Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Trivializing the Struggles of Marginalized Groups: Why I am sick of straight pride and white history month.

I am tired of hearing people especially privileged people say things like straight pride or it’s okay to be white. I am not saying there is anything wrong with being white or straight or having privilege as I understand there is nothing people do that makes them privileged. It is not something people have control over.  For a person to state things like this, they have to have a fundamental misunderstanding of the world and why marginalized groups saying things like gay pride or black lives matter. I remember once when I posted black and proud, a white guy I knew responded, “can I be white and proud?” This is a total misunderstanding  of why I might say something like black and proud. The statement comes out of a place of oppression. It comes from all the negativity that being black has been made into. It is a response to a society that criminalizes me for having dark skin, kinky hair, and distinctly black features and refuses to celebrate my beauty. While it is true you can say, white and proud or white lives matter, that misconstrues why these things are being said. They are coming in a response to a world where it is not good to be black therefore why would you be proud of it and where black lives don’t matter. My point is rather than being an annoying person who doesn’t recognize their privilege in society. Realize that the reason that saying you are black and proud is okay or white and proud, because our society oppresses black people. The reason that lgbtq pride is ok and not straight pride is because our society oppresses the lgbtq community. Trans women are killed just for being transgender. Black people are murdered just for being black. They are made to feel ashamed of the skin they are in. So please no Why isn’t there white history month or why aren’t their straight pride parades? Because you are not affirming your own dignity in the response to an oppressive system that dehumanizes you for simply existing.s

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