Alice Vol. 6 No. 1

Each one of us holds multiple identities that tie
us to who we are and how the world sees us. These
physical and social frameworks can bring communities
together, make people feel connected and allow us to be
celebrated.
Each and every one of us hold multiple identities that
tie us to who we are and how the world sees us. These
physical and social frameworks can bring communities
together, make people feel connected and allow us to be
celebrated.
Each one of us holds multiple identities that tie us to
who we are and how the world sees us. These physical
and social frameworks can bring communities together,
make people feel connected, and allow us to be
celebrated.
However, what happens when these identities cause
tension, anger or even guilt?
In New Jersey, Reginah Mako, a 22 year old Rutgers
graduate, first learned the term intersectionality in a
gender studies class. However, Mako has felt the effects
of intersectionality her entire life.
“I knew what [intersectionality] felt like,” Mako said.
“I just couldn’t articulate it.”
Mako identifies as a young person of color – both
biracial and Black – who recognizes her womxnhood
but knows that she does not necessarily fit into a gender
category.
“I want people to know that identity isn’t finite,”
Mako said. “It can be expanded and it’s okay to change
your identity.”
Mako is not the only person interviewed who
understands the importance of recognizing
intersectionality.
Jessica Savage is a 23 year old University of Vermont
graduate. Savage identifies as a gay, white womxn who
struggles with both anxiety and an eating disorder.
Savage wants to make it clear: she holds a tremendous
amount of privilege when it comes to intersectionality
and intersectional feminism.
“I experience comparably mild obstacles in my daily
life because of my mental illness, but my [disadvantaged]
identities are practically invisible,” she wrote. “That
means I can move through my daily life with ease from
the external world.”
Savage tries to think about her privilege in the context
of the events happening in the nation right now. She
recognizes how her white privilege is coming to light
after the recent killings of George Flloyd and Breonna
Taylor at the hands of police officers.
“I am living everyday thinking… how, in white rural
Vermont... I have some fear that I can be vulnerable out
in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “I am not deadafraid
that my life could end if a white homeowner sees
me in their yard. “
Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garze discussed
intersectionality and its importance in the BLM
movement with Ms. Magazine in 2017.
“I think there needs to be a deep dive into
intersectionality and relations of power.
Intersectionality has been around for a long time and
has resurged as a core principle of what movements
need to be effective,” Garze states.
When it comes to relations of power from a
healthcare perspective, Skye Allen, a New Jersey
native and 2020 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast
University understands all too well what it means to
be a womxn seeking care in a world dominated by
stereotypes.
Allen, who identifies as a straight, white, disabled
woman was diagnosed with major depressive
disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and seizures
at age 17. She has also faced a recent diagnosis
of both fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disease and
dysautonomia, which affects the body’s nerves.
Allen notes that the American Disabilities Act, a
civil rights law that prohibits the discrimination of
people with disabilities, was only recently established
in 1990.
“Unfortunately, the world doesn’t take too kindly
to those with disabilities,” she said. “There is a big
stigma around what a disabled person looks like.”
Allen wants people to understand the implications
of being a disabled womxn based on her experiences.
“As a woman, my healthcare journey has been more
difficult than if I were a man,” Allen said. “Oftentimes,
doctors disregard or invalidate women’s pain, simply
because we are women. On average, it takes women
years to get a diagnosis for a condition than if they
were a man.”
John Zambarano, a 22 year old queer, nonbinary,
spiritual nonreligious, white person, who uses they/
them pronouns, is no stranger to the importance of
inclusion in varying communities.
They urge people to approach others and their
communities rather than make assumptions about
their identities.
“My communities and other marginalized
communities are full of love,” they said. “We deserve
the same level of compassion, empathy and support
that we give.”
John’s words resonate closely with what Gadsby
relays in her special; that every community is worthy
of understanding.
“To be rendered powerless does not destroy your
humanity,” Gadsby said. “Your resilience is your
humanity.”
No matter how many times womxn and other
marginalized communities are stereotyped, attacked
or rendered powerless, we will be there to pick each
other back up. Despite our differences, we all share
one commonality:
Resilience.
[ 44 ]