The Shift in Campus Activism

The speaker reflects on her experience as a college student involved in the Queers and Allies organization at Smith College, which aimed to support the admission of trans women. Initially driven by a belief in the inclusivity of gender identity politics, she later realized that the movement was rooted in sexism and harmful to the essence of women's spaces. Despite being a co-chair and actively participating in activism, she began to question the ideology she was taught, recognizing that it disregarded the shared experiences of women. This process marked a significant shift in her understanding of feminism and prompted her to critically evaluate the dynamics of the activism surrounding gender identity.