This workshop designed to support those newer to conversations of racism and sexism in understanding the intersection between the two. It is open to all, but specifically developed to support people who are exploring the ways we have benefited from white Or light-skinned) privilege while also experiencing gendered oppression (i.e. women, nonbinary, genderqueer, and trans folks). 

It can be confusing to know when and how to “move up” or “move back” as racial justice allies and accomplices. Internalized messages from white privilege often “tell” us to take up space, that our ideas matter and are worthy, that we are right and entitled to time, leadership, attention and energy. Internalized messages from gendered oppression often tell us to become invisible, that our ideas are bad or worthless, that we are wrong and undeserving of time, leadership, attention and energy. 

As we become politicized and develop counter voices to these internalized voices of systemic privilege and oppression, we learn to share space and move back (to subvert white supremacy), or move up and assert ourselves (to subvert patriarchy or other oppressions we experience). 

We will review shared understandings and use writing, art and group discussion to support each of us in a deeper exploration of the complexities of our intersecting and unique layers of socialization, current and historical survival strategies, costs of maintaining the system as it is, and ways we can commit to interrupting systems of oppression and subverting the ways we have been conditioned to behave.