Been thinking about how women intellectuals are described as passionate, vocal or...ugh, fierce.

Even when meant as positives/compliments, these actually distract and derail from their intellectual achievements.

(A thread)

Also related: women’s intellectual output is often described as ‘belief’ which of course dismisses their work as irrational and founded in emotions rather than ‘academic’ rigour.

The strangest part of this is watching male academics teach female writers and theorists whose work suddenly gains intellectual depth and weight simply because a man channels their thoughts and words.

Add axes of race, sexuality, class, etc the diminishing becomes overwhelming.

And yes there is a personal aspect to this: I am tired of being described as ‘passionate’ when I spend most of my days readimg, researching, evidencing my argument (often with WAY more rigour than male colleagues).

But it isn’t just me.

The three greatest intellects of our times are all women of colour and really they should be household names.

They should be cited incessantly, be invited to every fora addressing the human condition, be asked to make every keynote in the world.

Even their tweets set my brain afire, nudging me in new directions and ideas.

And they are incredibly rigorous in the thinking and evidencing, scalpel precise in the words, and unfailingly brilliant in their intellectual output.

And I guess I am also tired of hearing them described as fierce/fiery/passionate instead of groundbreaking, pioneering, incisive, astute, profound, and more.

I know the patriarchy works in complex, comprehensive and subtle ways.

This is why I don’t describe women whose achievements I admire in emotive terms. Because it distracts from their intellects and feels like a disservice.

And yes, I do interrupt people (inc women) who use emotive descriptors supposedly in praise and I won’t apologise.

If you aren’t following them here and reading them already, the three of the most brilliant minds of our times:

@SaraNAhmed
@redlightvoices
@KGuilaine

Go learn from them. I do. Every day.