I like Kimberley Crenshaw's advocacy for black women. She stands for black women and sees it in the same way I do. It's also, a way that is lucking on Mn because most people see sexism from one angle, male vs female in a patriarchal society. Her intersectionality is a good way to understand how black women are treated in society. The injustices, how issues are dealt with and treated and misogynoir both in the media and daily life.
The other thing that I find lucking on Mn is the understanding between black women and gay, especially those who identify as trans. Or they are trans but do not state that they are. I think most complaints for American intersectionality encouraging groups pushing this forward mostly led by black women and trans hand in hand.
What I will say is that what white women, especially British do not understand is the symbiosis between black women and trans black men. Am going to base this on my observation of Americans and their culture and how it works.
Firstly, I think black women are more accepting of trans women because they are not protecting the female space. They are trying to gain it. Both groups want acknowledgement into being accepted. Not just in bathrooms and sports, the media or any other space that black women are denied or their achievements are down played to physical strength, or whatever excuse people can come up with rather than being clever at it or using technical skills that requires brain work.
Recently, a debate took place on #blacktwitter. One was regarding Kim Burrell. What Came out of the Kim argument for her homophobia was the fact that the American black churches are run by two groups. Black women and gays/trans together. Those who can hide being gay can preach on the pulpit. If not, they are segregated to the choir and the running of the church. There is a bond that is created between these two groups. They see what each goes through. I sometimes think, it's a lot easier for a trans persons identifying as trans within the black community than if they were just gay.
However, they suffer more in terms of getting work compared to their gay counterparts. (Both suffer rejection in general in terms of acceptance within the black community and not denying that they don't)
Intersectionality groups that support sex work, my gut feeling is that is for the support of the black trans groups or trans groups in general. If they cannot work a long side black women, ( as hair dressers, makeup artist, those who become dragacts, or are Into to entertainment, These are those who have fully embraced dressing in female cloths or had sex changes) they are left jobless in most cases. What I have heard is that a lot of them are into sex work as a way of survival. So, I can see how they would try and protect sex work and try to justify it, when they have nothing else. The problem is, it's probably something that people are scared to talk about. I don't know if they know and understand they detrimental effect that sex work has on women in general.
What I would, also, say is that black women borrow from trans/gay men in entertainment. It's undeniable what their influence is but to the outside world it's virtually not seen. In most cases when a trend is created by black people, it's more than likely it was started of in the gay especially trans underground first. From phrases to dance moves geared towards women. The black trans males appears in lots of major music videos by black females singers all the time and it's accepted and not questioned.
There is another debate that probably most people would not have thought of. That is the Tyler Perry's madea generation. Most white people in America and especially Europe would not have heard of him and her. (Same person) it's a big deal within the black community. It's shows the acceptance people have for her. Madea is the matriarch who is recognisable within black American extend families. ( children, aunts, uncles, second, third cousins, mums and dads at family reunions or big house hold with only the grandmother as the carer) His character is trans, but at the same time is not pretending to be a woman like matin Lawrence or Mrs doubtfire. He is acting the female role as a woman not trans being being a woman. People love it and people don't see anything wrong with it. It's never questioned but enjoyed. I think there is two personalities that come through. That of a trans woman and of black woman. Both are embraced and enjoyed.
The only time I have heard Tyler Perry being criticised was for using the pain of black women for his own male patriarchal gain. One of the reason was, if madea was played by a black woman to tell the story of black women, people would not have found it that funny. He some times or in most cases, tackle issues that affects black families and it's not racism or slavery but normal everyday black American life from the point view of woman, written, produced and acted by a man. 