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Click here... * News * Voices + Find by writer o Yasmin Alibhai-Brown o Rebecca Armstrong o Memphis Barker o Terence Blacker o Chris Blackhurst o Archie Bland o Ian Burrell o Andrew Buncombe o Katherine Butler o Ben Chu o Patrick Cockburn o Laura Davis o Mary Dejevsky o Grace Dent o Robert Fisk o Andrew Grice o Adrian Hamilton o Philip Hensher o Ian Herbert o Howard Jacobson o Ellen E Jones o Alice Jones o Owen Jones o Emily Jupp o Simon Kelner o Dominic Lawson o Donald Macintyre o Michael McCarthy o Andy McSmith o Hamish McRae o Jane Merrick o James Moore o Matthew Norman o Christina Patterson o Amol Rajan o John Rentoul o Steve Richards o Deborah Ross o Kim Sengupta o Joan Smith o Mark Steel o Harriet Walker o Tim Walker o John Walsh o Andreas Whittam Smith + Comment + Campaigns o Child Soldiers o Equal Partners o Delayed Diagnosis o We are Malala + Debate + Editorials + Letters + IV Drip + Archive + Our Voices o Battle of Ideas o Rentoul o The Editors o The Foreign Desk + Commentators o Yasmin Alibhai-Brown o Terence Blacker o Simon Carr o Rupert Cornwell o Sloane Crosley o Mary Dejevsky o Robert Fisk o Andrew Grice o Adrian Hamilton o Philip Hensher o Howard Jacobson o Dominic Lawson o John Lichfield o Hamish McRae o Matthew Norman o Christina Patterson o John Rentoul o Steve Richards o Sarah Sands o Mary Ann Sieghart o Joan Smith o Mark Steel o Janet Street-Porter o Andreas Whittam Smith o Johann Hari + Columnists o Dom Joly o David Lister o Thomas Sutcliffe o John Walsh o Janet Street-Porter o Chris Bryant + Democracy 2015 + IV Drip Archive * Sport * Tech * Life * Property * Arts & Ents * Travel * Money * IndyBest * Blogs * Student i Newspaper Hot Topics Gerald Scarfe Syria Hillary Clinton Drug testing Lianne de Mello Follow Tuesday 23 October 2012 Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham are great, but take note Vagenda - feminism isn't just a white, middle class movement We at the Black Feminists blog aren't the only ones who find it uncomfortable being told where the limits of feminism lie by mainstream writers [feminist+rally.jpg] [feminist+rally.jpg] Share Tweet +More Related Topics * Gender Studies * Microblogging * Feminism * Higher Education A number of us at the Black Feminists blog were amazed to see a recent post by the editors of Vagenda magazine declare that âfeminism is, and to an extent always has been, a white, middle class movementâ. Weâre not sure the feminists of the Indian Chipko movement in the 1970s or the Southall Black Sisters would agree either. In recent weeks "intersectionalityâ - short-hand for people being aware of difference and trying not to exclude others because of their race, gender, sexuality etc - has become a major talking point between feminists. But the way debate on the subject has gone worries those of us who advocate this kind of thinking. First, complaints about lack of representation of black people in Lena Dunham's TV shows Girls were deemed irrelevant and literally not worth giving a shit about by Caitlin Moran, in an explosive and over-hasty tweet. Now weâre told by the Vagenda editors Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Holly Baxter that talking about issues of race in terms of âintersectionalityâ is too academic and makes feminism inaccessible. If weâre being honest, both come across as excuses to avoid talking about the issue itself and dealing with how it affects people. It seems more than coincidence that these attempts at diverting the discussion onto what is and isn't too academic come so soon after Moran was accused of practising exclusivity. Intersectionality may be an academic term that has spilled into common usage among some feminists, but that doesnât mean that the concept it refers to isnât very real and worthy of discussion. It sounds dry, but to explain the concept âbeing aware of difference and trying not to exclude othersâ every time it's needed is impractical - and won't fit in a 140 character tweet. In many respects, obsessing about the use of one word risks missing the point, and worse still actively dismissing the views of people of colour and others. Imposing a hierarchy of accessible language before allowing discussion of issues like feminism, racism and classism is dishonest. Language is important, but most feminists who use that terminology only really do so with others who know what it means. Feminism isnât some elitist concept floating up in the heavens. It also isnât a universal coherent body of thought. In reality many people who donât actively identify as or even distance themselves from the scary f-word still have feminist views. Similarly many people know how intersectionality affects them and others around them, even if they donât consider themselves to be intersectional or even know what it means. The most frustrating thing about this is that most sensitive and aware people would respond to having this issue flagged up by saying âthanks for your opinions, weâll take it on boardâ or âI wasnât aware that was an issue, Iâll bear it mind in the futureâ. But no, what weâre seeing is the stamping out of alternative voices and privileged feminists closing ranks to protect each other from criticism from those they are marginalising. The real accessibility problem is not the use of one word among perhaps more academically-minded feminists, but the closing down of debate by so-called âbig name feministsâ. Itâs easy, perhaps, to dismiss my complaint as feminist âinfightingâ and an example of "issues of race, class, religion, sexuality, politics and privilegeâ¦fracturing feminist dialogueâ. But if this fantasy universal feminism actively marginalises other voices, and is so defensive when constructively challenged, itâs not really a kind of feminism worth having at all, is it? A version of this article first appeared on Black Feminists React Now Tweet Click here... Click here... * New * Hot * Commented Abdication is dead. Long live the Queen... Peter Bradshaw David Cameron's 40,000-ft drop John Rentoul Paradox player who is modestly vain Paul Vallely Serialistion suddenly feels fresh again Rebecca Armstrong Hereâs a way to end our slump: give away money David Blanchflower * So, just how powerful is the Israel lobby in the US? Rupert Cornwell * Wacky ways to spot a true Brit Janet Street-Porter * The Daily Cartoon * Question Time: Can't the BBC allow us one hour of unashamedly highbrow televison? Simon Kelner * Abdication is dead. Long live the Queen... Peter Bradshaw * Question Time: Can't the BBC allow us one hour of unashamedly highbrow televison? Simon Kelner * The bedroom tax is just the latest assault on our poorest citizens Owen Jones * IoS letters, emails & online postings (3 February 2013) * Paradox player who is modestly vain Paul Vallely * Wacky ways to spot a true Brit Janet Street-Porter * From the Papal monasteries to Timbuktu, absolutism lives on Robert Fisk Click here... Click here... 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Amoy Visit York Holiday prize Prizes & offers Related Articles * Delete fast to avoid court, tweeters told * Question Time: Can't the BBC allow us one hour of unashamedly highbrow televison? * Children from wealthy homes more likely to be bullied at school, research claims * Swiftly deleting tweets may help Twitter users avoid prosecution says DPP * Police probe murder of girl stabbed in frenzied attack before being set alight iJobs Job Widget iJobs General * UK Global Securities Lending Manager * Personal Injury Solicitor - Gloucestershire * Senior Property Solicitor / Partner - Kensington * Quality Systems Engineer * Technical Business Analyst View the latest from iJobs Day In a Page * Sun * Mon * Tue * Wed * Thu * Fri * Sat [3_] [February_] [2013] (Submit) Go Read Next  From the Papal monasteries to Timbuktu, absolutism lives on Robert Fisk  The bedroom tax is just the latest assault on our poorest citizens Owen Jones The 10 Best men's moisturisers The 10 Best men's moisturisers Face facts: itâs time to hydrate with one of these hard-working products Richard Curtis: Twenty-five years of laughing in the face of tragedy Richard Curtis: Twenty-five years of laughing in the face of tragedy The creator of Comic Relief hopes that in another quarter of a century it may not be necessary. Until then, it's red noses all round Force of Firth: Nicole Kidman sends for Britain's heart-throb Force of Firth: Kidman sends for Britain's heart-throb He's the ideal husband for the millions of women who go to see his films, and to many of his leading ladies The women who changed Britain forever The women who changed Britain forever Veteran campaigners will gather today to tell how the act of protest transformed their lives Abdication is dead. Long live the Queen... Peter Bradshaw: Abdication is dead. Long live the Queen... When Queen Beatrix revealed last week that she is to stand down, all eyes were on Buckingham Palace. But giving up is not the British way Earl of Cardigan: 'Seeing police beat a pregnant woman does poison your view' Earl of Cardigan: 'Seeing police beat a pregnant woman does poison your view' An early run-in with authority shaped him. Matthew Bell hears about his latest fight TV comedy: What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at? 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Will it be 12 minutes of triumph or disaster Budapest: A fresh perspective on Hungary's capital A fresh perspective on Hungary's capital With grand architecture, cultural quirks and a rich café society, Budapest has enough to impress Simon Price on Jane Birkin: Jane reignites her flame for Serge Gainsbourg Jane reignites her flame for Serge Jane Birkin sings the songs of the inimitable Monsieur Gainsbourg Theatre Review: Old Times - Memory plays tricks, and so does casting Memory plays tricks, and so does casting Kate Bassett on the role-swapping production of Pinter's Old Times ind The Independent2 Derry Street London W8 5TT © independent.co.uk * Terms & Policies * Privacy Policy * Cookie policy * Code of Conduct * Complaint form * Email newsletters * RSS * Contact Us * Subscriptions * Apps * Work for us * Evening Standard * Homes & Property * iJobs * Advertising Guide * Syndication * Novaya Gazeta (English) * ES Business Connections * London Private Rentals Please provide search keyword(s) ____________________ Go * Advanced Search * Article archive * Topics © independent.co.uk Click here... 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