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legs_n_chins's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
I think the most important thing I reminded myself of while reading was that this is reflective more than it is academic. I did initially think it would be more academic, and while it is incredibly informative, the author makes it very clear right at the start and in places in most chapters that this is coming from a place of personal reflection and lived experience. It is, therefore, in the most neutral but undeniable way, a biased book. That doesn’t mean it’s to be dismissed or considered somehow less valid, in fact I think the bias is the reason to read it. A woman of color, born in a non-white dominate country, speaking on her experiences within the feminist movement of the white western world is exactly the kind of voice I think we need. And I really respect that the author concluded this book by saying that she publishes her work to invite critique as her voice is not the only one that should be listened to within the movement.
My own critique hinges on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people as barely more than a passing mention. Understandably, as this author makes no mention of identifying as queer, she may not have experience in this community and as this is a reflective text on her own experiences, it doesn’t often factor into her writing. But I do think this is a continued problem that should be addressed. Queer people need to be included in the feminist movement, and the author says this often, but never goes any deeper than that. What’s more, and what’s most disturbing for me personally, is that she doesn’t seem to fully accept and embrace all people within the LGBTQ+ community.
In chapter 5, when discussing the rise of sexual liberation and hyper-sexuality as an inherent marker of the new feminist, the author engages in some very acephobic language and views. It’s notable that throughout the book she only ever uses LGBTQI as the acronym, leaving off the A entirely. As an asexual person, this was very uncomfortable and hurtful, and still did not prepare me for how she spoke about asexuality within the chapter. Zakaria first places the word asexual within quotes, as she often does when presenting new theoretical terminology in the text. She goes on to use asexuality as a “lens” through which to view the new hyper-sexual feminist movement, reducing asexuality — I felt — down to an idea or theoretical principle and completely divorcing it from an actual lived experience and identity shared by a wide variety of people who experience asexuality in a wide variety of ways. To me, it read as extremely invalidating and dismissive and downright exclusionary. It wouldn’t be out of place in the ace-exclusionary sections of the queer community nor in the acephobic areas of the straight community that consider us “broken.” It was triggering enough that I almost DNF’d. I’m ultimately glad I pushed through, but I hate that it reinforces extremely hurtful rhetoric around asexuality that continues to cause harm within our community.
Overall, I found the book to be very informative and helped me not only articulate some of my own experiences, but also look at some of my own biases from growing up in a white dominant country. As someone who is not white and does not identify as a woman, I am still very well aware that I’ve fallen into patterns of white feminism and sometimes upholding that status quo because it’s easy and safe. I really appreciated being given space to explore those things within myself by listening to another woman’s experience. Toward the end, Zakaria outlines a potential way forward and reminds us that solidarity exists in recognizing, accepting, and working with everyone’s differences. I like her explanation of it, and it’s backed by many of the points she makes in the book. I want to think there is hope toward the path Zakaria describes, and I hope that the shifting of my own viewpoint in reflection of this text is a step in that direction.
My own critique hinges on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people as barely more than a passing mention. Understandably, as this author makes no mention of identifying as queer, she may not have experience in this community and as this is a reflective text on her own experiences, it doesn’t often factor into her writing. But I do think this is a continued problem that should be addressed. Queer people need to be included in the feminist movement, and the author says this often, but never goes any deeper than that. What’s more, and what’s most disturbing for me personally, is that she doesn’t seem to fully accept and embrace all people within the LGBTQ+ community.
In chapter 5, when discussing the rise of sexual liberation and hyper-sexuality as an inherent marker of the new feminist, the author engages in some very acephobic language and views. It’s notable that throughout the book she only ever uses LGBTQI as the acronym, leaving off the A entirely. As an asexual person, this was very uncomfortable and hurtful, and still did not prepare me for how she spoke about asexuality within the chapter. Zakaria first places the word asexual within quotes, as she often does when presenting new theoretical terminology in the text. She goes on to use asexuality as a “lens” through which to view the new hyper-sexual feminist movement, reducing asexuality — I felt — down to an idea or theoretical principle and completely divorcing it from an actual lived experience and identity shared by a wide variety of people who experience asexuality in a wide variety of ways. To me, it read as extremely invalidating and dismissive and downright exclusionary. It wouldn’t be out of place in the ace-exclusionary sections of the queer community nor in the acephobic areas of the straight community that consider us “broken.” It was triggering enough that I almost DNF’d. I’m ultimately glad I pushed through, but I hate that it reinforces extremely hurtful rhetoric around asexuality that continues to cause harm within our community.
Overall, I found the book to be very informative and helped me not only articulate some of my own experiences, but also look at some of my own biases from growing up in a white dominant country. As someone who is not white and does not identify as a woman, I am still very well aware that I’ve fallen into patterns of white feminism and sometimes upholding that status quo because it’s easy and safe. I really appreciated being given space to explore those things within myself by listening to another woman’s experience. Toward the end, Zakaria outlines a potential way forward and reminds us that solidarity exists in recognizing, accepting, and working with everyone’s differences. I like her explanation of it, and it’s backed by many of the points she makes in the book. I want to think there is hope toward the path Zakaria describes, and I hope that the shifting of my own viewpoint in reflection of this text is a step in that direction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Child death and War