Is "being able to pass for the majority whenever one wishes" the same thing as "being in the majority?"
I've been thinking about this, too, coming at it from a different direction. I was thinking about my own areas of privilege, not least that I can pass as Christian. There are times since I left Christianity that I used my knowledge to convince someone that I am Christian and therefore moral. I haven't done that in years, and am disgusted with myself for ever having done so, but would I again if I had to? I want to say no, but...
And yet, I'm not a Christian. I'm bisexual and currently involved with men, so I can pass for straight, but that doesn't make me straight. But if I let myself consistently pass for straight, or Christian, especially if I silently countenance or participate in homophobia or religious bigotry, that would make me a dreadful hypocrite.
In general, would being "a minority who can pretend not to be" get one shit from other minorities folks without that superpower?
I think it often does, at least in my experience. This has been a lot of the criticism I've heard of bisexuals by gay and lesbian people, of light-skinned Black people and mixed-race people by other Black people.
And with that I really should go get some damn work done. :)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-02-11 03:34 pm (UTC)Too late, I guess. :)
Is "being able to pass for the majority whenever one wishes" the same thing as "being in the majority?"
I've been thinking about this, too, coming at it from a different direction. I was thinking about my own areas of privilege, not least that I can pass as Christian. There are times since I left Christianity that I used my knowledge to convince someone that I am Christian and therefore moral. I haven't done that in years, and am disgusted with myself for ever having done so, but would I again if I had to? I want to say no, but...
And yet, I'm not a Christian. I'm bisexual and currently involved with men, so I can pass for straight, but that doesn't make me straight. But if I let myself consistently pass for straight, or Christian, especially if I silently countenance or participate in homophobia or religious bigotry, that would make me a dreadful hypocrite.
In general, would being "a minority who can pretend not to be" get one shit from other minorities folks without that superpower?
I think it often does, at least in my experience. This has been a lot of the criticism I've heard of bisexuals by gay and lesbian people, of light-skinned Black people and mixed-race people by other Black people.
And with that I really should go get some damn work done. :)