think.feminism.intersectionally

Why did we choose this motto? Why is intersectionality and the questioning of white perspectives so important? And why is in*vision festival an appropriate space for this kind of discussion?

At in*vision festival we – together with you and the invited speakers – want to sensitize us to different power structures and understand their combined meaning, as well as try to think of possibilites of making intersectional feminist fights and alliances happen. By preferably inviting female speakers and acts of Color we try to create a mirrored reality in comparison to often white dominated contexts where Black expertise and the know-how of POC is often overheard and marginalised.
We want to think feminism intersectionally, break white perspectives and empower us.

„When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.“ – AUDRE LORDE

The criticism towards white western feminist movements is already known and talked about a lot. Women* of Color, their demands and feminist fights are and have been constantly marginalised and overheard by the mainstream feminist movement. Thus white middle class women have been and are fighting – while they allegedly raise their voices for ‘the women‘ - specifically for the equality of white middle class women towards white middle class men. But feminism actually means the equality of all women*, feminized people and LBTIQ* towards all men, which is why feminist movements can only work effectively if they include all identities and positionings of all people in reference to their connected social discriminating experiences.

„There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live singe-issue lives.“ – AUDRE LORDE

Even though a white cis-woman is oppressed towards white cis-men (because of sexist power structures) a black queer woman* is discriminated against on other levels: She is confronted with racist and hetero-sexist opinions and situations. A mainstream feminist fight isn’t suitable for all the demands of said woman* because she has to fight more problems under different social preconditions.
It is vital that we include all the different power structures – racism, classism, ableism, cis-sexism etc. – into the feminist discourse, question dominant positions and give marginalised people and groups - that are hurt through different discriminating experiences due to their social position - a voice.
Because power structures operate together. everywhere. intersectionally.

„If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks.“ – KIMBERLE WILLIAMS CRENSHAW

Explanations:
* (asterik): The little star makes it possible to represent the individual gender identity also in written language. It means that no identity has to be like the other.
LBTIQ*: lesbian-bi-trans-inter-queer* women* are positionings that are confronted with sexism, cisnormativity and heteronormativity.

More Explanations:
http://isreview.org/issue/91/black-feminism-and-intersectionality
http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term-definitions/
https://positioningtheory.wordpress.com/what-is-positioning-theory/