Quiz
Please add to this list and/or help us refine the things on it.
Pira and I had a lot of cathartic fun making it, but it is 2 am and it is far from perfect or complete.
Are You Racist?
If you answer yes to any of these questions you are racist.
1) Do you quote Dr. Martin Luther King to prove you aren’t racist?
2) Are you a white queer person who uses “on the back of the bus” as a metaphor for queer struggles?
3) Are you a white middle aged activist who proves your activist credentials to younger activists by saying “I marched with Dr. King in Washington” with the implication that this proves that you have given your whole life to nonviolent struggles?
4) Are you a white queer person who makes metaphors out of the civil rights movement that imply that racism is over and now it is “our turn” (with the implication that there are no queer people of color)?
5) Do you start sentences with “I’m not a racist, but…?”
6) Are you a white queer or gender variant person who uses the term Two-Spirit, especially if you don’t know the history and cultural meanings of Two-Spirit?
7) Are you a white queer person who says, “we’ve made a lot of progress in this country, but you know, in some places, like the Middle East, the women have to wear scarves and you can be killed just for being gay”?
8) Do you think that undocumented workers are necessary because they take jobs that no white person would take without ever asking whether any human being deserves to have a job that’s that dangerous, low paid, or shitty?
9) Do you think the U.S. government, descended from pilgrims and mass murderers, who stole parts of Mexico, has any right to tell people from Mexico (or from anywhere else, for that matter) where they’re allowed to go?
10) Do you think Columbus Day is a good holiday? What about Thanksgiving?
11) Are you a white queer person who expects groups run by people of color to always run anti-homophobic programs while your own group runs racist programs?
12) Are you a white person who schedules events without ever checking what other student unions have scheduled for that day and time, and then wonder why people of color never show up to your events?
13) Are you a white person who started a peace group, realized that everyone in it was white, and attempted to “fix” this by recruiting activists of color while never getting involved in the activism they were doing?
14) Are you a white person who believes that it’s other people’s responsibility to teach you about their cultures?
15) Are you a white person who makes flyers for events that are supposed to represent a whole community without ever putting people of color on the flyer?
16) Are you a white person who thinks people of color are “hot” and exotic?
17) Are you a white person trying to save people from their sexist or homophobic cultures?
18) Are you a white queer couple who wants an “ethnic” child?
19) Are you a white person who thinks that because you are in an interracial relationship, that proves you are not racist?
20) Are you a white person who thinks that multiracial people are “the best of both worlds” and will solve all the world’s problems and make racism not exist?
21) Are you person who uses religious or cultural icons for interior decorating?
22) Are you a white person who believes in reverse racism?
23) Are you a white queer person who believes that when people of color point out ongoing racism within the queer movement it is divisive and “hurting the cause”?
25) Are you a white person who thinks that because you answered “no” to all of the above questions that means you are not racist?
Pira and I had a lot of cathartic fun making it, but it is 2 am and it is far from perfect or complete.
Are You Racist?
If you answer yes to any of these questions you are racist.
1) Do you quote Dr. Martin Luther King to prove you aren’t racist?
2) Are you a white queer person who uses “on the back of the bus” as a metaphor for queer struggles?
3) Are you a white middle aged activist who proves your activist credentials to younger activists by saying “I marched with Dr. King in Washington” with the implication that this proves that you have given your whole life to nonviolent struggles?
4) Are you a white queer person who makes metaphors out of the civil rights movement that imply that racism is over and now it is “our turn” (with the implication that there are no queer people of color)?
5) Do you start sentences with “I’m not a racist, but…?”
6) Are you a white queer or gender variant person who uses the term Two-Spirit, especially if you don’t know the history and cultural meanings of Two-Spirit?
7) Are you a white queer person who says, “we’ve made a lot of progress in this country, but you know, in some places, like the Middle East, the women have to wear scarves and you can be killed just for being gay”?
8) Do you think that undocumented workers are necessary because they take jobs that no white person would take without ever asking whether any human being deserves to have a job that’s that dangerous, low paid, or shitty?
9) Do you think the U.S. government, descended from pilgrims and mass murderers, who stole parts of Mexico, has any right to tell people from Mexico (or from anywhere else, for that matter) where they’re allowed to go?
10) Do you think Columbus Day is a good holiday? What about Thanksgiving?
11) Are you a white queer person who expects groups run by people of color to always run anti-homophobic programs while your own group runs racist programs?
12) Are you a white person who schedules events without ever checking what other student unions have scheduled for that day and time, and then wonder why people of color never show up to your events?
13) Are you a white person who started a peace group, realized that everyone in it was white, and attempted to “fix” this by recruiting activists of color while never getting involved in the activism they were doing?
14) Are you a white person who believes that it’s other people’s responsibility to teach you about their cultures?
15) Are you a white person who makes flyers for events that are supposed to represent a whole community without ever putting people of color on the flyer?
16) Are you a white person who thinks people of color are “hot” and exotic?
17) Are you a white person trying to save people from their sexist or homophobic cultures?
18) Are you a white queer couple who wants an “ethnic” child?
19) Are you a white person who thinks that because you are in an interracial relationship, that proves you are not racist?
20) Are you a white person who thinks that multiracial people are “the best of both worlds” and will solve all the world’s problems and make racism not exist?
21) Are you person who uses religious or cultural icons for interior decorating?
22) Are you a white person who believes in reverse racism?
23) Are you a white queer person who believes that when people of color point out ongoing racism within the queer movement it is divisive and “hurting the cause”?
25) Are you a white person who thinks that because you answered “no” to all of the above questions that means you are not racist?