by Irma Garcia
Feminism isn’t a “one size fits all” theory. Every individual has the prerogative to shape their feministic ideals to fit their life and life experiences. A straight cis White woman is not going to have the same back story as a straight cis Black or Latin woman, or a non-straight trans woman. As the identifications vary, so do the backgrounds.
Family and society tend to lay the foundation of our views, therefore a child who grew up in a southern Baptist church and private schooling will lead a different lifestyle than the one who was raised in a non-religious household and public schooling. It’s not rocket science to realize that whatever was drilled into our brains as children shape our beliefs, biases, and prejudices.
But regardless of a laid foundation, everyone is their own person with their own wants and desires. As times change, so do ideals. Those who were fighting for women’s rights in the ‘60s are not necessarily big fans of the current feministic views that deal with claiming one’s sexuality, and so forth. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as “slam-the-patriarchy-free-the-woman” feminist-minded.
If you claim to be a feminist and you shame women for wanting to do traditional things like take their husband’s last name or be a housewife, then that’s where your feminist beliefs are wrong. First off, being domestic does not equate to being submissive.
Feminism isn’t an elite group who defeats gender norms, it’s a group who accepts ALL women’s choices. And a huge part of being a feminist is giving other women the freedom to make choices you might not necessarily make. It has to be inclusive of all who identify as women and of their choices. Because excluding Trans-women from the feminist movement is comparable to admitting that you view all women as walking vaginas, which is the primary characteristic of misogynists.
A woman’s place is going to be WHEREVER she wants, doing WHATEVER she wants.
Irma Garcia is a Houston native and graduate from The University of Texas at Austin, with an immense passion for culture and women’s issues. She currently helps a technology company develop multimedia content, while contributing to Modern Latina. A self-proclaimed, fervent defender of girls everywhere, her writing focuses in empowering women, voicing what is already true within, and intersectionality.