KCC Feminist Rally Defines Modern Feminism
by Michael Raiz

November 18th, at 6:30 P.M., Kingsborough Community College had a feminism conference. Hosted by Sociology Professor Katia Perea, sponsored by Women Studies Club and Kingsborough’s club for the gay and queer called A.Q.U.A., and supported by several other feminist guest speakers, the conference was an informative get-together for audience of all ages explaining the fundamentals of what a feminist is and how does one identifies self as feminist.

“I went to a feminist club in Colombia and it was okay, but I am sure Kingsborough can be better” said Perea as the conference started. She quickly summarized what the event is going to be about: questions and answers. She also introduced the guests, five diverse feminist adults, and the heads of the sponsor clubs.The room was full of chairs and round tables, where each table had a jar full of Lifestyle branded condoms. Perea insisted that people take some.

After welcoming everyone to the event, Perea said what she thinks about feminism and let the guests introduce themselves and speak their own opinion and understanding of feminism. Overall, the goal of the event was to debate about how feminists can attempt social change in our society.In just a few minutes of each person speaking their opinion, it turned out feminism is no longer just about women being oppressed by men. It was about a struggle of every other human being who is classified as queer or transgender and unusual to be treated equally to someone who is considered normal.

“I would assume everyone is queer until proven otherwise,” said Kestryl Lowrey, an academic at Performance Studies at New York University, who is a transgender himself.Queer, which means weird, ultimately can apply to a vast amount of people, and that does not necessarily mean that those people are not committed to the traditional idea of sex. However, many people would have a hard time trying to accept someone who is “queer” like Kestryl.

It may get confusing and make people want to deny modern feminists, while others would listen and read stories about feminists and take a different understanding of the issue. Some of the guests told stories to make the audience understand.“I had a mother who told me that gender is a spectrum,” said Xtn Handson, a social activist focusing on global poverty and its role on shaping gender codes in different cultures. Handson works in many colleges and universities around the world holding different programs trying to help people especially those that are queer.

“Queer,” he said, “means that you stand up against the normal and the oppressive.” Of course, that is not to say that whoever is normal is also an oppressor. “I am a feminist,” he explains, “but I am very comfortable in my [male] body.”

Feminism may mean lots of different things. For people like performer J. Delacave, feminism is a way to find her inner female. Delacave was raised like a boy and only got to explore her inner girlhood through dancing.

“The feminist movement started since the creation of mankind,” Perea explained. “I am sure whenever a man told a woman to do something there was always a woman who would disobey [not wanting to be oppressed].”Perea also mentioned that there is a law in New York that says a woman can walk around topless if she wanted to. Kestryl Lowrey was quick to grab the microphone and say “I think boobs are rad.” Others would respond like Delacave saying that it is up to a woman to choose whether she wants to expose herself or not.

“Where I come from, people do not talk about queer and sex,” said feminist storyteller Sassafras Lowrey. “I am not a feminist who tells stories but I tell stories because I am a feminist.”

Many times throughout the conference the spokespeople would say that feminism should be questioned. Only then people would have a better understanding of what it means.

“Feminism is about breaking down shame. The world would be a better place with stories.”After about two hours, the hall’s population dampened by half. It turned out that the majority of the audience consisted of Professor Perea’s sociology class and her students were there to gather information for an assignment they had to write. Therefore, not many stayed for over two hours.“I feel like feminism is an important issue, but I do not think this meeting helps us as much as it could if people were to research it online,” said Althea Carty, 19, a KCC student.

“I went in order to do the paper,” said 19-year-old student Andy Lan. “But then afterwards it got interesting. I do not discriminate, I think everyone can live anyway they want.”

Some were more interested than others. Some could care less. But overall, those who stayed long enough understood something important: “without sexism”—Delacave says—“there would not be cause for feminism.”

“It would be blunt not to have femininity and masculinity,” said Kestryl Lowrey. Feminism is just another feature in life that makes us human.