Wait, what?

racismschool:

After the success of the Racism 101: A comprehensive Guide for 2012 post, it seemed fitting that there be a follow up for 2013. 

8 things every good racist/non-racist should know

Enjoy!

1. Racism is not fun-If you find yourself wanting to be a part of the “I’ve experienced racism” conversation, you should really re-evaluate your own life choices. If your “Experience” with racism is a single item that you are able to pinpoint, you are living a life of luxury. Racism is not fashionable, easy or something any of us (Who have to live with it daily) want. If you find yourself WANTING to be able to say that you experience racism, you should question your own thinking. Starting now.

2. Human beings can hold two opposing view points-You can have a Black friend AND be racist against Black people. You can be married to a Latino AND be racist against Latin@s. Believing that your friend, family member or the person you are dating/married to is somehow “Different than” or “Not like” the others, is an absolutely racist thought to have. Equally, if you believe that having a friend, family member or significant other who is of the race you hold such ignorant feelings towards somehow makes you “Not racist,”see below…

3. Your “Friend” proves my point, not yours-When you’ve been accused of being a racist, announcing that you have a “Black Friend” proves that you are in fact, a racist. Non-racists would never use their friends to justify their racism. Non-racists also wouldn’t feel the need to catagorize their friends by race. Non-racists would not be capable of seeing their “Black Friend” as a “Get out of being called a racist” card. These actions are racist. Only a racist is capable of acting in this manner.

4. The internet is not racist-If you find yourself saying anything along the lines of “If you don’t like racism, get off the internet,” you are, quite frankly, not very bright. It is people who make racist comments and put them on the internet. In order for “Getting off the internet” to equal “Not having to deal with racism,” each and every racist person on the internet would have to magically disappear from Earth when a person logged off. 

5. Comedy does not trump racism-Calling the racist thing you’ve just said, “A joke” doesn’t make it any less racist. Even if you and all of your friends think it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard. It doesn’t stop anyone from being hurt and it doesn’t eliminate your role in hurting people. Racism is wrong. Even when you label it “Comedy.” (Note: No one should ever have to remind you that racism is wrong)

6. Satire isn’t racist-The rule is, “Satire goes up.” The entire purpose of satire is to make fun of those at the top. Racist “Jokes” are the farthest thing from satire as anyone could get. Calling the racist thing you just said, “Satire” proves that A) You have no idea what satire is and B) you are living under the false notion that people laughing at something cruel, takes the cruelty away.

7. It’s presentation over blood 100% of the time- Whether you are 1/16th brown, ½ brown or all the way brown, if you present as white, you are going to be treated as such. This isn’t about fault or blame. However, if you find yourself starting to claim that you don’t have white passing privilege because your Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandmother was brown, you have failed and fallen into a racist justification wormhole. Climb out. (Note: This may be USA specific. I don’t know how accurate this may be in other countries)

8. “My experiences are just as valid.”-This is an accurate statement. Your experiences are valid. The problem is not that they are “Invalid” it’s that when you use your experiences to either A) Say that you deal with things too so I should just stop whining or B) That it is okay to talk OVER my experience because you have also lived through something, you are acting in an inexcusable manner. Also, stop saying “Oppression Olympics.” The person suffering the most DOES matter. However, this also does not allow for over talking. (Seriously though, let’s get rid of the term “Oppression Olympics” altogether, mkay? You are using it incorrectly anyway.)

(via stfu-moffat)

shiphassailed:

3littledictators:

shiphassailed:

mens rights activists

What, men can’t defend their rights like women?

Sexist. 

men don’t need activists to defend their rights - they are the dominant gender class in society, they enjoy male privilege in each and every aspect of their lives, their maleness is nothing but a boon and a benefit to them, and any challenges that they face are the results of forces entirely outside of that maleness

men don’t face systematic oppression based on their gender - all of the pieces of evidence that men’s rights activists point to as indicative of misandry or the oppression of men (like the preference for women in child custody cases, for one example) are in fact results of the patriarchy and of the systematic oppression of women

as a result, the concept of gender equality - the point of feminism or of any movement aimed at equalizing men and women in society - speaks to issues such as ending the assumption that women should be child-rearers instead of men and thus this concept of “men’s rights activism” is completely unnecessary and counterproductive considering men’s continuing social and cultural dominance

in reality, “men’s rights activism” is the refuge of sexists and misogynists who are panicking as they see their dominance and ability to effectively oppress women unchecked slipping from “utterly absolute” down to “solidly comfortable” and trying to clutch like children throwing temper tantrums at that place of unequivocal privilege in society that once seemed absolutely untouchable and guaranteed to them forever

stupid

(Source: graceebooks, via kingchips)

stfu-moffat:

theuntitledmag:

[Image Description: A twitter conversation between lizzie c and British feminist writer Caitlin Moran:
lizzie c: “what a surprise @caitlinmoran loves lena dunham. white feminists who ignore the experiences of WOCs have got to stick together guys!!!”
Caitlin Moran: “@lizziecoan THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT”
lizzie c: “@caitlinmoran did you address the complete and utter lack of people of colour in girls in your interview? i sure hope so!”
Caitlin Moran: “@lizziecoan Nope. I literally couldn’t give a shit aboutit.”]

pink-slip:

mimisot:

lzzzbth:

yeah

so

caitlin moran legitmately just told me that she could not give a shit about the representation of WOC. SHE JUST SAID THOSE EXACT WORDS. as one of the most prominent feminists in the UK today, her particular brand of white middle class feminism is THE FUCKING PITS AND I HATE HER. please excuse my rage but CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS.

her book is called ‘how to be a woman’. HOW TO BE A FUCKING WOMAN.

can i not be a woman if i think representation of WOC in modern media is really important? more important than the representation of white women?

fuckkkkk her

ugh!

in which caitlin moran reaffirms her status as an arsehole

Reblogging here because I think it’s important to address ‘white feminists’. White feminists like Caitlin Moran and Amanda Abbington support men in power like Steven Moffat while ignoring important aspects of modern feminism such as intersectionality and representation. It’s no wonder they don’t call people like Moffat out on their issues when they don’t see them themselves. Women of colour and trans women are ALL WOMEN and should be addressed in terms of feminism and representation.

- SH

aboutmaleprivilege:

(Heterosexual) male privilege is talking about how bad it is to have a gay man incessantly hit on you when you aren’t interested, having it accepted as a common opinion, and still not understand how a woman can feel the same way when you do the same thing.

Male privilege is telling women on the street - who you’ve never met before - to smile, and then acting offended when they don’t.

Male privilege is describing women being cautious about sexual assault as “misandry”, then, in another situation, blaming a victim for (apparently) not being cautious enough.

Male privilege is making jokes about women and using women’s offended responses as proof that they’re “overly sensitive” or “melodramatic”, then using women making jokes about men as proof that women are “callous” and “bitchy”.

Male privilege is being offended at being called sexist, but making fun of women who are offended at actual sexism.

Male privilege is complaining when women don’t reward treating them with basic dignity with sex. Male privilege is thinking you “deserve” or are “owed” a woman. Male privilege is treating friendships with women as failed conquests. Male privilege is putting the blame on women for not wanting to date you, instead of accepting that dating is not a one-sided thing. (In regards to “the friend zone”).

Male privilege is thinking that when you’re hired instead of a woman, it’s because you’re more qualified, but when a woman is hired instead of you, it’s affirmative action or she slept with them.

Male privilege is thinking you’re entitled to make comments about women’s bodies and clothes whenever you please, and then telling women they should feel flattered by this.

Male privilege is thinking consciption is a valid proof of “misandry” when the last conscripted soldier left the US army in 1973 and the UK army in 1963, and when more women are killed in their homes by their male partners every year than male soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq put together.

Male privilege is calling all nerdy women “fakers” and making them “prove” they’re nerds with questions, while doing no such thing for male nerds.

Male privilege is assuming everyone is male until proven otherwise, and also recieving little to no criticism for doing so.

Male privilege is expecting the lead in any film or TV series to be the same gender as you, and being correct almost every single time. (Seriously - how many movies not SPECIFICALLY aimed at women have female leads? How many movies not SPECIFICALLY amed at men have male leads?)

Male privilege is having your country leader and the majority of the legislative body be the same gender as you, and have your gender’s interests in mind.

Male privilege is having bodily autonomy.

(Cis) male privilege is not having to worry about visiting foreign countries because you know how poorly they treat your gender there.

Male privilege is having no risk presented to your career if you choose to start a family.

Male privilege is acting like women having maternity leaves is biological fact without realising that (aside from the birth) men can stay home and look after the newborn baby just fine - you just assume that the woman has to do it.

Male privilege is walking around in summer with just shorts on, but criticising any woman who’d do the same (… even if she’s still wearing more than you!).

Male privilege is sleeping with whomever you like, but calling any woman who does the same (even if she does so less than you) a “whore” who “has no self-respect”.

Male privilege is expecting to be just as, or even more, desirable because you’re sexually active/experienced, yet considering any woman who’s done the same “worthless”, “disgusting” or “cheap”.

Male privilege is ogling, touching or making unsolicited sexual advances at women and saying you “can’t help it” and “men are naturally like that”, then saying that it’s misandry when women agree that all men just “can’t help themselves” and “are naturally like that”.

Male privilege is thinking “being respectful and decent to a woman” is synonymous with “chivalry”… male privilege is not doing the former in order to “get back at feminists” who say the latter is misogynistic.

(Source: all-about-male-privilege, via laughterbynight)

misssynph:

strugglingtobeheard:

cosmicrubric:

youarenotyou:

I’ve been seeing an awful lot of tone policing on my dash lately. It seems a lot of people don’t really understand why someone would respond aggressively or angrily, or otherwise emotionally, to having something really fucked up/hurtful/oppressive said to them. Or, they think it’s counterproductive to respond in that way.

First off, the reason that people may respond in a “harsh” manner to oppression: Living in a world that reminds you daily of your lesser worth as a human being can make a person very tired and emotional. When someone says something oppressive — that can be a racist slur, an ableist stereotype, a misogynist dismissal, an invalidation of identity/experiences, being asked invasive and entitled questions, and so on – it feels like being slapped in the face, to the person on the receiving end. The automatic response is emotion and pain. It’s quite exhausting and difficult to restrain the resulting anger. And, frankly, it’s cruel and ridiculous to expect a person to be calm and polite in response to an act of oppression. Marginalized people often do not have the luxury of emotionally distancing themselves from discussions on their rights and experiences. 

Second, tone policing is the ultimate derailing tactic. When you tone police, you automatically shift the focus of the conversation away from what you or someone else did that was wrong, and onto the other person and their reaction. Tone policing is a way of not taking responsibility for fucking up, and it dismisses the other person’s position by framing it as being emotional and therefore irrational. The conflation of emotionality with irrationality is often used to silence women and people who are read as women, when they are trying to speak about anything at all. It’s also used against all marginalized people when they attempt to speak about their very personal experiences with oppression. But being emotional does not make one’s points any less valid. It’s also important to note that, by tone policing, you not only refuse to examine your own oppressive behavior, but you also can blame that on the other person, because they were not “nice enough” to be listened to or taken seriously.

Third, the implications: Tone policing assumes that the oppressive act is not an act of aggression, when it very much is. The person who was oppressed by the action, suddenly is no longer a victim, but is “victimizing” the other person by calling them out. Now, I’m not saying it’s okay to be abusive, or oppressive in response to a person who fucks up. But anger is valid. Anger is valid, anger is important, anger brings social change, anger makes people listen, anger is threatening, and anger is passion. Anger is NOT counterproductive; being “nice” is counterproductive. Nobody was ever given rights by politely asking for them. Politeness is nothing but a set of behavioral expectations that is enforced upon marginalized people.

If you see someone who is angry and upset about something that was said or done to them, don’t tell them they should be nicer. Instead: Recognize their emotions as valid. Recognize that their emotional state is an indication that something extremely harmful was done to them, whether it was by you, or someone else. Work to understand why the action was oppressive. Take all that energy that you’re wasting being so concerned with how people are responding to their own oppression, and channel it into fighting oppression.  

Relevant because I JUST had this argument on facebook with an acquaintance and of course the chick who I called out in the first place liked the comment. Ugh.

relevant because i was just told to stop being such an angry black woman.

This post is always relevant to me/my blog.

I can police my own tone. I can figure out when I’m about to throttle someone and when I take something too far. And trust me, it’s not where someone else thinks I’m being “too angry” because I go somewhere before I get to that point and do something else. People haven’t seen “too angry” yet from me and chances are, they never will.

When you tell someone that they should calm down about something that angers them or that you’re sorry they’re upset, but you think they should calm down and be nicer to the other person all you’re doing is saying that their pain doesn’t matter to you as much as it should. Trust me, you may think you’re doing a good thing by patting backs across the internet and telling people to calm down or be nicer to the people that perpetuate negative -isms and get away with it, but no. No you’re not.

If the person you’re defending has the right to make me feel like shit (whether or not that was their intention), then I sure as hell have the right to get mad about it. To tell everyone that I can why the person is a big bag of dicks. Because they’re hurting me not you and once someone hurts my feelings/makes me go through anxiety attacks, I don’t really care about hurting their feelings unless we were friends and even then, I have a limit to the patronizing bullshit I’ll put up with from people that are supposed to be my friends.

Everyone else puts their wellbeing above other peoples’ own when they’re making jokes and being an asshole, but when people in minority groups do it because no one else will call out someone for being an awful human being, it’s called being “too angry”…

Tl;DR? Just because you don’t see why certain forms of oppression piss me the hell off to the point where I snap and call people out on tumblr, that doesn’t mean that you can try and police my tone. It’s not your right and it’s really none of your business.

(via queenchips)

thisiswhiteprivilege:

White privilege is being the #1 consumers of welfare, food stamps, general government aid, and illegal drugs, but STILL blaming POC for all of those things as well as incarcerating them at an exponentially higher rate.

(via queenchips)

-Peter Gelderloos, Why Nonviolence Protects the State- Nonviolence is Racist (via fuckyeahradicalquotes)

Not to mention that even harsh words are seen as violent.

(via apihtawikosisan)

(via wrench-wench)

xandgunn:

ai-yo:

I find it sooo damn funny when White people use the whole “it’s historical, you darkies weren’t there” and blah blah blah reason to justify the exclusion of POC from fantasy fiction. Yet when POC have just the one fantasy book, or game about them White people want to inject themselves and find bullshit reason as to why.

Avatar the Last Airbender film had white protags even though the main characters in the series are not white and the world they live in is high fantasy mythical Asia. 

“These characters are Asian”

“Nooooo they are not it says Earthbender not Japanese!!!111”

Yet a POC in something like the Hobbit is just not allowed.

“They could at least have some diverse casting if not in the main cast maybe the supporting hell even in the background”

“Shut up!111!!oneone It takes place in European magic times you darkies werent there”

“Actually there is evidence of Africans and Asian in these places-

“BLAh shut up I like my fantasy whiter than bleach on snow white”

I think the only other times I saw Black people in fantasy medieval europe other than Merlin and Dr Who was in Black Knight with Martin Lawrence (everyone thought he was just a Moor that was visiting from Normandy, France) and Morgan Freeman as a Moor in Robin Hood

 Dragonball Evolution based on Chinese folklore

“This sucks man Goku is Japanese, this is based on Chinese folklore.”

“Goku is not Asian he is Saiyan1!”

“Superman is from Krypton I guess that he can be portrayed by any race too huh?”

“NOOO!!111 Superman is an all American hero!”

And of course Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys was to be made into a film but the producers wanted to remove the mystical elements and have the characters be White instead of Black but Gaiman told them Fuck no.

Earthsea was another book that had a POC main cast and world but was whitewashed in the film adaptation even in the Anime.

The Arkh project features POC in a high fantasy game whenever have you seen that? And with a Black lead hero character that is genderqueer? I mean there are so few Black females in video games to begin with but can anyone name me one that is the lead? All I can think of is Catwoman and Shinobu from No More Heroes 2 and you only get to play as her for a short amount of time then its back to Travis

Yet there were white people upset that there wouldn’t any white characters (there are 2 but very minor.) 

White people have soooooo many fantasy books, films, tv shows, video games based on Europe with White people and even hijack POC fantasy be content with what you have and let us have ours. Bitching like spoiled children, really.

THIS^