Black, brown, and white faces can be the mouthpieces of White Supremacy, and the gender debate is one of its tools.

White supremacy isn’t simply the KKK or the National Front.

White supremacy is a socio-political system that maintains the dominance of white people over other racial groups. It puts them higher up the ladder of life within all class systems. It upholds racial inequality through institutional practices, cultural norms, and economic advantages that privilege white individuals while oppressing people of colour. This system permeates all aspects of society, including the legal, educational, and economic sectors, reinforcing systemic racism and discrimination.

As a result of white supremacy, proximity to whiteness is valued and offers protection.

Black and brown people can still be mouthpieces of white supremacy by internalising its values and promoting its narratives. This can occur when they adopt and spread beliefs that justify racial hierarchies, support policies that disproportionately harm their own communities, or align with institutions that perpetuate systemic racism. Their actions can inadvertently, or intentionally, reinforce the status quo, maintaining the power dynamics established by white supremacy.

Systems uphold systems. White Supremacy and gender norms are deeply intertwined, with both systems reinforcing each other to maintain established social hierarchies and the power dynamics that exist as a result.

White supremacy not only enforces racial hierarchies but also perpetuates strict gender roles that privilege white, cisgender, heterosexual men. This dual system of oppression marginalises women, particularly women of colour, and LGBTQ+ individuals by attempting to dictate their roles and limit their opportunities within society, and creating huge pushback if they try to change either.

Historically, white supremacy has leveraged gender norms to justify racial oppression. Colonial and segregationist ideologies often depicted white women as needing protection from men of colour, painting these men as inherently dangerous. This narrative reinforced white male dominance and justified the brutal treatment of Black and Brown men, while simultaneously controlling white women’s behaviour by positioning them as symbols of racial purity that needed safeguarding.

In contemporary society, these intertwined systems manifest in various forms, such as the political and media representation that marginalises both racial minorities and women. And this can be seen particularly in the gender “debate“.

White supremacy and the political assault on transgender and non-binary people are connected through the enforcement of rigid, binary gender norms that support a racialised hierarchy. White supremacy relies on traditional gender constructs to maintain social order, and any deviation from these norms is seen as a threat to the status quo.

Laws banning gender-affirming healthcare, restricting bathroom access, or preventing transgender athletes from participating in sports, they are often justified under the guise of protecting societal norms or children, but they fundamentally serve to reinforce a binary gender system that upholds white, cisgender, heterosexual male dominance.

The political assault on transgender and non-binary people is also fueled by fear and misinformation, which are tools frequently used by white supremacist ideologies to marginalise and control minority groups. By targeting transgender and non-binary individuals, these assaults aim to maintain traditional gender roles and, by extension, the broader social hierarchies that privilege white people, particularly white men. This intersectional oppression affects transgender and non-binary people of colour disproportionately, as they face compounded discrimination and violence due to both their gender identity and racial background.

Globally, gender constructs vary widely and are often more fluid than the rigid binary system promoted by white supremacy. Many cultures recognise more than two genders and have long histories of non-binary and transgender identities. For example, Indigenous cultures in North America recognise Two-Spirit people, a term that encompasses a variety of gender identities and roles that do not fit within the Western binary understanding of gender. Similarly, in South Asia, Hijra are recognised as a third gender with distinct social and cultural roles.

To dismantle white supremacy, it is crucial to challenge and deconstruct these rigid gender norms and recognise the validity and humanity of all gender identities. This involves not only protecting the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals but also embracing a more inclusive understanding of gender that respects and honours the diversity of human experience globally.