They Call It "Inclusion,” I Call It Danger for Women

Letter submitted by Isidora Carrasco

I have all my life lived in a tiny city in a country here in Latin America. Here, misogyny and sexism is common. Latinas live with misogyny every day of our life, and sadly many don't even realize. It is so stuck in our heads, that we do harmful things to our own sex, like promoting gender ideology. We are a few steps behind in terms of queer politics than the USA, but sadly it is our role model. Latin America is becoming everyday more "queer", and while women cheer it thinking it means freedom from patriarchy, they ignore that gender ideology is the patriarchy in a rainbow costume.

My two grandmothers were victims of violence in marriage. One was manipulated and forced to stay at home, with no access to money at all, and the other was trapped with a man that left all the housework to her, while she also worked as a teacher. Both of my grandmothers raised their children alone, and took care of the house, and were always dismissed and abused. The sister of one of my grandmothers was raped, beaten and almost killed by the hands of her "husband". My mom was manipulated in a harmful marriage, tricked with the "ideal love", while my father stole her money and abused her physically and emotionally.

I was lucky, because my mom opened her eyes and protected me and my siblings. She always told me about the men. She told me to be careful, to be in alert near them. Not only that, but she taught me they were a threat. And I listened. That kept me safe these 18 years. But now I feel everything she had done for me is in vain, because now my country is welcoming queer politics. They call it "inclusion", I call it danger for women.

Now we can't say a thing when males win every single competition, stealing the prizes for women. We have to remain silent when males who "feel" like women want to be the center of every female space. Politics is saying goodbye to women and welcoming trans identified males. Education institutions are doing the same. Bathrooms are now unisex. They even stole the feminist movement of my country. 8M (the International Women’s Strike) is not a safe place for women anymore. If we say "Women face sex-based oppression!" or "Prostitution is exploitation" we are in risk of getting beaten, insulted and doxxed.

They think it is not a big deal. But they disrespect every woman, even the ones who claim to be "trans allies.” My female relatives were not abused and mistreated because of a magical girly aura, nor for an identity no one can describe. They were victims of misogyny because they were born with a vulva, ovaries and a uterus. They were socialized to think that behavior was normal, to think their oppression was something romantic and that they had to endure it in the name of love. Obligatory heterosexuality.

I feel so sad when a woman claims that "sex doesn't exist" or that "trans women face exactly the same issues as cis women". It makes me truly sad, because while they can deny the basis of female oppression, a woman is being forced to give birth, is forced to abort, is raped, is mistreated by her husband, betrayed by society, and forgotten by their own sex.