All4W/T: How should I have read the paragraph below which to me is a pretty straightforward comparison of homophobia vs. racism? Am I missing something? (I am not being snarky here; I really am confused about how else to understand the statement)."Since racism is still alive and well, it scares me to death to think of how long homophobia will be around..Because while it is utterly unacceptable for people to be prejudice against blacks, hispanics, indians whomever, it is still acceptable to be prejudice against gays and lesbians..By people period."
BTW I cannot find your original post and I don't know if it got lost in a board blip or if you deleted it or if I am blind and slow and am not seeing it. The first post I see is Toni responding and quoting you. But if you did delete it then it makes it harder for me to engage in a dialogue with you about this because I can't go back to read your original post and respond to your comment that I misread what you were saying. If it's still in the thread, please let me know. I know that the above statement of yours in conjunction with some of your original comments about Halle Berry's speech and your argument that racism isn't alive and well in the Academy gave me the impression that you were saying homophobia is a more serious problem than racism. If that is an incorrect take of your words, my bad. I just don't like seeing a Hierarchy of Pain and Oppression set up where various groups fight to be seen as the most victimized and ignore ways we discriminate against one another or hold power and privilege in some areas.
quote:
Im saying its a different type of prejudice, not the same as racism..Have i ever been a victim of racism, no i have not..Does that mean i dont understand what it likes to be discriminated against, no it does not..My intent is not to offend you..It is strictly the way i feel..It doesnt make me a bad person or a racist or insensitve to the struggles of people of color...
I never said you were a bad person or racist or don't understand the pain of discrimination. I was annoyed by your opinions and don't agree. I did put that reaction of mine out there very strongly in my post.
For the record, I happen to think all of us who grew up (or have lived in the United States) for a lengthy period of time have been influenced by the biases and oppressions that make up the foundation of how this country is run and how it makes it profits. I don't know you but I like to think (and do think unless proven otherwise) that your intent is not to offend me and that you believe discrimination is wrong. However, I disagree that discrimination is discrimination. Unfortunately, I think things are a lot more complicated than that. Just because I have experienced homophobia and/or racism and/or sexism doesn't mean that I can automatically can translate *my* experience onto what it is like to be discriminated against because you are transgender or grew up poor. This doesn't mean that I cannot educate myself about those particular struggles. That is my responsibility to do so. I don't always do it gracefully or successfully or at all (I've been defensive and belligerent) and I've screwed up along the way, but I try as hard as I can to recognize where I have privilege and how that may impact the lens through which I view the world -- and how it affects others in my community and how *I* have discriminated against others. I think it will be a life's work and struggle. We can all resonate with the *feelings* of being discriminated against, but I think we all need to go further than that to undo the various forms of oppression which have hurt us individually and collectively.
Case in point: there are queer people on this board (and off) who have dismissed Halle Berry's speech and found it too race-centric. There are white feminist woman who have said similar things (off this board). Yes, I am personally really troubled by those sentiments and reactions. No, I will definitely not change anyone's mind about this.
And so, I don't want to derail this thread off the topic of the Oscars too much as this feels like an exercise in futility. It was upsetting to me to see some of the reactions to Halle Berry's win because it felt dismissive to me of the complex realities of racism and how it functions in Hollywood and the Real World. That's why I spoke up in the first place. Frankly I am now at the point where all my buttons are being pushed and I feel like it's pointless (and probably irritating for others) for me to go on and on about my beliefs about this matter and about racism. I am starting to feel like I am getting way too didactic for my liking, so I am taking a break from this thread. And bringing out that old "agree to disagree" clause.
EDITED TO ADD
I came back and edited this post several times to make it clearer and more on-topic with Berry/Oscars. Just an FYI.
[This message has been edited by judy (edited March 27, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by judy (edited March 27, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by judy (edited March 27, 2002).]