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It’s so revealing that “gatekeeping” is considered a negative thing in woke circles.
Part of my peaking was realising that, yes, some gatekeeping is vital. Ie, gatekeeping of “woman,” of “feminist,” of “lesbian.” Short thread.
Part of my peaking was realising that, yes, some gatekeeping is vital. Ie, gatekeeping of “woman,” of “feminist,” of “lesbian.” Short thread.
But “gatekeeping” is also a fallacy designed to distract from reality. The assumption is anyone can be anything as long as they say they are.
The implication is that words have no meaning and anyone can be anything and who are *you* to say what this word means? Some woman?
The implication is that words have no meaning and anyone can be anything and who are *you* to say what this word means? Some woman?
How dare you gatekeep the word woman! How dare you suggest words mean things!
Well, sorry, words mean things. I’m gatekeeping. It’s my right as a woman, who has grown up female, to set a boundary, right here, right now.
Well, sorry, words mean things. I’m gatekeeping. It’s my right as a woman, who has grown up female, to set a boundary, right here, right now.
As @__claireopatra brilliantly said yesterday (which got me thinking about this), concepts gatekeep themselves. To blame us for enforcing the meaning of words is to shoot the messenger. https://twitter.com/__claireopatra/status/1343223946347474945
It also plays to our female socialisation, to not take up too much space, to not make ourselves heard, to not set boundaries. Setting boundaries makes you a prude. It makes you frigid. And what is more valueless in a patriarchal society than a woman who says no?
So we are taught that empowerment is to rationalise our boundaries away.
Rationalise away your body. Rationalise away your spaces. Rationalise away your meaning. It’s safer that way, easier that way, better that way.
Or else.
Rationalise away your body. Rationalise away your spaces. Rationalise away your meaning. It’s safer that way, easier that way, better that way.
Or else.
The point of portraying gatekeeping negatively is to tell women boundaries are oppressive. Consider that women have spent all of feminism trying to SET boundaries. Our spaces, our rights, our bodies.
A movement that demands we forego that can only be in service to patriarchy.
A movement that demands we forego that can only be in service to patriarchy.
We aren’t “gatekeeping.”
In policing our boundaries, they’re gatekeeping our meaning. They’re gatekeeping our *reality.* It’s DARVO to suggest that we’re the ones doing so.
Policing our boundaries by telling us we’re oppressive by enforcing them? That’s patriarchy.
In policing our boundaries, they’re gatekeeping our meaning. They’re gatekeeping our *reality.* It’s DARVO to suggest that we’re the ones doing so.
Policing our boundaries by telling us we’re oppressive by enforcing them? That’s patriarchy.
