An evolutionary biology professor at Arizona State University is taking a stand for girls everywhere by moving shirts from boys’ clothing section to the girls’ clothing section.
In a viral tweet, Katie Hinde, who specializes in mammal lactation and once had a position as a professor at Harvard University, bragged about moving NASA shirts from the boy’s section to the girl’s section in a store:
Target responded to Hinde’s tweet by informing her that the store does, in fact, offer NASA shirts in the girl’s section:
The action by Hinde has received the praise of liberal news sources, such as Mashable and Bustle, and internet activists on Twitter.
However, in sources such as Forward, it was noted that Hinde’s activism is a form of “white feminism” that causes more work for retail workers.
In a follow-up statement on her blog, Hinde said she “works on inclusivity in academia and science” and is “particularly concerned about the scarcity and disparity of science & science fiction oriented toys, clothes, and outreach for girls.”
Hinde also admitted Target carries NASA shirts for girls, but they weren’t in a location she was expecting (although, she adds, other stores feature the NASA shirts for girls more prominently). She also noted different sayings on the girls’ shirts versus the boys’ shirts, such as “be kind every day” for girls but “always be kind” for boys.
She also addressed concerns around her “white feminism,” saying, “Thank you to the PoC, especially BW, who generously took time yesterday to address the importance of intersectionality in response to my tweet.”
Hinde also took her opposition to her own “white feminism” further by taking the time to address cultural appropriation during her tweetstorm. She criticized one of her supporters for allegedly culturally appropriating the phrase “spirit animal”:
Hinde has since protected her account so people cannot link to her to comment on the controversy.
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