A legitimate critique of feminism is that it tends to be centered on the needs of thin, able-bodied, cis, hetero, middle class, Western, citizenship-having White women and to the exclusion and oppression of the majority of the women in the world: women of colour. Another legitimate criticism of feminism is that it’s inherently cissexist and excludes and oppresses trans women as well as people who do not identify with the dominant gender binary. (Read Jos’ essay on Feministing, On Trans Issues Within Feminism and Strengthening the Movement’s Gender Analysis for great elaboration on this). The idea that “intersectional feminism” or “Indigenous feminism” or “womanism” or “trans feminism” exist is empowering to many but also bothers many because they suggest that feminism should automatically encompass all of these complex and intersecting identities and perspectives.

While I agree with Flavia Dzodan when she declared “my feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit” I am not sure anymore if just one perfect feminism is humanly possible. And we can examine movements that are a part of, parallel to or adjacent to feminism as proof. Let’s examine LGBTQ movements, fat positivity moments, class solidarity movements, and atheist movements, for example. They all suffer from the plague that is White supremacy. It’s not just feminism. All of these movements tend to center White people as the oppressed with people of colour with these identities not only fighting kyriarchy itself but also fighting the way White supremacy consistently derails the words and needs of people of colour within the progressive spaces of these communities.

LGBTQ movements often center cis, middle class White men’s needs and White gays and lesbians before any person of colour, cis or trans. Fat positivity campaigns often feature White women’s photographs and experiences as the dominant narrative. And Occupy, for example, as a class solidarity movement? Were Black people just supposed to ignore that people who earn that 75K-386K who are still in the 99% are usually White and ignore that White wealth is 20X that of Black wealth while raising fists in the air as Whites dominated the entire conversation around Occupy? The atheist movement? Oh wow, don’t make me go there. Don’t. The White supremacy, racism, sexism, misogyny, misogynoir, homophobia, transphobia and Islamaphobia among many movement White atheists is so palpable that atheists of colour like me dodge them like the plague. (Honestly, I didn’t put “atheist” in my Twitter bio not because I fear theist judgment but to keep racist White atheists away.) I rarely discuss atheism other than with other atheists of colour, though I write about it here sometimes.

Because of all of this, I don’t know if it is reasonable to want just one “feminism” for all. Of course it is still necessary to deconstruct, reject and dismantle White supremacy and every single way it manifests in “progressive” and status quo-supporting spaces. If this is done through feminist or progressive politics and ideologies defined with incredible nuance relative to the people they represent, that’s fine with me. The main thing is that “mainstream” feminism has to STOP actively advocating White supremacy/racism and cissexism, for example. It’s not enough that multiple feminisms exist but also that they aren’t structured in a hierarchy of power where thin, able-bodied, cis, hetero, middle class, Western, citizenship-having White women’s power is concentrated against all other women (and men of colour in some ways) while pretending that only White men are capable of oppressing everyone.



As I’ve stated before, I’m still here for feminism. I’m not going to support intraracial oppression/Black patriarchy and kyriarchy solely because many White feminists are racist or because White supremacy is globally pervasive. At the same time, I clarified this statement with the acknowledgement of the importance of self-evaluation and inter-feminist critique and rejection of oppression within progressive spaces. I also personally identify as a Womanist. I don’t care if this causes privileged White women to get upset because they want “unity” as long as it’s them standing on my shoulders so they can attempt to box with White patriarchy…yet are proliferating White supremacy their damn selves. I’m not their feminist sidekick.



Another reason why perhaps there doesn’t need to be one singular feminism is because feminism will never be one size fit all; the oppression women experience varies. How can feminist politics that Sheryl Sandberg believes in have any relevance to my life? How can feminist politics that I believe in have any relevance to the women who live on less than $2.00 a day in the world? I can envision multiple feminisms co-existing as long as none exist to oppress another. In the same way that oppression manifests in multiple ways, with multiple types and varies at multiple intersections is the same way a politics of empowerment and freedom can have complexity and multiple categories. In fact, I would argue that it is imperialist and White supremacist to demand that feminism be a singular thing because then those with enormous money, power and platforms could (and already try to and often do) dominate what that feminism is, how it looks, and claim that those without the money, power and platform are the “failures” of feminism.



Some will argue that too much nuance means no real knowledge of feminism can “conclusively” exist. I would argue that this is a White supremacist approach to epistemology. Why would something that has to evolve in the way that humans evolve and change and has to evolve to combat ever changing oppression need to be “conclusive” or need authorities on it, ones that most definitely would end up being White? If anything, this means more scholarship, more nuance, more marginalized voices need to add to the body of knowledge that creates feminist theory and allows feminist praxis.



I’m totally fine with feminisms, as plural. I’m also fine with people choosing any label (or no label) to identify their commitment to anti-oppression theory and praxis, as long as the commitment is there.

Related Essay List: Womanism/Black Feminism and Race In Feminist Discourse