Intersectionality and sexism within the LGBTQ+ Community Intersectionality, n. The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise. (Oxford Dictionary) “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives” Audre Lorde https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cD_dG2Tih8 Compounded Oppression • We should be aware of who experiences compounded oppression and why, in order to combat it, but not to use it to diminish or undervalue the experiences of others. • Although people in the gender and sexually diverse community experience oppression because of sexual orientation and/or gender identity, some have more privilege than others. • It is important to give people who experience compounded oppression, those people who face a number of forms of oppression the space and allyship to express their lived experiences, for that is something we can never personally encounter. • This is not to say, however, that oppression should be any sort of competition • ”There is no hierarchy of oppressions” Audre Lorde More compounded oppression • Eden, a peer navigator for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland discusses the issues of compounded oppression and how people who experience compounded oppression are often overlooked. • “When you’re talking about racism, the default assumption is that you’re talking about a black man,” “If you’re talking about sexism, the default assumption is that you’re talking about a white woman. And if you’re talking about homophobia, the default assumption is that you’re talking about a white, gay man. That leaves a lot of people out of the conversation.” Women in the LGBTQ+ community • Women in the LGBTQ+ community experience unique issues due to compounded oppression. • Jean Wynn, the woman we interviewed, talked about how many of the lesbian and bisexual women in her community who came out later or who were out for most of their lives experienced significant financial issues because they were not married to men and therefore did not receive the financial benefit of a higher income because of the wage gap. • In the Portland Town Council community profile on Nance and Estelline, they suffered not only for coming out but also because of sexism and traditional gender roles. Neither of them had ever worked outside the house before coming out and when they came out they experienced financial insecurity and were unable to keep many of their possessions. The 2014 National LGBTQ+ Conference • The 2014 National LGBTQ+ Conference discussed sexism and compounding oppression. • The conference noted that because the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community does not exist in a vacuum, sexism looks fairly similar: white men hold power in our community; just as white (straight) men hold the power in the general population. • An example of this is the Portland Town Council letter to the editor. The author says that “ I cannot continue to work for an organization in which the women who work for it are not taken seriously” • “If TCF will not commit itself to a clear process and strong women taking part equally, you might consider continuing as a gay men’s organization” Sexism Within the LGBTQ+ Community • The 2014 National LGBTQ+ conference discussed how there is often an assumption that because gay men have no conscious desire to be sexually intimate with women, uninvited touching and groping (physical assault) is benign. • An example is when fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi grabbed actress Scarlet Johansson’s breasts on the red carpet of an awards ceremony in 2010. Johansson was angered by this act, which Mizrahi dismissed by saying he’s gay, “so it’s okay”. • This unfortunately is an experience for many women and we see the issue being raised more both inside and outside the LGBTQ+ community. The 2014 National LGBTQ+ Conference • The conference expressed concern that the LGBTQ+ community did not challenge behavior or language in its own movement that would be challenged if we had experienced it in wider society. • The conference notes that this is not a new problem. In the 1970’s women walked out of the Gay and Lesbian Foundation because as one founder member puts it “We were fed up with sexism from the very men who should know better.” • The conference discussed how when women do attempt to challenge sexism in the LGBTQ+ community, they are told not to be “divisive” or “encourage in-fighting” and concerns might be dismissed altogether. • This response silences the people who experience sexism in the LGBTQ+ movement. The conference says this can hurt more than the sexism that comes from outside the LGBTQ+ community because it is expected that the community, with its understanding and experience of oppression, would not perpetuate oppression. Purpose and Goals of the Conference • Conference called on the national LGBTQ+ committee to: • 1. Consider holding a workshop on why sexism in all its forms should be challenged for conference next year; • 2. Identify ways of highlighting the issue of sexism within the LGBTQ+ movement; • 3. Work towards the elimination of sexism within the LGBTQ+ movement and within the trade union movement. • The issues within the LGBTQ+ community are not the ‘fault’ of any one group of people. The problems simply reflect our sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic society, where the voices of cisgender white men are prioritized. • It’s important that we pay attention to where power lies from an intersectional perspective. Questions • 1) Do you see any solutions to decrease compounded oppression within the LGBTQ+ community? • 2) Do you think there are any problems that aren’t being addressed and if so what are they?
