--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest barrier preventing us from…" description: "\"“The greatest barrier preventing us from fully challenging sexism is the pervasive antifeminine sentiment that runs wild in both the straight and queer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/julia-serano-16814_femininity_the-greatest-barrier-preventing-us-from_2890480.jpg" --- # The greatest barrier preventing us from fully challenging… ![“The greatest barrier preventing us from fully challenging sexism is the pervasive antifeminine sentiment that runs wild in both the straight and queer communities, targeting people of all genders and sexualities. The only realistic way to address this issue is to work toward empowering femininity…” quote by Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/julia-serano-16814_femininity_the-greatest-barrier-preventing-us-from_2890480.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/julia-serano-16814_femininity_the-greatest-barrier-preventing-us-from_2890480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/julia-serano-16814_femininity_the-greatest-barrier-preventing-us-from_2890480.jpg) > ““The greatest barrier preventing us from fully challenging sexism is the pervasive antifeminine sentiment that runs wild in both the straight and queer communities, targeting people of all genders and sexualities. The only realistic way to address this issue is to work toward empowering femininity itself. We must rightly recognize that feminine expression is strong, daring, and brave - that it is powerful - and not in an enchanting, enticing, or supernatural sort of way, but in a tangible, practical way that facilitates openness, creativity, and honest expression. We must move beyond seeing femininity as helpless and dependent, or merely as masculinity's sidekick, and instead acknowledge that feminine expression exists of its own accord and brings its own rewards to those who naturally gravitate toward it. By embracing femininity, feminism will finally be able to reach out to the vast majority of feminine women who have felt alienated by the movement in the past.”” [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that sexism persists because both straight and queer communities hold anti‑feminine attitudes, and that empowering genuine femininity—seen as strong, practical, and creative—can broaden feminism’s appeal. **In simple terms:** Sexism is reinforced by anti‑feminine sentiment; empowering real femininity can help feminism. Key Takeaway Promote authentic feminine strength. Themes feminism gender empowerment Mood hopeful determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - community building - education - media representation Key Concepts feminist theory identity politics intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How can we celebrate femininity without reinforcing stereotypes? - What practical steps can broaden feminist inclusion? A Different Perspective It may overlook men’s experiences and risk essentializing gender traits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Embracing Femininity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embracing-femininity-4056080/) [Empowering Femininity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empowering-femininity-4056079/) [Feminine Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminine-expression-4056081/) [Femininity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/femininity/) [Femininity Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/femininity-feminism-3868465/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) ## Related quotes > [Many of us reject all of the inferior meanings and connotations that others project onto femininity - that it is weak, artificial, frivolous, demure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/many-of-us-reject-all-of-the-inferior-meanings-and-connotations-that/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [I'm not against embracing my femininity, but I've never bought into the idea that you have to wear a dress to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-not-against-embracing-my-femininity-but-i-ve-never-bought-into/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [“Don't think that raising her feminist means forcing her to reject femininity. Feminism and femininity are not exclusive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/don-t-think-that-raising-her-feminist-means-forcing-her-to-reject/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [ “\[U\]ntil feminists work to empower femininity and pry it away from the insipid, inferior meanings that plague it - weakness, helplessness, fragility, passivity, frivolity,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/u-ntil-feminists-work-to-empower-femininity-and-pry-it-away-from-the/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“No form of gender equity can ever truly be achieved until we first work to empower femininity itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/no-form-of-gender-equity-can-ever-truly-be-achieved-until-we-first/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [The hardest part has been learning how to take myself seriously when the entire world is constantly telling me that femininity is always inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/the-hardest-part-has-been-learning-how-to-take-myself-seriously-when/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“A woman is like a universe; there are many things that even she still needs to discover about herself. Men on the other hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/a-woman-is-like-a-universe-there-are-many-things-that-even-she-still/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [I recognised that femininity and strength are not mutually exclusive, and I think that femininity has often been equated with weakness, but we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-caro/i-recognised-that-femininity-and-strength-are-not-mutually-exclusive/) [Niki Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-caro/) > [It would not be going too far to assert that ... conflict confronts every woman who ventures upon a career of her own and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/it-would-not-be-going-too-far-to-assert-that-conflict-confronts-every/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [A woman has so many facets, and when you create an image, you have to play with all the different moments of your femininity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/a-woman-has-so-many-facets-and-when-you-create-an-image-you-have-to/) [Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/) > [To awaken chivalry we must return to femininity. We must stop doing the masculine things and become the gentle, tender, dependent women we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-andelin/to-awaken-chivalry-we-must-return-to-femininity-we-must-stop-doing/) [Helen Andelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-andelin/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I am holding on to every shred of femininity that I can with heels and dresses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/i-am-holding-on-to-every-shred-of-femininity-that-i-can-with-heels/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [A Real Woman... Appreciates God's design of men and woman, likes being a girl, behaves like a lady, cherishes her femininity and Knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-woman-appreciates-god-s-design-of-men-and-woman-likes-being-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Julia Serano > [In trans women's eyes, I see a wisdom that can only come from having to fight for your right to be recognized as female,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/in-trans-women-s-eyes-i-see-a-wisdom-that-can-only-come-from-having/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“Male pride is not really about pride. It's about fear - the fear of being seen as feminine. And that's why "girl stuff" is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/male-pride-is-not-really-about-pride-it-s-about-fear-the-fear-of/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“See, we live in a phallus obsessed culture, where we're all brought up to believe that everything having to do with gender and sexuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/see-we-live-in-a-phallus-obsessed-culture-where-we-re-all-brought-up/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [Many of us reject all of the inferior meanings and connotations that others project onto femininity - that it is weak, artificial, frivolous, demure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/many-of-us-reject-all-of-the-inferior-meanings-and-connotations-that/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [I am rather disturbed by the fact that so many people—who are neither medical professionals nor trans themselves—would want to hear all of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/i-am-rather-disturbed-by-the-fact-that-so-many-people-who-are-neither/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“Sexism occurs when we assume that some people are less valid or natural than others because of their sex, gender, or sexuality; it occurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/sexism-occurs-when-we-assume-that-some-people-are-less-valid-or/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“Alliance-based activism begins with the recognition that we are all individuals, each with a limited history and experiencing a largely unique set of privileges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/alliance-based-activism-begins-with-the-recognition-that-we-are-all/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [My parents were exclude from rights as farm workers, though that has to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/my-parents-were-exclude-from-rights-as-farm-workers-though-that-has/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [The hardest part has been learning how to take myself seriously when the entire world is constantly telling me that femininity is always inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/the-hardest-part-has-been-learning-how-to-take-myself-seriously-when/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [Be happy when you don't notice that you're getting old, it means you have had a great life so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/be-happy-when-you-don-t-notice-that-you-re-getting-old-it-means-you/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [Fetishes are literally viewed as fake forms of attraction. The fetish concept is used to delegitimatize attraction to any and all bodies that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/fetishes-are-literally-viewed-as-fake-forms-of-attraction-the-fetish/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [Life has taught you many things, and the people close to you want you to have a good future, but it isn't their future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/life-has-taught-you-many-things-and-the-people-close-to-you-want-you/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“No form of gender equity can ever truly be achieved until we first work to empower femininity itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/no-form-of-gender-equity-can-ever-truly-be-achieved-until-we-first/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“The thing that always impresses me about human beings is our diversity. Even when we are brought up in similar environments, we still somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/the-thing-that-always-impresses-me-about-human-beings-is-our/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) > [“It is offensive that so many people feel that it is okay to publicly refer to transsexuals as being “pre-op” or “post-op” when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-serano/it-is-offensive-that-so-many-people-feel-that-it-is-okay-to-publicly/) [Julia Serano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) [Explore all 33 Julia Serano quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-serano/) ## More Femininity quotes > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [A Real Woman... Appreciates God's design of men and woman, likes being a girl, behaves like a lady, cherishes her femininity and Knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-woman-appreciates-god-s-design-of-men-and-woman-likes-being-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The representation of women in the society, especially through mass media has been the most delusional act ever done on the grounds of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-representation-of-women-in-the-society-especially-through-mass/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [To awaken chivalry we must return to femininity. We must stop doing the masculine things and become the gentle, tender, dependent women we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-andelin/to-awaken-chivalry-we-must-return-to-femininity-we-must-stop-doing/) [Helen Andelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-andelin/) > [I am holding on to every shred of femininity that I can with heels and dresses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/i-am-holding-on-to-every-shred-of-femininity-that-i-can-with-heels/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [I have a muscular build and I've learned to embrace that because it's makes me strong, giving me speed and power on the ice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/i-have-a-muscular-build-and-i-ve-learned-to-embrace-that-because-it-s/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [A woman has so many facets, and when you create an image, you have to play with all the different moments of your femininity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/a-woman-has-so-many-facets-and-when-you-create-an-image-you-have-to/) [Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/) > [It would not be going too far to assert that ... conflict confronts every woman who ventures upon a career of her own and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-horney/it-would-not-be-going-too-far-to-assert-that-conflict-confronts-every/) [Karen Horney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-horney/) > [... the majority of colored men do not yet think it worth while that women aspire to higher education… The three R's, a littlemusic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-julia-cooper/the-majority-of-colored-men-do-not-yet-think-it-worth-while-that/) [Anna Julia Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-julia-cooper/) > [“Inside every woman, is a crazy girl. And we all know what I'm talking about. That part of you that is entangled with insecurities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/inside-every-woman-is-a-crazy-girl-and-we-all-know-what-i-m-talking/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [I recognised that femininity and strength are not mutually exclusive, and I think that femininity has often been equated with weakness, but we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-caro/i-recognised-that-femininity-and-strength-are-not-mutually-exclusive/) [Niki Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-caro/) > [“A woman is like a universe; there are many things that even she still needs to discover about herself. Men on the other hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/a-woman-is-like-a-universe-there-are-many-things-that-even-she-still/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [God gave women intuition and femininity. Used properly, the combination easily jumbles the brain of any man I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farrah-fawcett/god-gave-women-intuition-and-femininity-used-properly-the-combination/) [Farrah Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farrah-fawcett/) > [My mother taught us that ambition is part of femininity and really taught us to have substance but also style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/my-mother-taught-us-that-ambition-is-part-of-femininity-and-really/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [I tend to like strong female characters. It just interests me dramatically. A strong male character isn't interesting because it has been done and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-tend-to-like-strong-female-characters-it-just-interests-me/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) [Browse all 446 Femininity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/femininity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The greatest barrier preventing us from fully challenging sexism is the pervasive antifeminine sentiment that runs wild in both the straight and queer communities, targeting people of all genders and sexualities. The only realistic way to address this issue is to work toward empowering femininity itself. We must rightly recognize that feminine expression is strong, daring, and brave - that it is powerful - and not in an enchanting, enticing, or supernatural sort of way, but in a tangible, practical way that facilitates openness, creativity, and honest expression. 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