Racist, Sexist, and Homophobic

[jimhines]

I posted Monday about the “Writing the Other” panel at Millennicon.  Today I wanted to address one of the comments.  Jim Van Pelt (whose writing I love, by the way - check it out) described an academic panel in which the moderator opened by saying, “If you are white, male and straight in America, you are also, automatically racist, sexist and

Comments

[saetter]

"Walking down the street, if I see a group of teenagers coming toward me, I automatically assess them as more of a potential threat if they’re black."
Are you judging them as a threat because of their dress and general attitude or because of their skin color?

If I see a pack of teenagers sloppily dressed walking with agressive swaggers, I steer clear whether they're white, black, yellow, purple, or rainbow.

Just wondering if you should reassess the "I'm racist" label based on your example. :) If a well-dressed black man approaching makes you nervous, then maybe the label fits, but a gang of teenagers is almost always bad news no matter what shade their skin.

[jimhines]

Both. Pack of aggressive kids will raise my alertness level in general. Especially if they're on my lawn. Darn kids.

However, race is also a factor, all else being equal.

A major factor? Not really. But the fact that it makes a difference at all...

[kiri_moth]

I wanted to comment on this point, because I find myself frequently stereotyping people based on clothing as you've suggested. Well-dressed man on the subway in a suit and tie, regardless of race = safe. Dressed like a thug = probably not safe.

But it occurred to me that this general idea of 'thug' and 'gangsta' clothing, regardless of what race might be wearing them, is based largely on non-caucasian gang clothing styles. So isn't that just saying, well I'm also afraid of a white guy if he's dressed like he's black/Hispanic/etc? And I'm okay with a black guy as long he dresses like he's white?

Because when I looked at myself honestly I realized it was still racist.

[fantasyecho]

I steer clear whether they're white, black, yellow, purple, or rainbow

Please don't say that. Real people do not come in colours like purple or rainbow. When you make up fake skin colours, you're essentially erasing the fact that people do come in different colours other than white, and that's still prejudicial. I know you're probably just trying to say you 'don't see colour' and something like 'it's the person who counts,' but it just comes off incredibly patronizing and trivializing of race.

[raecarson]

Thanks, Jim. I, too, am racist, sexist, and homophobic (yep, girls can be sexist, too). Less than I used to be, and more so than I will be in a few years, I hope.

[jimhines]

"Less than I used to be, and more so than I will be in a few years, I hope."

Amen to that! And thank you.

[cathschaffstump]

There is everything good to say for owning your psychology of self. We are all mixtures of strengths and insecurities, and the only way we can work on our insecurities is to acknowledge that they need work.

I expect you'll continue to lead by example.

Catherine

[mastadge]

But you are aware of it and not okay with it, and that is where you win

[jimhines]

I'm trying to keep up with comments here and on my other blog. I'm going to cheat and steal what I said over there :-)

"I’m not completely comfortable with the absolute statement of “If you are ____, then you are automatically racist/sexist/homophobic.” I do feel it’s true in my case, and I suspect most of us do struggle with this stuff, but am I in a position to judge/convict all white American men? I think I see what you mean about Original Sin with this one, and I can say it’s not a judgment I’d be willing to state in such absolutes."

But, being privileged doesn't make you a bad person.

Agreed. Like I said, I consider myself a pretty good person overall. (Egotistical, yes ... but a good person.)

[defectivewookie]

Thank you for posting this. As a fellow straight white man, these are issues that I struggle with. I too have noticed a gut reaction to situations of race, sexuality, and gender difference that made me upset with myself. I work on trying to understand those impulses in an attempt to give them less control over my reactions.

However, I've never thought of just stating, outright, that I am sexist, racist, or homophobic. Putting it out there, on those terms, just never occurred to me. Reading what you had to say caused a kind of epiphany; you clearly are not proud of any of these things, so owning them is a way to move forward. If more of us were willing to do so, the dialog would become more productive.

Like you I am sexist, I am racist, I am homophobic. I do not wish to continue to be any of these things, and they make me ashamed. Thanks for putting this out in the public sphere. I'm with you, and I hope this does a lot of good.

[jimhines]

Thank you. There's comfort in knowing I'm not alone in struggling with this stuff.