#eurocentric understanding of the gender binary

[fadetoblacked]

Breaking Barriers (and the Scale)

In the intricate dance of identity and activism, some individuals choose to redefine their paths in ways that defy societal norms and champion social justice. Tomi Dubois, an eighteen-year-old from Quebec, Canada, is one such individual. His remarkable journey of self-feminization into a BBW (Big Beautiful Woman) to align with Black beauty standards and his commitment to serving as a wet nurse for Black families is a revolutionary act of solidarity, self-discovery, and radical love.

Celebrating Black Beauty

In a world where Eurocentric beauty standards have long dominated, Tomi’s transformation is a powerful celebration of Black beauty. By embracing the aesthetic of a BBW, Tomi affirms the beauty and cultural significance that Black communities place on fuller figures. This transformation is not about imitation but about deep respect and allyship, challenging restrictive beauty norms and advocating for inclusivity.

The Transformation Journey

Tomi’s journey began with a profound realization of his desire to align his physical appearance with his inner identity and his commitment to social justice. This process involved hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to develop feminine features and gain the fuller figure he admired. He immersed himself in understanding and embodying the essence of Black beauty, from adopting fashion and hairstyles to embracing the cultural nuances that define it.

Tomi Dubois Today

Today, Tomi Dubois radiates confidence and warmth as a BBW. His soft, rounded features, coupled with a nurturing demeanor, make him a living testament to the beauty he celebrates. Tomi’s physical transformation is complemented by an inner strength and clarity of purpose that shines through in his interactions and his work.

A Revolutionary Wet Nurse

Choosing to become a wet nurse for Black families is a radical act of service and solidarity. Wet nursing, a practice deeply rooted in caregiving, allows Tomi to provide essential nourishment and support to Black infants. This role acknowledges the historical and ongoing challenges faced by Black mothers, from healthcare disparities to systemic racism. Tomi’s work ensures that Black babies receive the nurturing care they deserve, fostering strong, healthy bonds from the start.

Shattering Societal Norms

Tomi’s journey shatters societal norms and stereotypes surrounding gender, race, and body image. By embracing a traditionally feminine role, he challenges rigid gender binaries and highlights the universal importance of caregiving. His transformation defies conventional expectations, showcasing the diversity and complexity of human identity and promoting a more nuanced understanding of beauty and gender.

A Vision of Radical Inclusivity

Tomi’s story is a beacon of radical inclusivity, advocating for a world where acceptance and love transcend superficial differences. His journey encourages us to appreciate the richness of human diversity and to embrace the unique paths individuals take in their quest for identity and purpose.

A Conversation with Tomi Dubois

Michelle Wong: Tomi, your journey is truly inspiring. Can you share what motivated you to embark on this path?

Tomi Dubois: My motivation came from a deep desire to make a tangible difference in the fight for social justice. I wanted to move beyond being an ally to becoming an active participant in supporting and honoring Black communities. Embracing Black beauty standards and serving as a wet nurse felt like meaningful ways to contribute.

Michelle Wong: How has your view of the Black Lives Matter movement influenced your decisions?

Tomi Dubois: The Black Lives Matter movement opened my eyes to the systemic injustices faced by Black communities. It inspired me to take a stand not just in words but in actions. My journey is a reflection of my commitment to supporting Black empowerment and addressing inequalities in tangible ways.

Michelle Wong: You’ve mentioned you don’t want to create more white children. Can you elaborate on that?

Tomi Dubois: Absolutely. My focus on serving Black families is about addressing disparities and providing support where it’s most needed. It’s my way of contributing to a future where Black lives are valued and supported, and where systemic racism is actively challenged. By dedicating myself to this work, I hope to make a small but significant impact.

Conclusion

Tomi Dubois’ journey of self-feminization and his role as a wet nurse for Black families is a powerful testament to love, solidarity, and social justice. His transformation challenges societal norms, celebrates Black beauty, and provides crucial support to Black communities. In a world often divided by differences, Tomi’s story is a reminder of the importance of inclusivity, empathy, and the courage to embrace our true selves. Let his example inspire us to create a world where everyone is valued and respected.

[velvetvexations]

Thank you for being a platform for transmascs and taking our issues seriously. I’ve been on Tumblr for a decade, and to see the resurgence of radfem talking points spread so casually and uncritically has been horribly demoralizing, especially as I start my medical transition. I think it’s a lot of people who are new to the online trans sphere (and have only realized they were trans in the past few years) who are incredibly miserable that are leading these conversations; while they deserve to have a voice, I think they are uncritically boosted far too much, because they confirm a lot of biases and fears many trans people resonate with. It’s especially telling how white everyone is (and I say this as a white person) and it’s embarrassing to watch these people tout the support of queer poc while uncritically misunderstanding the Eurocentric binary gender system + patriarchy’s effects on people who aren’t white. I know it’s not easy to understand what privilege you have when you feel like the world is out to kill you, but we are not supporting trans poc enough when they are terminated faster and with less fanfare on this platform (not to mention in real life) than our white siblings. Hell, we are not listening to the ones that are still here enough, as their perspectives seem to go through one ear and out the other. Bell Hooks is an excellent author, and has radically altered the way I understand gender and race, and I wish more queer people would read her work. I have more to say but I’m quite sleep deprived and very stressed, so that’s all I’ll contribute for now. Trans unity or die trying 🏳️‍⚧️

Trans unity or die trying!

[colombinna]

Every single non-white eurocentric population has or has had in their culture understandings of gender and sex and sexuality that are not the eurocentric binary that westernized societies became subject to since modern colonialist enterprises. Gender and sexuality diversity a normal part of human culture!

[corrieaspen]

SW Marginalization & Variance

While SW is an industry that is marginalized/stigmatized, the degree to which SW is stigmatized upon individuals is dependent on foundational concepts of intersectionality.

Let's fist start with a basic definition of intersectionality. Kimberle Crenshaw, legal scholar and badass extraordinaire, created the term and framework in the late 1980s while exploring Black feminist literature and theories. In a short, informative YouTube video, Crenshaw states that intersectionality is a way of "understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequalities or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves." Forms of inequalities can be racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heteronormativity, etc.

To illustrate this concept, let's look at a fictional case study.

Subject 1: Anna Anna is a white, able-bodied, cisgender, thin, upper-middle class SWer. She meets conventional beauty standards and has had access to higher education to obtain advanced degrees. Anna is able to live a comfortable lifestyle. She takes clients when she wants and is able to screen clients thoroughly. She has access to wealthy clients who cover her living expenses and take her on lavish vacations. She blends in with their lifestyle due to her appearance, and she understands the cultural norms of upper class spaces and places.

Now, let's think about some ways that Anna has privileges that lessen her stigmatized role as a SWer in society.

whiteness: Workers who are white, white-passing, and who are in close proximity to whiteness have stronger chances of attracting a wide range of clientele. Our western society has conventional beauty norms that are in favor of attributes of whiteness. Black and brown workers oftentimes are unable to set their rates at the same prices as their white industry peers. Check out my Wage Equity in SW post for more on this.

able-bodiedness: Disabled folks have increased barriers to work and are highly stigmatized by our society. They are frequently infantilized and devalued. Disabled workers may also be subject to non-consensual fetishization.

cisgender: Workers who identify as trans face increased levels of harm, violence, and non-consensual fetishization. Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, states that the violence that takes place against trans and gender-nonconforming folks is "the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary."

thin: Our western society is rooted in ideals that are based on Eurocentric concepts of beauty. Thin-ness is one of those concepts, and fatphobia is rampant here in the states and abroad, due to the global colonization of many parts of the world by European and Euro-adjacent agents of chaos. Fat SWers also face increased levels of non-consensual fetishization and devaluing of their services. There are many larger-bodied workers on Twitter who have shared their experiences about having to cap their rates at a certain limit or clients would not pay their rates. I know multiple gorgeous, larger-bodied workers who charges significantly less than their industry peers and I know it's because of their body type and size. It's infuriating.

class: Ah, the age-old divider and gatekeeper to a wide range of experiences. Class discrimination and struggle goes back to Marxism concepts and discussions of the ruling class and the proletariat. We won't get into that here, but it's interesting stuff to delve into if you have some time on your hands. Let's focus this brief discussion of class on access. Anna has access to spaces and places that workers who are not part of upper-middle class social groups do not. She is able to afford a lifestyle that allows her to purchase the clothes and jewelry of her choice, live where she wants, potentially afford a separate incall space from her primary residence, afford cosmetic procedures, and take trips to spas and other places of self-care and maintenance.

All of Anna's privileged identity markers combine to give her access to less stigmatization and less mental and physical stress than her industry peers who do not have access to power and privilege in the same way, and with the same frequency, as Anna does. Let's think about our own privileges and the ways in which we can reduce struggle and stigmatization for all marginalized workers.

[janedyson4thyear]

From Binary to Intersectional to Imbricated Approaches: Gender in a Decolonial and Diasporic Perspective

Decolonial thinking understands the various identifiers of gender, race, sex, etc. are more than just categories to exist in. They exist in completely different planes.

“The problem has never been one of identity and difference, but of the political pacts that position norms and standards that privilege some at the costs of others.”

 A logic of domination precedes and structures a logic of identity, and  “Without decentring the Eurocentred references that preoccupy gender thinking in our respective disputes, we risk continued distraction from what is at stake when gender is put on the table: the (im)possibilities of living one’s full humanity on one’s own terms.” Decolonial feminism is about different relative processes to break down the dominant colonial ideologies that guide how we think and treat others. This process will be different depending on many variables in every place in the world.

[libbyjanestudio4]

Heterosexualism and the Colonial / Modern Gender System

María Lugones

The reason to historicize gender formation is that without this history, we keep on centring our analysis on the patriarchy.

a binary, hierarchical, oppressive gender formation that rests on male supremacy without any clear understanding of the mechanisms by which heterosexuality, capitalism, and racial classification are impossible to understand apart from each other.

an attempt to move, dislodge, and complicate what has faced me and others engaged in liberatory/decolonial projects as hard barriers that are both conceptual and political.

There has been a persistent absence of a deep imbrication of race into the analysis that takes gender and sexuality as central in much white feminist theory and practice

How do we understand heterosexuality not merely as normative but as consistently perverse when violently exercised across the colonial modern gender system so as to construct a worldwide system of power?

I do not believe any solidarity or homoerotic loving is possible among females who affirm the colonial/modern gender system and the coloniality of power.

also think that transnational intellectual and practical work that ignores the imbrication of the coloniality of power and the colonial/modern gender system also affirms this global system of power

The Coloniality of Power

Quijano understands that all power is structured in relations of domination, exploitation, and conflict as social actors fight over control of “the four basic areas of human existence: sex, labor, collective authority and subjectivity/intersubjectivity, their resources and products”

Global, Eurocentered, capitalist power is organized characteristically around two axes: the coloniality of power and modernity

the coloniality of power and modernity thoroughly infuse the meaning and forms of domination in each area.

Quijano also assumes patriarchal and heterosexual understandings of the disputes over control of sex, its resources, and products. Quijano accepts the global, Eurocentered, capitalist understanding of what gender is about.

Biological dimorphism, heterosexualism, and patriarchy are all characteristics of what I call the light side of the colonial/modern organization of gender.

“Eurocentric theories of social classes”

The invention of race is a pivotal turn as it replaces the relations of superiority and inferiority established through domination.

“America” and “Europe” are among the new geocultural identities. “European,” “Indian,” and “African” are among the “racial” identities.

This classification is “the deepest and most enduring expression of colonial domination”

Since then, it has permeated every area of social existence

all control over sex, subjectivity, authority, and labour are articulated around it

The division of labor is thoroughly racialized as well as geographically differentiated.

Kimberlé Crenshaw and other women of color feminists have argued that the categories have been understood as homogenous and as picking out the dominant in the group as the norm; thus women picks out white bourgeois women, men picks out white bourgeois men, black picks out black heterosexual men, and so on.

It becomes logically clear then that the logic of categorial separation distorts what exists at the intersection, such as violence against women of colour.

It is only when we perceive gender and race as intermeshed or fused that we actually see women of colour.

186-194

[a-method-in-it]

Gender is the word for sex roles. Sex roles are your cage. You're gilding your cage. Patriarchy defines womanhood by gender. You are a misogynist. You are a white supremacist. You are a dumb homphobic bigot.

Hello anon! I'm assuming this was also you?

If it wasn't I can't be fucked to answer this twice so we're consolidating.

I considered giving you the level of response this argument deserves which is some sort of pithy, dismissive instruction to take your feminist theory back to 1986 when it would already be outdated, but on the off chance that you are open to learning, here goes:

To say that "gender" is only a tool of oppression; is only about sex roles; and is only a cage is not just a shitty thing to argue it's also just...demonstrably not true.

Like actually, literally you can just look out at the world and see that this is objectively false.

I mean, if all that gender is or can ever be is oppression and sex roles, then how do you explain women who adopt masculine gender presentation but still very much consider themselves women? How do you square someone rejecting female gender presentation but not rejecting womanhood?

You can say that he/him lesbians don't exist, I guess, but also in the real world they do and have for generations--as have any number of other gender non-conforming people. So, you know.

Obviously something internal is going on here, something that goes beyond socially defined rules. That thing is called gender.

So no: Gender is not just the word for sex roles. Socially defined gendered expectations are part of gender, yes, and much of our society's (rather bad) understanding of gender revolves around biological sex. But when people talk about gender in this context, they mean something else.

The easiest way to explain it, to me, has always been this: If you switched bodies, science fiction-style, with someone who had a body of a different biological sex than you, would you still think of yourself as the gender you are now? Or would you immediately think of yourself as a man now/as a woman now? Would it be just that easy?

I cannot speak for you, but I personally would not think that. I am a woman. If I was Freaky-Friday-ed into a male body, I would not stop being a woman because being a woman is a part of who I am as a person. It is how I perceive and interact with the world. It is how I see myself. It is interwoven into my whole being.

And also, incidentally, I like being a woman. I don't like sexism or misogyny or patriarchy, but I like womanhood. If given the opportunity to be something else, I wouldn't take it.

Moreover, if sexism and misogyny and patriarchy ended tomorrow, I would still be a woman.

Like, I don't know fully what that world would look like, but I know who I am. I would still be a woman in the absence of oppression.

And to be honest, it's kind of shitty--and not a little misogynist--for you to say that all womanhood is is oppression and misery. Fuck off with that shit. Is that your idea of where womanhood starts and stops? That is so impossibly bleak and sad, I can't stand it. That is a level of woman-hating that boggles my brain.

If you really hate being a woman that much, I don't even know what to tell you other than go to therapy.

I will be over here, not hating women or myself, having a party and also a much more logically consistent feminist theory that isn't disproved by simply spending 12 seconds at the Queer Liberation March.

I'm not even going to get into the part where you called me a misogynist and homophobe and a white supremacist and a religious conservative and also dumb. Because very obviously none of that is true, and it deserves even less than a pity response.

I know who I am. I like who I am. That fact seems to upset you, but I am afraid I cannot be bothered by that.

I hope you actually do consider therapy.

[rome-theeempire]

I will never understand queer ppl who demonize other queer ppl who don't fit into hetero, eurocentric and cis normative standards like...ISNT THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF BEING QUEER????

Pronouns don't equal gender

Neopronouns have been around for CENTURIES

Non-binary genders have been around for CENTURIES and Bipoc cultures used to honor queer ppl before the spread of eurocentric standard

If you are a queer person who tries to exclude ppl who: use pronouns that you don't think matches their gender identity, Bipoc/neurodivergent/disabled queers, you push the binary onto the NON-binary, and you refuse to use ppls neos

You're the equivalent of a WHITE CIS MALE CONFEDERATE

[antposting]

why are people so obsessed with applying she/her pronouns onto ants? you really think insect colonies 1) understand the eurocentric gender binary and 2) are offended when “misgendered” using terms that don’t have equivalents in their language? really? i’ve been seeing this stuff everywhere lately

[sapphicgarden]

Honestly , there’s so much homophobia in the lgbtq community that I just cannot. I’ve heard people say homophobic garbage, but its all  progressive because its repackaged as wokeism . 

People actually believe lesbianism can be for amabs , which is not only scientifically and socially inaccurate but also blatant homophobia. Lesbian has always meant female homosexuality and will continue to do so, nobody is fucking entitled to the descriptor or emotions of a vulnerable oppressed group. Rejecting science and facts ,then redefining lesbian only harms us cause female homosexuals wont stop existing just because you refuse to name us, it will only be harder to advocate for us and we will lose representation ,safety and dignity . Attraction is sex based, not gender based  and denying that is erasing LGB history, rejecting science and our very existence. You’re no better than the homophobic conservatives.

Not to mention , how they enforce gender ideology on us , which is Eurocentric and intertwined in post modernism and don’t bother actually reading about the ancient cultures which had multiple genders.  Roles given to GNC people were often for gay men to assimilate into society and absolve themselves of manhood. Gnc and gay people were often alienated in these cultures because of homophobia and sexism . 

They live in an echo chamber and can’t even handle scientific facts or any other opinion, and  treat the community as some sort of fun little identity club with their whole “ gender is an aeshetic uwu “ , instead of a community of people who have been oppressed for decades for their sexual orientation. Like no your  straight self is not oppressed for being a xe/xir non binary demisexual....there are lgb people getting murdered and beaten.  People need to understand that being a part of the community by creating microidentities and hyperindividualistic labels is harming people who are actually oppressed.  Instead of peacefully coexisting with us while respecting our beliefs as we did the same for you , they now attack lgb people for simply stating facts and then call us bigots for seeking a safe space away from their homophobia.

 It's not our fault if you feel attacked or invalidated by people stating  facts,we are not validation machines. Do whatever you want but do not force us to participate in your delusional beliefs. 

Get off your entitled high horse

[libertineangel]

hey there, sorry to bother you. in your pinned post you say that “The dismissal of trans people and nonbinary identities is rooted in white Eurocentric colonialism” and i just wanted to ask if maybe you could explain that a bit? i’m sorry if this comes off as rude, it is not my intention, i’m really just curious

hope you have a good day!

It's not rude at all, I'm happy to, you have nothing to apologise for!

There are plenty of people who've read and studied this properly who'd be able to describe it far more thoroughly, but in general the gender binary as we currently understand and determine it is a cultural construct of white western Europe - many other cultures around the world throughout history have acknowledged the existence of people who don't fit strictly and neatly into either "male" or "female", and the erasure or dismissal of such paradigms in favour of the gender binary as it's currently commonly understood is largely a result of western European colonialism and the imposition of western European cultural values on its victims.

Obviously that's not to say such identities were always accepted, transphobia as a whole was not entirely an invention of colonialism, but I probably wrote that bullet point to acknowledge the fact that bioessentialism and TERF ideology are tacitly colonialist and white supremacist in their refusal to accept the existence of trans+ people as a whole.

[hellenic-reconstructionism]

On the troubling takes of @phemonoi

[Image ID: A Tweet from @/phemonoi's old Twitter account @ouranea, screen name Anadyomene, reading "I hadn't questioned it but it makes sense that most of the myths surviving today portray the gods in a immoral manner because it was Christian propaganda." [/End ID]

Above is a troubling, deeply ahistorical take from a user now growing in popularity on Tumblr.

She also misgendered me after I criticized her for this Tweet.

[Image ID: Tweets from @phemonoii, screen name Luna, in a thread format reading "Yesterday my metaphysics teacher said the 'bad' parts of Christianism (blame, guilt, intolerance, the Dark Ages, etc.) are influence of external religions (like Orphism, Hinduism, etc.) and that Christianism is only good and closer to the truth because God is willing to be human and die. And I mean, I don't remember reading in any history book the Greeks burning someone to death because they adored different gods or preaching religious intolerance and the Orphic element of miasma is actually very well thought and very different from Christian guilt. But whatever, she just started ranting about all of that again when I was trying to ask her something related to Plato's Book 10 of The Republic (she interrupted me in the mid of the question, and didn't bother to answer it, just gave me random explanations for a question I never even got the chance to ask!! And she somehow ended up talking about Postmodernism, modern polytheists, and blaming Hinduism and Orphism for Christianity's flaws...!!??) I'm done with this woman, seriously, she doesn't even bother to teach us anything." /End ID]

This is a dangerous, misinformed extension of the imaginary "polytheist/monotheist" binary, which does not exist outside of some pagans' minds (and is as fake and Eurocentric as the gender binary, mind you). "Polytheism" has never been inherently good and inclusive -- Romans were horrible to Jewish and Christian people. Further, the existence of Orphics is historically in doubt (see: On Greek Religion by Robert Parker).

[Image ID: a Tweet from @sudeepj21 reading "When Jews have no second thoughts in calling you a pejorative for your faith, why hold back?" to which phemonoii responds "Jews have suffered just as much as pagans. Even if they are monotheists and we have major theological disagreements, that doesn't mean we can't commune on a political and human level." /End ID]

This is a totally crazy comparison to make when genocide has happened. Also note that she is replying to a Hindu fascist and EPB, who basically spends all of his time sucking up to Hindu fascists on Twitter.

[Image ID: A Tweet from phemonoii reading "The issue between polytheism and monotheism, for the ones who don't understand our defensiveness, is that monotheism a priori rejects our religious experiences. It's not a matter of 'tolerance' when the natural claim of monotheism is to automatically reject and erase the other."/End ID]

She thinks "monotheism" is bad, and takes great care to specify monotheism, instead of Christianity (i.e., she is going out of her way to include Judaism and Islam and to be hostile to them).

Luna also defends the appropriation of sage:

[Image ID: A Tweet from phemonoii reading "Sage doesn't have a copyright policy. It's a plant and it's free to use for all. In many places people used sage to cleanse. Now, smudging is different and you shouldn't do it if you are not Native American. But cleansing with sage or any other plant is completely ok. /End ID]

This completely misses the mark of criticisms of the appropriation of sage and smudging/smoke cleansing, and also homogenizes Native Americans into one tribe, when smudging is a practice specific to some tribes.

[gloriaanzalduareaderxmason]

Part Two: Intersectionality and the Changing Identity

In The Gloria Anzaldua Reader Part 2 or “Middle Writings”, Anzaldua examines the constantly changing and transitional forces that make up her identity and how she understands the world. She examines the feeling of being caught between dualistic landscapes, including spiritually, culturally, and in terms of her identity. However, they are not dualistic, as Anzaldua identifies throughout Part 2, they are intersectional, informing each other, and constantly changing. Anzaldua analyzes this concept within her own identity, and how it is intersectional and transcends binary or simple definitions. This is illustrated in her work “To(o) Queer the Writer— Loca, escritoire y chicana” when she examines the meaning of intersectional identities within the context of culture and writing.

Anzaldua explains that when we focus on one identity, others are subjugated or reduced. Within a Eurocentric culture, these identities or labels of identities are often portrayed as singular, instead of intersectional and complex. From this perspective, these terms are not intersectional, but dualistic and intertwined with a power structure which seeks to simplify into categories instead of embody the fluidity and constantly changing self that everyone experiences. For example, Anzaldua writes that the term “lesbian” doesn’t resonate with her because it excludes the intersectionality and complexity of her identity as a Chicana and womxn of color. She writes, “The lesbian is part of the writer, is part of the social class, is part of the gender, is part of whatever identities one has of oneself” (167). Through writing this, she bridges these culturally contrasting identities and acknowledges how they are at the same time intersectional as well as belonging to certain experiences and communities.

[impishpomegranate]

hot take: all transphobes are inherently racist, because transphobia is rooted in eurocentric understanding of sex, gender, and identity. many cultures have genders outside of the eurocentric two gender, two sex binary, and by centering the colonial concept of gender as the only "truth" you are centering whiteness

[janedyson4thyear]

Heterosexualism and the Colonial / Modern Gender System

María Lugones

HAMTRAMCKFREESCHOOL.FILES.WORDPRESS.COM

The reason to historicize gender formation is that without this history, we keep on centring our analysis on the patriarchy.

a binary, hierarchical, oppressive gender formation that rests on male supremacy without any clear understanding of the mechanisms by which heterosexuality, capitalism, and racial classification are impossible to understand apart from each other.

an attempt to move, dislodge, and complicate what has faced me and others engaged in liberatory/decolonial projects as hard barriers that are both conceptual and political.

There has been a persistent absence of a deep imbrication of race into the analysis that takes gender and sexuality as central in much white feminist theory and practice

How do we understand heterosexuality not merely as normative but as consistently perverse when violently exercised across the colonial modern gender system so as to construct a worldwide system of power?

I do not believe any solidarity or homoerotic loving is possible among females who affirm the colonial/modern gender system and the coloniality of power.

also think that transnational intellectual and practical work that ignores the imbrication of the coloniality of power and the colonial/modern gender system also affirms this global system of power

The Coloniality of Power

Quijano understands that all power is structured in relations of domination, exploitation, and conflict as social actors fight over control of “the four basic areas of human existence: sex, labor, collective authority and subjectivity/intersubjectivity, their resources and products”

Global, Eurocentered, capitalist power is organized characteristically around two axes: the coloniality of power and modernity

the coloniality of power and modernity thoroughly infuse the meaning and forms of domination in each area.

Quijano also assumes patriarchal and heterosexual understandings of the disputes over control of sex, its resources, and products. Quijano accepts the global, Eurocentered, capitalist understanding of what gender is about.

Biological dimorphism, heterosexualism, and patriarchy are all characteristics of what I call the light side of the colonial/modern organization of gender.

“Eurocentric theories of social classes”

The invention of race is a pivotal turn as it replaces the relations of superiority and inferiority established through domination.

“America” and “Europe” are among the new geocultural identities. “European,” “Indian,” and “African” are among the “racial” identities.

This classification is “the deepest and most enduring expression of colonial domination”

Since then, it has permeated every area of social existence

all control over sex, subjectivity, authority, and labour are articulated around it

The division of labor is thoroughly racialized as well as geographically differentiated.

Kimberlé Crenshaw and other women of color feminists have argued that the categories have been understood as homogenous and as picking out the dominant in the group as the norm; thus women picks out white bourgeois women, men picks out white bourgeois men, black picks out black heterosexual men, and so on.

It becomes logically clear then that the logic of categorial separation distorts what exists at the intersection, such as violence against women of colour.

It is only when we perceive gender and race as intermeshed or fused that we actually see women of colour.

186-194

[libbyjanestudio4]

From Binary to Intersectional to Imbricated Approaches: Gender in a Decolonial and Diasporic Perspective

Decolonial thinking understands the various identifiers of gender, race, sex, etc. are more than just categories to exist in. They exist in completely different planes.

“The problem has never been one of identity and difference, but of the political pacts that position norms and standards that privilege some at the costs of others.”

 A logic of domination precedes and structures a logic of identity, and  “Without decentring the Eurocentred references that preoccupy gender thinking in our respective disputes, we risk continued distraction from what is at stake when gender is put on the table: the (im)possibilities of living one’s full humanity on one’s own terms.” Decolonial feminism is about different relative processes to break down the dominant colonial ideologies that guide how we think and treat others. This process will be different depending on many variables in every place in the world.