Several times over the last few years I've been engaged in conversations about oppression/liberation with European (White) women of various ages. As I articulated the conditions that African people face around the world, these different women all responded by telling me that the oppression of women surpasses that experienced by African people. Each time, I took that to mean that I needed to remind these women that 51% of African people are women. I also reminded them that for my entire life I've lived with, worked with, struggled with, and help raise African women. My point being I hardly think these White women speak for African women, or Indigenous, Asian, and Arab women either for that matter. I bring up that example because the very fact that I had to remind them that there are African women reflects a sad reality that they must see their White existence as the single definition of womanhood. This is obviously an extremely bourgeois perspective, fueled by an individualistic and a-historical class analysis and history that characterizes capitalist oppresion. In fact, its actually an analysis fueled by patriarchy which promotes the oppression Olympics based on competition between oppressed people instead of a united effort against the forces of oppression. Clearly, this competition must be generated by the male dominated capitalist class because it is they who primarily benefit from it because instead of focusing on them and their oppression, this competition keeps us focused on fighting over the crumbs dangled in front of us.
So, in the spirit of breaking the patterns of oppression, as a man, as a person who is defined as cis or heterosexual (for lack of a better term), I proclaim loudly that we should use March, and every month, as a sounding point to express respect and appreciation for the contributions of women to our human advancement. And when we say that men, we must mean it earnestly and resolutely. The way we demonstrate that sincerity is not just by saying it, but by living it. That means if we say women are oppressed, we must be involved in organizations that are fighting with a platform that is dedicated to dismantling patriarchy. I will even go as far as to say that organization has to be anti-capitalist (which means pro-socialist) because capitalism as a system is built upon the oppression of women. We demonstrate our commitment by encouraging and supporting the advancement of issues raising up women all over the world. That means we work towards making that our priority and we refuse to let anyone derail us from that mission. This means we live to interrupt patriarchal behavior, but beyond reaction, we are actively involved in work to build up anti-patriarchal institutions. And, it means doing the necessary work on ourselves. The harder than hard, emotionless, no feelings, no talking man has proven to be harmful to our families, especially to the development of our children who clearly need to hear from our lips how important they are to us. And none of these dysfunctional behaviors should ever be confused with being strong. I say this with full confidence. I'm as strong, whether mentally or physically, as the next man, but none of that can be confused with the strength that really matters, the spiritual strength that permits us to admit we are wrong. That we need work. That we can grow. That we are works in progress and that we need to raise our level of commitment to the women in society.
Let's use March as a jump off point to dedicate ourselves to listening to women. That means constructively listening to women, not just tolerating what they have to say. This should be done on the relationship level, friendship level, organizational comrade level, co-worker level, etc. Wipe out reactionary patriarchal language like telling children "stop acting like a little girl." If you have a hard time remembering that, then just think of the comment I heard a woman activist state recently when she said "why do you tell someone who needs to toughen up to grow some balls when testicles are actually extremely sensitive and unable to absorb punishment. On the other hand, a vagina easily handles everything from rough physical interaction to delivering a child, the highest level example of toughness. So, we should actually be telling people to grow a vagina or at least grow some estrogen." With that level of true consciousness, it becomes absurd to tell children something as asinine as that.
Let's make March about true partnership towards fighting to eliminate the oppression of women, and that means also eliminating the oppression of trans-women. If someone tells me they are spiritually a woman trapped physically in a man's body that's good enough for me and it should be good enough for you because its none of your business and it doesn't impact you one way or another. Stop trying to be the human whisperer. We don't need your rules and judgements because none of that is helping our people or humanity advance so please stop it. To those African (Black) nationalists, stop saying our men are under attack. Our people are under attack and African trans-women are at the top of that list.
People always ask what the purpose of these recognition months actually is. My answer is the purpose should be to use as launching points to fuel the movements behind the day, week, or month being recognized. Let's use this March to reaffirm our true commitment to women's liberation and if next March we cannot look at our lives the last year and identify measurable points to document our progress, then there's your proof that you doing a lot of talking, but nothing else.
So, in the spirit of breaking the patterns of oppression, as a man, as a person who is defined as cis or heterosexual (for lack of a better term), I proclaim loudly that we should use March, and every month, as a sounding point to express respect and appreciation for the contributions of women to our human advancement. And when we say that men, we must mean it earnestly and resolutely. The way we demonstrate that sincerity is not just by saying it, but by living it. That means if we say women are oppressed, we must be involved in organizations that are fighting with a platform that is dedicated to dismantling patriarchy. I will even go as far as to say that organization has to be anti-capitalist (which means pro-socialist) because capitalism as a system is built upon the oppression of women. We demonstrate our commitment by encouraging and supporting the advancement of issues raising up women all over the world. That means we work towards making that our priority and we refuse to let anyone derail us from that mission. This means we live to interrupt patriarchal behavior, but beyond reaction, we are actively involved in work to build up anti-patriarchal institutions. And, it means doing the necessary work on ourselves. The harder than hard, emotionless, no feelings, no talking man has proven to be harmful to our families, especially to the development of our children who clearly need to hear from our lips how important they are to us. And none of these dysfunctional behaviors should ever be confused with being strong. I say this with full confidence. I'm as strong, whether mentally or physically, as the next man, but none of that can be confused with the strength that really matters, the spiritual strength that permits us to admit we are wrong. That we need work. That we can grow. That we are works in progress and that we need to raise our level of commitment to the women in society.
Let's use March as a jump off point to dedicate ourselves to listening to women. That means constructively listening to women, not just tolerating what they have to say. This should be done on the relationship level, friendship level, organizational comrade level, co-worker level, etc. Wipe out reactionary patriarchal language like telling children "stop acting like a little girl." If you have a hard time remembering that, then just think of the comment I heard a woman activist state recently when she said "why do you tell someone who needs to toughen up to grow some balls when testicles are actually extremely sensitive and unable to absorb punishment. On the other hand, a vagina easily handles everything from rough physical interaction to delivering a child, the highest level example of toughness. So, we should actually be telling people to grow a vagina or at least grow some estrogen." With that level of true consciousness, it becomes absurd to tell children something as asinine as that.
Let's make March about true partnership towards fighting to eliminate the oppression of women, and that means also eliminating the oppression of trans-women. If someone tells me they are spiritually a woman trapped physically in a man's body that's good enough for me and it should be good enough for you because its none of your business and it doesn't impact you one way or another. Stop trying to be the human whisperer. We don't need your rules and judgements because none of that is helping our people or humanity advance so please stop it. To those African (Black) nationalists, stop saying our men are under attack. Our people are under attack and African trans-women are at the top of that list.
People always ask what the purpose of these recognition months actually is. My answer is the purpose should be to use as launching points to fuel the movements behind the day, week, or month being recognized. Let's use this March to reaffirm our true commitment to women's liberation and if next March we cannot look at our lives the last year and identify measurable points to document our progress, then there's your proof that you doing a lot of talking, but nothing else.
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