To all Feminists impacted by Trump’s Triumph,
We hear you. We share the sadness, the shock, the absence of reasoning to make sense of what just happened. We see how the interlocking oppressive systems are reproduced through the humongous machine created in and for the US election. We hear your pain. It is a moment when the deep disappointment of politics manifests itself into distrust among peers and strangers.
Who just sold out our dreams?
Who made the bad decision?
Who is on the other side?
But don’t let the disappointment turn you against one another. Isn’t this how patriarchal hegemony works? As women and queers, we were once taught self-hatred and forced to internalise misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. When we were divided, we could easily be conquered.
As feminists who fight with limited democratic access, we know that institutions will not always operate in our interest. We are excluded, because we are women, queer, people of colour, migrants, disabled, outsiders, and so on. Don’t wait for the system to correct itself for you. Ask for what you want, what your people want, and fight for it.
We have learnt so well that every society has a short memory. Do you still remember the riots in Ferguson? Do you still remember #FeministFive? The clock is ticking. So, strategise and organise. Now, we all have walls to tear down.
In solidarity,
Chinese feminists
P.S. hey Trump, hands off our sisters! We are watching you!
Shared to the Beijing feminist community by Chinese feminist Li Maizi on 11th November 2016.
Header image from: Libela
Zhēn de Gender 