Let’s talk about international intersectionality, self awareness, and mutual exclusivity. Naomi Wu recently tweeted and retweeted the following:

One more tweet to add regarding the saga of NW and BAE.

There are certainly some war hawks on the loose, looking to defend the status quo or advocate a more kinetic approach to foreign policy in the US. However, by casting all of her opposition this way, NW can conveniently ignore criticism that holds merit.

Whether by design or happenstance, especially given her large following, this is a dangerous message to promote.

Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that NW either lacks or is actively uninterested in intersectionality. Weaponizing her marginalized status as a lesbian woman in heteronormative mainland China, she calls BAE “a cunt” for questioning what NW has done on behalf of Uyghurs.

She goes on. According to her logic, mainland Chinese people are the only people qualified to speak about topics in mainland China. This same logic, if we choose to accept it, would also mean that Uyghurs are the only ones who can speak to Uyghur experiences.

It is also implied throughout her tweets that one can only focus on helping one group at a time and that the correct choice is to only focus one’s own country’s problems to the exclusion of all others.

I interpret this as plausible evidence that NW is not just misinformed, but knowingly and intentionally acting in bad faith.

Others must focus on the problems in their own country to the exclusion of criticizing any problems in China. But it’s also wrong to call on her, a lesbian who is oppressed in China, to address problems in her own country.

So who would be addressing problems in China, then?

Clearly, no one.

This is why we must analyze arguments carefully. Intersectionality means that we should aid both Uyghurs and Native Americans, not just one or the other. Mutual exclusivity is in opposition to intersectionality.

Through a lack self awareness or intentionally, NW uses her marginalized identity as a lesbian as a means of shielding herself from taking on the responsibility of intersectionality. Regardless, the impact is that she grandstands for dragging feet on Uyghur and other issues.

This is a form of pinkwashing. Just because you are marginalized does not give you the right to defend the marginalization of others or claim a unique authority on all issues of marginalization.