Recently, my male, POC friend posed the following question on an online public forum: “Is white feminism ‘toxic femininity?’” This sparked a debate—mostly among women—who argued whiteness (which comes with systems of power) was toxic, but femininity was not. Others stressed that “toxic femininity” is a term made up by men solely to discredit the realness of toxic masculinity.…
Dear America, I arrived in this country when I was four years old. My mother had married a man, an American citizen, who would become my stepfather and we left behind our previous home in a small ranching community in Mexico. Even though I was young, I remember that period in my life like it was yesterday. I was nervous to arrive in this new place where the people looked different and spoke a different language than me. Even the houses…
Finding your identity within the LGBTQ community can be confusing to say the least. When I started to question my own identity in college, I anticipated finding guidance and opportunities for growth. Instead, I wound up exhausted. What began as an exciting journey to self-discovery soon became a downward spiral that resulted in feelings of doubt and a sense that I didn’t belong.…
