiguousness; Queer can be any non-straight interaction on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.
How do Sexuality and Gender Interact?
How do Sexuality and Gender Interact?
Gender and Sexuality will always over lap because they are constructs we have yet to breakdown and understand. All of us love people and are attracted to different individuals, but none of us want to be persecuted for that love or the people our family and friends choose to love. We may not always see it but gender identity can have a huge affect on the ways in which identify in our sexuality and both of these things are fluid. Fluid meaning they can change with different stages of life and experiences. Our experiences during sexual activities can change or roles can change dependent on your wants and needs in the sexual interaction; these can also occur with changes in gender identities as well. Sometimes sexual needs changes as changes in gender appear as well, and these are not things to ever feel ashamed of, but to embrace and communicate your way through your wants and needs.
Gender heavily affects all of our lives because of the systems that we all facilitate by participating in several of the social systems advertised to us each day. While it may be something we can't easily break free of, we all can take time to discover who we really are, and what constrains of the judgement might you face. None of us should feel as thought we can't comfortably be who we are just because of the possible reaction from the peers around us. Yet daily people are indeed harrassed for these very things, and a way we can combat this is by checking in on our queer friends and family to make sure that when we see people in need that we do not stand by, but run and rush to anyone's aid. You would always rather be an over cautious friend, than a bystander to a hate center crime.
Since gender is a construct, there are many ways in which we as individuals each go against traditional gender norms. Some people are working to deconstruct their gender identity from the traditional norms, which can look many ways. One example of that is a preference to be seen as a complete person without gender being assigned to them, which some people refer to as an 'agender' identity. But because identities are complex, someone who aligns with that same description could also prefer to be indentified as 'nonbinary', or simply prefer to call themselves queer. Some people identify as 'gender fluid', and consider themselves to exist in a changing state across the gender spectrum and beyond. While many people strongly identify with different existing labels for queer gender identities, it is important to remember the ways that aspects of self identity can be assigned to us in ways that serves patriarchy more than it serves ourselves- and that attempting to reach a peak image of femininity, masculinity, or even androgyny is often driven by social pressure to perform for the gender binary.
Nonbinary Identity:
Nonbinary Identity:
Some people who have a queer gender identity prefer to be called, or go by the label of nonbinary. Nonbinary, as a term, refers to acknowledging the presence of a traditional male-female gender binary, while choosing to identify outside of that. Some people express themselves in ways typically identified (through gender stereotypes) as masculine or feminine, but that doesn't mean that they identify with the gender associated with the stereotyped features (eg. a nonbinary person who wears a dress does not necessarily identify as a woman just because society traditionally associates dresses with femininity and womanhood). Some nonbinary individuals prefer to keep to a more strictly androgynous presentation and try to avoid clothes that are strongly gendered to either end of the binary sex spectrum.
Transgender Identities:
Transgender Identities:
Some individuals strongly feel that they do not identify with their assigned-at birth gender, and they make the choice to transition their gender to the opposite end in the binary- becoming a transgender individual, also known as a trans person. This traditonally looks one of two ways-
1. a woman transitions to be a man, and becomes a trans man, or a transmasculine person.
2. a man transitions to be a woman, and becomes a trans woman, or a transfeminine person.
Trans identities are very unique however, and just as there are countless ways for humans to curate their own self identity, there are countless positions for humans to land on the gender binary spectrum. And keeping in mind that gender and sex are often not one in the same thing, and that sex is far more complicated than 'male or female' from a biological standpoint, there is far more complexity to transitioning genders than moving from one end of the spectrum to the other. This is very much dependent on the individual, but an example of this can look like how for folks who are intersex, sometimes the health-affirming care and gender affirmation via clothes or presentation that an intersex person will participate in, can parallel gender transition or transgender affirming care- and for some intersex individuals, they therefore choose to embrace a transgender identity.
We hope that we can foster a conversation where the act of sex itself is not sexualized. It is vital that we are able to come together as a species, across both sexes, to understand that sexual activity has historically not always been pleasurable for everyone involved, and the force of birthing and sex on females, has created a generational shift in how one may view sexual activity. When coming at these conversations from a scientific perspective, we have to remain aware that these are functions of our bodies, and for some the lack of function or ability is really difficult to manage. The more we have educated conversations on these topics, the less scared or stigmatizing it will be to experience them. We all have these bodies, yet we still want to live in a world where we pretend we don't know. There is nothing that should be forcibly hidden from the rest of the world, especially if it is about the state of our bodies or lives, we are here on Earth to wittness one another. We should curate a society where there is no justification for unconsensual actions that comes from ever mistaking another human's state of being as 'promiscuity', for that is a grave dishonor to our own species. Promiscuity itself, is a word that should have never needed to exist, only used to describe a women's presentation from a horrendous man's perspective.
Another example, being able to discuss an orgasm and how they can occur for/in different bodies, without sexualizing the conversation, is imperative for us to have a framework and move through discussing the ways pleasure can occur with another person, without creating unnecessary pressure or being uneducated about potential needs.
There are many groups of people who do not experience, or define, sexual pleasure in the ways typical society may; and beyond their ability for such, they carry entire lives with them still. We often forget about people's traumas (old or new), and that emotional, physical, or mental these traumas stay with us, changing in the soft ways they might, but they never go away. We have to keep in mind that outside of ability or want, all bodies experience orgasm and pleasure differently in the physical form. This along, with the complexity of different genitalia potentially needing different stimulation to achieve pleasure, can influence the series of actions so that sexual acts are only pleasurable for one person at a time.
From a neurological perspective, we have to keep in mind that sexual pleasure and sexual desires have always lived in the part of the brain responsible for fight or flight, and our adrenaline centers, which means for those who've experienced a lot of their life in severe fight or flight, sexual activities may be a different experience. It is often that people experience intense emotional releases when they experience sexual pleasure, which is something that we as a society should be foster more in conversation.
Many groups of people experience their pleasure in different ways depending on how sexual activities have occured in their lives, and how it affects them. We know that 1 in 6 women have been assaulted, so we understand that there may be direct trauma associated with the act of sex, and sexual pleasure. The act of sexual reproduction for the intention of birth can also bring it's own from of trauma for many people. Experiencing a misscarriage or loss of a child, is a life-changing experience, one that may temporarily or long-term affect the people who are in that relationship. For parents going through infertility, the act of sexual activity can become associated with negative emotions rather than positive ones. That does not mean that sexual activity isn't pleasurable for people in this situation, but that the pleasure is not being done for the act of pleasure, but to lead to a child.
Perception is how any given person individually experiences the world and the things it in around them. All of us have our own understandings about the community and society we have built around us. These things are difficult to understand until you notice your own perception changing as your life experiences increase. We having a way of learning things about our perception, but first we have to look at how we are perceiving these things. By knowing that Social Systems highly impact the perception people have on each other, we can stop the ways that these impact our reality. People want us to believe that these social systems actually rule or control our perception, which can be true if we are not readily combating advertisements and social norms that are product of social systems.
Rape culture refers to a social environment in which sexual violence is normalized, excused, glorified and even implicitly encouraged through attitudes, behaviors, and institutions that delegitimize consent and blame survivors. Its origins are deeply rooted in historical power structures, gender norms, and colonial narratives that have evolved over centuries. In many early societies, women were viewed as property of fathers or husbands, and sexual violence was often framed not as a crime against the person harmed, but as a violation of a man’s ownership rights. These patriarchal systems established long-standing beliefs that men were entitled to women and AFAB bodies and that person's autonomy was secondary, which laid out the norms that dismissed or ignored the seriousness anf impact of sexual assault. Additionally, toxic-masculinity, the expectation that men should be dominant, sexually assertive, and emotionally detached, reinforced patterns in which aggression was tolerated and intimacy was undervalued.
Over time, media representations, legal systems, and social oppression systems perpetuated these ideas: jokes about assault, victim-blaming questions in courtrooms, and portrayals of coercion as romantic all contributed to an environment where survivors felt shame or disbelief rather than support. White Supremacy and Heteronormative Patriarchy further intensified these predatory and harmful behaviors, by imposing rigid gender and racial hierarchies using sexual violence as a tool of control. Even as modern societies have made progress in recognizing autonomy and consent, remnants of these historical beliefs persist in subtle ways, through the policing of women’s clothing, the pressure on men to perform gendered roles, or the readiness to question a survivor’s credibility. Rape culture, then, is not a single ideology but a intertwined net of inherited narratives and institutional practices that collectively shape how societies respond to sexual violence. Understanding its origins highlights that it is not natural or inevitable; it is the result of long-standing social choices and structures that can be challenged and changed. By examining how these harmful norms developed and why they still influence behavior and policy, communities can better work toward creating cultures that value informed consent, respect boundaries, and support survivors with dignity and seriousness.
Hate crimes are rooted in (Systemic) Systems of Oppression that have been upheld by historical/long-serving societal structures. Hate crimes are criminal acts motivated by bias or prejudice against a person or group based on characteristics such as race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Historically, these crimes have been used as tools of social control, intimidation, and oppression. In the United States, hate crimes were often associated with racial terror during the post-Reconstruction era, particularly through lynchings and violence aimed at Black Americans to reinforce segregation and white supremacy. Similarly, in Nazi Germany, state-sponsored hate crimes targeted Jews, Roma, and other minority groups as part of a genocidal regime.
In the modern era, hate crimes remain a serious issue globally. While civil rights advances have provided legal protections, incidents of hate-fueled violence persist. Modern hate crimes can range from vandalism of religious sites to violent attacks on individuals, such as the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting targeting LGBTQ+ individuals or anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The internet has also created new avenues for hate crimes, including cyber harassment and the efficient spread of extremist propaganda on new platforms.
Governments and international bodies have responded by enacting hate crime legislation, aiming to impose stricter penalties when bias is proven to be a motivating factor. However, enforcement and definitions vary widely by country. Tracking and reporting remain challenges, often due to underreporting or lack of legal frameworks.
We all carry multiple identities, some we choose to have, some are assigned to us by society. The ways in which these identities overlap and interact, is called intersectionality. Intersectionality is a frame of looking at the ways that we carry multiple identities both oppressive identities and privileged identities, and the ways that our communities and societal structure responds to those identities intersecting. Even though they are often social constructs and systems of oppression, race, gender, disability/accessibility, sexual orientation, and presentation all greatly impact the way they are positioned by society and seen by the world. When we are in public and private spaces we are impacted by our identities, but more often we are impacted by their intersection. We all carry intersectional identities, that effect each of us differently. The ways in which we respond to that effect and call out the systems of oppression when safe and able to do so, will begin deconstructing the colonization of identity.
Sometimes when we find ourselves with identities that largely differ from each other; for example a cisgender AMAB person will have more power than any-gender AFAB person; however, the dynamic can change if a the cisgender AMAB person is carrying a BIPOC identity. We know that social systems directly impact how much power we are able to receive from society, but that doesn't mean we should play into the social constructs and oppressionary systems that cause us and others harm. However, we find that due to the replicated structures of patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, and religious nationalism (etc.), people are still finding themselves forced into participating in these systems. in order to survive.
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There is always more research being done!
There is always more research being done!
If you would like to help us write about commonly silenced areas or personal experiences you may have with these topics, contact us at thisisactivism2023@gmail.com or fill out our Comments page. We want our website to be a continuous growth of knowledge to share with each other in a positive way. There are so many things we don't talk about and we should!
There is always more research being done!
There is always more research being done!
If you would like to help us write about commonly silenced areas or personal experiences you may have with these topics, contact us at thisisactivism2023@gmail.com or fill out our Comments page. We want our website to be a continuous growth of knowledge to share with each other in a positive way. There are so many things we don't talk about and we should!
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