Discrimination vs. Discriminating

I'm sure people can tell that I try to be as open minded as possible about things and I like to think I try my best now to be accepting and as non-prejudice as possible. This could possibly be because I'm a member of a large variety of groups who are stereotyped, and hated.

I identify as female, I'm Chinese and I'm pretty gay. (I'm getting better at saying that word now see?)

I mean the most discrimination I face from day to day is because I'm female. But that's mostly from my family- which is kinda sad actually but anyways. I didn't really realize it until my prof mentioned it in my women studies class last week how completely divided the groups of the oppressed were. I mean in the end we're all fighting for the rights to live in society as who we are. And our suppressors are mostly of the same origin as well.

I don't want to sound accusatory when I say the adult white males of society. But honestly that's really where most suppressors originate from. I'm not turning in the typical feminist when I say patriarchy- I'm saying it because it's the freakin' truth. Our society runs on the societal cultural norms created by European- white- patriarchal society. And the only reason this idea has become such an issue that mostly receives snorts and eye rolls is because those white male suppressors who hold most of the powerful positions in societal make it seems eye-rolling necessary. It makes it seem completely ridiculous and is a notion that should be regarded with only exasperation. It's what they want, and they succeed every day.

Anyways, with oppressed populations of the people divided and in various cases against each other it's no wonder it takes such a longer time for things to be changed and dealt with. As the saying goes divide and conquer, and in the case of all the different kind of human rights in the world we need to be united in order for things to change quicker and for the better.

I get it though. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you're not sexist, or racist and the same can be definitely said about the others. But if you think about it for people like me in which you're a member of more than just one oppressed group, it's kind of puzzling why one earth you're fighting for rights for only one aspect of who you are.

On one hand you're fighting for equal rights in the workplace for men and women, the next you're doing it again for non-Caucasians and then you're doing it again and again. It's the same with various areas that people fight for equity and equality for. It happened with interracial marriage and now it's happening with same-sex marriage. I mean even if it were reversed and same-sex marriage was accepted and interracial wasn't things would be no different if you were in an interracial same--sex relationship.

Doesn't it just make so much more sense if people were to put aside their differences and strive for a goal they all want? Just because you may not be included in a certain group of people doesn't mean you shouldn't care about them. They're still people and they still have rights, freedoms and feelings. Isn't that enough to grant them the equal rights that everyone wants?

No Offense vs. Offended

And here I thought the biggest problem I would face were homophobes and those of the ignorant invisible privileged. Turns out I was half right.

Instead I find myself ambushed by some racist chick in my social stratification class. I didn't understand half of the things she said. The things she were saying were either incredibly ignorant, racist or off topic or made absolutely no sense in like a grammatical way.

I think I blinked and stared at her stuck between indignation, shock and confusion as she continued talking.

And really? If you have to say "no offense" when you start a sentence, my immediate response is to be ready to be offended.

And if you think Chinese and Japanese people shouldn't be allowed in Canada, let me tell you something you little bitch. I'm pretty sure those Aboriginals you were badmouthing a couple minutes before me don't think white people should be allowed on their land either.

Also? They're called residential schools, not "native school" whatever the hell that is. And you know what happened in those places, horrible, horrible things.

I just...

ARGH, I'm so frustrated. I wanted to beat her head into the table.