Recently- in light of events that have been occurring across the globe- I have
been more aware of my privilege than ever before. Like so many, from social media I
have seen the scale of protests that have been happening as a result of injustices in
various countries: the most noted being the racial discrimination apparent in the US due to the Mike Brown, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner cases which have sparked
such trends as #Justice4MikeBrown, #BlackLivesMatter and #ICantBreathe (if you
are not fully aware of what's been going on please read articles such as: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/11/us/police-slayings-reaction-roundup/
or explore the hash tags on social media especially on Tumblr and Twitter).
Watching
these protests from afar and being involved in the social spread of these
incidents have reminded me of how the fact that I'm white,
heterosexual and cis-gender protects me. However, I have also felt unnerved by
why these traits give me a sense of security. When discussing this with my
family, I told them "My privilege protects me; but it doesn't comfort
me" in which a relative replied "Of course it comforts you"
which I realised is true to some extent when I look at their definition of
"comfort". It is obvious that I would be comforted by the fact that
when I dress in the clothes I wish to wear, I will not have the life beaten out
of me in a dark alley; when I kiss the person I love in public, I
won't have people shout at me that "I will burn in hell" or that
"my love is f*cking disgusting"; and that when I walk down the street
I will not be afraid of a police officer aiming six 'warning' shots at my
heart. Of course it is a comfort to know that in most circumstances my
appearance and identity will not lead to hatred from those who feel that they
are superior to me.
But
then again, the thought that some people who do choose to express themselves, love
who they want or simply show the colour of their skin in daylight will be met
with unjustifiable violence and abuse does make me uncomfortable- more so
disgusted and astounded. To think that simply just because of traits I was born
with, I am rewarded with a blanket of security. I am meant to be grateful for
this yet how can I display my thanks when I have to watch others being punished
for the traits they were born with? I find it shocking that my 'privilege' is
something which by law should be basic human rights. I find it scary that we
were born into this hierarchy set up through years of 'norms' and 'traditions'
with no valid reasons being able to pardon it.
So how
does my privilege make me feel? I feel sheltered , comforted and safe yet
disgusted, unnerved and scared at the same time. I guess that the only way I
can feel more at ease is if I use this immunity to amplify voices of those
burdened by societal bullies and to show that I do not believe that the socially
constructed supremacy linked with my looks and preferences should be supported
or encouraged in any way. I guess my privilege both protects me and frightens
me.
Fozz.
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| http://celestialallegorist.tumblr.com/post/100838670244 |
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