Audre Lorde Differences Between Women

In this essay, I will analyze Audre Lorde’s discussion on the importance of acknowledging the differences that exist between women in order to effectively move forward with positive social change for the feminist movement. I will begin by explaining Lorde’s position. Next, I will outline where I agree with Lorde, as well as two critiques.
The setback for feminism, as outlined by Lorde, is not the vast diversity that exists within the female gender such as class, age, race, and sexual preference. Rather, the issue is failing to properly recognize and acknowledge these differences in order to understand, and attempt to remedy the distortions and faults that arise from them . In essence, Lorde is prescribing that intersectionality must be acknowledged …show more content…
Though there are consequences to assuming uniformity as women as identified by Lorde, I argue that there are also important benefits to using terms such as “sisterhood”. It provides empowerment and a sense of unity between women that would be otherwise difficult to establish due to those various differences. It reminds women of the fact that at the root, we share similar hardships and struggles. The use of powerful words such as “sisterhood” has the unique ability of linking people of various races, sexual orientations, backgrounds, ages, and geographical locations. I argue that optimistically uniting people using words such as this should not be dismissed too quickly as they carry immense power and potency, especially in the case of feminism, in which empowerment, unity, and strength are key to progress and growth. If used in conjunction with Lorde’s point of realizing the differences, the idea of a “sisterhood” could truly establish a sense of solidarity and even liberation. It could unite women as “one another” with other women rather than as “other” to men. In close connection to my aforementioned critique, an additional concern I had with Lorde’s point is that it may lead to a sense of dispersion or detachment within the feminist movement. While I agree with Lorde …show more content…
In summary, while agree with Lorde’s general arguments, and find them thought provoking, I also believe that it is important to realize our differences while also keeping in mind our similarities. As stated in Sister Outsider, “…the war is the same…” for all women regardless of their age, class, race, or sexuality. The key is to expose the differences and various forms of oppression that exist, take them by the hand and pave new paths for