Digital Standpoints: Debating Gendered Violence and Racial Exclusions in the Feminist Counterpublic

In this study, we integrate counterpublic sphere theory and feminist standpoint theory to examine the discursive labor and debates shaped by the hashtags #YesAllWomen and #YesAllWhiteWomen. We identify the most influential users in these hashtags’ networks and critically analyze their tweets. Our findings illustrate how feminist counterpublics use Twitter to produce and progress feminist frames about violence against women while simultaneously engaging in community debates about race and inclusion. Our work illuminates how contemporary feminist discourse continues to reflect historical tensions in feminist movements, and how digital media platforms (and user generated tools like Twitter’s hashtag function) can equip feminist cultural workers with new ways to upend mainstream narratives and elevate conversations within feminist sphere(s).