by Mirella Flores
Today marks the last day of Women’s History Month for 2016. It is pretty amazing to consider how it all began with celebrating women one day out of the year, and now has turned into a whole month. Women get thirty one days to be acknowledged for their many contributions and accomplishments. To some level this is great, but it is also very upsetting. I could use this blog to discuss the need to celebrate women during the remaining 334 days of the year, but instead I want to acknowledge some women who are still largely invisible within Women’s History Month.
Think of this: We need Women’s History Month because women are still marginalized in our society. What about women who also hold other marginalized identities? Trans women, LBQ women, women of color, women with disabilities, and women with multiple intersecting marginalized identities are all just as much women as all women with privileged identities. I will dedicate this blog to briefly acknowledge some of these women and their contributions.
Disclaimer: I will be grouping these women into trans women, LBQ women, women of color, and women with disabilities groups. However, some of them have multiple marginalized intersecting identities (i.e., trans women of color, women of color with disabilities) and should be acknowledged as such, rather just a part of their identity. 
Trans women of color such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson were co-founders of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), and are often erased figures of the Stonewall Riot. The Stonewall Riot went down in history as the event that set off what we now know as the LGBT movement; however, Rivera and Johnson’s contributions did not make much news. Johnson was the person credited for starting the riot and Rivera as the first bystander to throw the first bottle at the police. Other trans women like Christine Jorgensen and Renee Richards were also vital in terms of their visibility. These women were open about having had gender-affirming surgeries during a time when the very concept of these surgeries was considered extremely shocking to most. Their efforts helped to advance the very simple idea that trans women should be treated equally. Lynn Conway, a trans woman, is one of the pioneers of modern computer science and an Emeritus professor at the University of Michigan. Trans actresses like Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, and Caroline Cossey broke major ground in the film world decades ago, and women like Laverne Cox and Alex Billings continue to do so now. The list can go on.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” I always come back to this saying to remind me that I need to engage in self-care. I have to thank poet, writer, and activitist Audre Lorde for this quote, who also was a lesbian, womanist, and civil rights activist. LBQ women also take a place in entertainment history, for instance women like Josephine Baker, Greta Garbo, Billie Holiday, and Ma Rainey. LBQ women have also made a part of visual art history through Frida Kahlo, Patricia Highsmith, Amrita Sher-Gill, Cristy C Road, just to name a few. How about the sciences? Yup, LBQ women have been in the history of science through women like Margaret Mead, Louise Pearce, and Sofia Kovalesvsky. Even more recently we have women like Dr. Rochelle Diamond, the Chair of National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) and a research biologist at Caltech.
Earlier, I mentioned Sylvia Rivera and Frida Kahlo as women who have made contributions to history. Other Latina women to acknowledge are activists Comandanta Ramona and Rigoberta Menchú. Ramona was a package of fury and revolution as she led the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) in the 1994 New Year’s Day uprising in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, as the Zapatistas demanded land, jobs, housing, food, health care, and justice and democracy. Menchú is an activist dedicated to bringing recognition to the rights of Guatemala’s indigenous people and promoting indigenous rights in the Guatemala. Menchú was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 and the Prince of Asturias Award in 1998. Latinas have also been part of the literary history, with women like Rosario Castellanos, whose work explored the differences of being both Mexican and a woman, and Claribel Alegría whose poetry was political and encouraged women to rebel against the patriarchy. Alegría’s poem Ars Poetica is particularly poignant and hopeful. Check out this link to learn about the contribution of other Latinas.
In the antebellum period, many Black women became active abolitionists and supporters of Women’s Rights. Sojourner Truth was a former slave, abolitionist, and advocate of Women’s Suffrage. In 1851, she made her famous speech, Ain’t I A Woman? Other Black women suffragist and abolitionists from this time period included Margaretta Forten, Harriet Forten Purvis, and Mary Ann Shadd Cary. I mentioned the contribution of Audre Lorde as a writer, and other Black women who have made contributions to the history of literature include Alice Walker, best known for The Color Purple, and Bell Hooks. Another woman to mention is Alicia Garza, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter (read Garza’s own words on the movement here). There is also Karen Byrd, a woman who works to combat the notion that Black hair isn’t beautiful. For this purpose, she created Natural Girls United!, a company that customizes dolls with natural hairstyles.
East and South Asian women have become powerful figures in multiple arenas. Women like Pramila Jayapal, and Kshama Sawant have won city and state elections and been active figures in U.S. politics. Radhika Coomaraswamy is an internationally well-known human rights activist and served as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Comedians Aparna Nancherla and Mindy Kaling broke barriers on prime time television shows. Comedian Margaret Cho has become well-known for her stand-up routines through which she critiques social and political problems, especially around race and sexuality. Some Asian American women who have made their mark in executive roles include Keli Lee, Vice-President of Casting for ABC Entertainment Group, and Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO of Pepsi CO. Social activists like Bhairavi Desai, founding member of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and Rinku Sen, executive director of Race Forward and publisher of Colorlines have become powerful voices for social change and racial justice.
I recognize I did not talk about the contributions of Native American women. This is not to say Native women have not done and continue to greatly contribute to history and society. I would encourage you to read Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Judge Diane Humetewa‘s blogs. Furthermore, look into Native women’s fight in gaining protection against domestic violence.
March is not only Women’s History Month, it is also Disability Awareness Month. Women with disabilities have been part of history. For instance, Frida Kahlo had spina bifida and due to having polio as a child, one of her legs was thinner than the other. Kahlo drew inspiration from per pain and painted wonderful self-portraits, many of which she depicted herself in a wheelchair. Most of us maybe familiar with Helen Keller’s work. Keller, a deadblind person, made numerous contributions through her 12 published books and political activism in support of women’s rights and labor rights. Women with disabilities have also been a part of entertainment history. For instance, actress Marlee Matlin, who has been deaf since she was 18 months old, won an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for her leading role in Children of Lesser. Dancer and actress Sudha Chandran turned to acting upon losing one of her legs in a car accident. Chandran has been in numerous Indian shows, including Kaahin Kissii Roz and K Street Pali Hill. In terms of her dancing career, Chandran still graces people with her dance and has performed in many countries. Mayuri, a Bollywood film, where Chandran plays herself. Women with disabilities have also been part of the athletic history. Marla Runyan is a track and field, road runner, and marathon runner who’s legally blind. Runyan has remained three-time national champion in the women’s 500 meters race, and she has won gold and silver medals in the Paralympics.
There are numerous women that deserve to be recognized for their accomplishments. Don’t let Women History Month end on March 31. I encourage you all to continue to acknowledge and celebrate the many contributions and accomplishments of women.