International Women’s Day is Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
I’m not celebrating all women today.
I’m not celebrating you if you gatekeep womanhood and think anatomy defines what it means to be a woman. If you are the type of woman who thinks trans women are “encroaching on safe spaces,” or that they don’t experience the same partriarchal oppression as you, times 1000. If you believe that trans women are somehow a threat to you. Or that they’re not “really women.” Or especially if you preach about equality but privately stick to your beliefs and do nothing (or the bare minimum) to unlearn them.
I'm not celebrating you if you have stepped on other women on your way to the top. And definitely not if you’ve leveraged whatever privileges you have, while hiding behind whatever marginalizations you have, in order to do so. If you think anything gives you the right to turn on your sisters, I’m not celebrating you today.
I’m not celebrating you if you don't think women in your own life have the right to choose what happens to their bodies. That means reproductive rights. That means trans athletes. That means sex workers.
I’m not celebrating those of you who turned your back on certain refugees. Who think “Afghanistan” is a scary word and don’t want to have an opinion on it. Who will shout about Ukraine, ignoring the racism against Black refugees. Those of you who stopped at posting on social media and didn’t take any action beyond that. Who didn’t volunteer time, donate money, read past a headline, or even have a difficult conversation.
I’m not celebrating women who say, “my body, my choice,” while judging people who wear hijab or otherwise modest covering, or those who show their body. Who will take advantage of access to healthcare but think that “other types of women” should have several extra steps to end a pregnancy, get access to gender affirming care, or otherwise modify their bodies.
I’m not celebrating you if you've lowballed your friends, or asked for a discount. If you even bothered to hire another woman. If you kept an opportunity from others in competition.
I'm woman enough to admit that I've done it some of these things. I’m working to make it right. There is a lot to unlearn, and we’re all a work in progress. These issues are at play in our overall wellbeing, and that includes our mental health.
Feminist Therapy in Long Beach and California
Prospect Therapy is a queer + trans affirming therapy practice based in Long Beach, CA, with a focus on mental health for first-generation, immigrant, and bicultural communities. We continue to provide online therapy for a variety of mental wellness and relationship concerns to clients throughout the state of California. Learn more about how we bring lived experience to our work with people of all ages in our communities by requesting a consultation below.