I have been alive for eighteen years now, over the course of these eighteen years the way I choose to identify and the labels that I identify with have changed. I now self-identify as a white, middle class, able-body, designated female at birth, trans, and gay individual; I have both privileges that I take for granted on a daily basis, and face oppressions that impact my everyday life. The privileges I have and the oppressions that I face intersect with one another through the concept of intersectionality. Intersectionality is a way to analyze and view how privileges and oppressions work together simultaneously; for example racism and sexism do not affect the lives of black women separately but instead interact with each other to marginalize
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Being a white trans person I benefit from racism. For instance, I can buy a chest binder that is similar to my skin tone whereas trans people of colour will have a difficult time doing so because chest binders that match darker skin tones seldomly exist. When buying a chest binder from the internet or a store that carries them, individuals typically have three colour options: white, black and nude. In my case I bought a nude chest binder from a small shop without even thinking about the implications that the colour had because, I benefited from the racism that went along with it. Furthermore, I have class privilege, I come from a middle class family and have the luxury of being able to afford a chest binder so that I can feel more comfortable in my own body. To compare, an individual in a low income family that wanted to buy a chest binder most likely wouldn’t have the disposable income to do so without thinking about what else the money could be going towards. Moreover, the inability to afford a chest binder usually leads to unsafe binding practises which can cause significant health complications and substantial health care costs. The income status of my family impacts how cissexism impacts my life, I have a substantial advantage because my family is middle
Being a white trans person I benefit from racism. For instance, I can buy a chest binder that is similar to my skin tone whereas trans people of colour will have a difficult time doing so because chest binders that match darker skin tones seldomly exist. When buying a chest binder from the internet or a store that carries them, individuals typically have three colour options: white, black and nude. In my case I bought a nude chest binder from a small shop without even thinking about the implications that the colour had because, I benefited from the racism that went along with it. Furthermore, I have class privilege, I come from a middle class family and have the luxury of being able to afford a chest binder so that I can feel more comfortable in my own body. To compare, an individual in a low income family that wanted to buy a chest binder most likely wouldn’t have the disposable income to do so without thinking about what else the money could be going towards. Moreover, the inability to afford a chest binder usually leads to unsafe binding practises which can cause significant health complications and substantial health care costs. The income status of my family impacts how cissexism impacts my life, I have a substantial advantage because my family is middle