Rogueish

Black feminists have long pointed to the limitations of respectability politics, steeped as they are in elitist, heteronormative, and sexually repressive ideas about proper Black womanhood. When disrespect becomes where we enter, we confront a reality that is pretty dismal for Black womanhood. But when we enter at respectability, there we confront limitations, too. 

This is great on the complicated intertwining of some ways of talking about misogyny and (frequently classist, racist, and indeed misogynistic) “respectability politics.” C.f. a blog post in which a guy begins with a reasonable enough criticism of Jay-Z’s use of the word “bitch,” before moving to a discussion of “what it’s like to have a ‘tatted up’ Jay-Z/Lil Wayne wannabe earn his daughter’s loyalty because he convinces her that she can’t do any better.”