Bigotry is never ok, stop pretending it is

It took me a long, long time to see my white privilege but when I did, I saw it EVERYWHERE

For the longest time, I didn’t really understand what people meant by white privilege. I mean, I knew it was out there but didn’t see how I benefitted from it. A lot of that was because my childhood was super crappy so I assumed that negated any privilege I had experienced.

I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island. I went to the Three Village Central School District. I learned how to play tennis at the Three Village Tennis Club. I have never been followed around a store, detained by the police, or pulled over because of the color of my skin or my religion. When I was kicked out of Harry Winston (luxury jeweler) because I was accusing them of supporting genocide I was irate. My inner Karen was all, I made an appointment! There’s no reason to be rude!

I often think I am less a fully formed person and more a sack of insecurities and idiosyncrasies but I never questioned a sense of entitlement I have that makes me ask for the manager. Not all of that is bad. I don’t think because I belong somewhere, that someone else does not, and sometimes, you do need to stick up for yourself. The problem is our society spends a lot more time than white people like to think telling large swaths of the population that they don’t belong, they aren’t good enough, and they should be quiet.

Dear white, cis, straight people: Stop thinking you can dictate how others live and express themselves

As a white, cis, straight woman I feel I can opine on this. During the Black Lives Matter protests, someone I have known since I was a child posted this on their Facebook wall with an image of a protest:

We’ll treat you like humans when you act like humans.

I am still reeling from that comment. What the actual fuck? Along with that ridiculous comment, I heard a lot of, “They’d get their point across better if they…(kept quiet, were more respectful, protested the right way)” This year, the refrain has moved from Black Americans to trans Americans. Over on NextDoor, I read a lot of posts from people who are convinced…