When you've moved on from forgetting to wear pants to buying assless chaps…

[splash_the_cat]

After spending the last few years watching and reading and working on getting my head out of my own ass on issues of racism and privilege, I've started to notice the problematic patterns of behavior by fellow avowed progressive, liberal white people in these imbroglios. Like this pattern that's becoming ever more popular in Race Fail 2009

Comments

[zvi_likes_tv]

OH MY GOD 10 MILLION TIMES YES!

[daveamongus]

I've been meaning to tell you how much I admire the role you've been playing in this whole... thing. Good reading every time, no matter how much I wince in embarrassment at the thing you're often replying to.

I can't claim to be perfect, but I hope to God I have the grace to accept and own up to my errors when pointed out.

[zvi_likes_tv]

I can't claim to be perfect, but I hope to God I have the grace to accept and own up to my errors when pointed out.

Dude, so fucking hard to do! But there's an intrinsic satisfaction to doing the right thing, also! I mean, like, without getting cookies, just your own realization that You Have Behaved Like a Good Person.

Also, thanks.

[splash_the_cat]

But there's an intrinsic satisfaction to doing the right thing, also! I mean, like, without getting cookies, just your own realization that You Have Behaved Like a Good Person.

THAT! I don't know why people insist on getting cookies from everyone else when they can go bake their own. "Hey, I was a good person today, I'm totally making myself cookies!"

Okay, I do know why. BUT STILL.

[crazedturkey]

Oy.

It's the same as everything that bugs me about human discourse.

"I'm not a racist but I think [insert racist statement]"

"[hurtful comment]. I was only joking!"

"I think women are [sexist remark] but the women I know think I'm really tolerant"

NO NO NO NO NO. YOU'VE STILL SAID IT IDIOT!

[splash_the_cat]

Yup. Slapping a description on yourself does not exempt what you actually SAY.

[sugargroupie]

Nothing more to add except A+.

[splash_the_cat]

Thanks.

You know, knowing SF fandom, I'm not at all surprised by the escalating levels of fail in this on the topic, but I'm starting to think one of the reasons they just can't let it go is that they're being called out by lowly media fen they consider SF fandom culture outsiders. Defend "the family" at all costs.

[lavendertook]

Yeah, there is that, definitely. Good calling out.

[splash_the_cat]

Thanks. It's been there all along, but when pnh pulled it out so blatantly... Yeah.

[kejsarinna]

it's like when ppl "don't like gay people" with me in the room, going all "of course i don't mean you, but you know... all these silly gays" WTF? (ok, so i'm bisexual, but still).

as if saying you don't like gays, but that i'm ok, makes it better?

i want to elaborate on my point, but it's 0725 am, i've been up since 6 and my english isn't the best, you will have to excuse me ;)

[splash_the_cat]

No, I get where you're going. :)

There really is a huge lack of empathy involved. I mean, the issues involved in racism and sexism and homophobia are not identical or directly comparative, but you can certainly think about the parallels and realize, "Hey, I know how upset I get when someone does x to me as a gay person, I'll bet that people of color/trans people/disabled people etc. get upset when people do x to them! Maybe I should think about how I interact with other people from that perspective."

[kejsarinna]

yup, you're right ;)