On privilege, and being an ally

[gollygee]

This kind of thing is a great reminder for me. Every so often I get reminded that I'm speaking from a place of privilege, and I've had to check myself, apologize, and learn from the experience and move on. I thought this article really shows how important it is to check privilege and not blame others when you accidentally put your foot in your mouth because of your privilege.

This is just three paragraphs of it. I wish I could paste more! I thought other people might appreciate it too. If you're interested, follow the link and read it.

http://www.southernfriedscience.com/?p=16054

I am going to propose a metaphor. It is necessarily imperfect. On the surface, it may seem to trivialize the issues of oppression and privilege. This is an unfortunate, but unavoidable consequence of the need to use an uncomfortable but uncontroversial situation to frame this issue. I believe this metaphor works, up to a point. It works for people who accept that privilege is real and has influence over the way we experience life. It works for people who recognize their own privilege exists and want to help build a more equitable society. In short, it works for people who want to act as allies.

If you are engaged in the work of being an ally and genuinely believe that addressing issues of oppression and privilege in your community is a worthwhile goal, being called out on your privilege is akin to being informed that your fly is down.

Allow me to explain. Leaving your fly down is embarrassing for you, but, more importantly, it makes those around you uncomfortable. The egregiousness of the offense can vary from relatively innocuous to mortifyingly exposed. Some people may be so upset that they won’t be able to work with you. The longer you leave you fly open, the more upset people will be. And, most importantly, unless you actively check your fly, the only way you know it’s down is if somebody tells you.

[upaloopa]

1. Why do you need a metaphor?

How about posting some verifiable real life instances?