The Ultimate Backpack: Unpacking your own Male Privilege

Turtle · 03-08-2011, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by Turtle
A person may do different things with privilege - and the power that goes with it - some of may favorites being:

Notice it - be aware that you are being given undeserved benefits.

do you mean underserved as in no one should have those benefits or undeserved in that everyone should have the same benefits?
I mean that the person being given the privilege did do anything to deserve the benefit. as in being given the job because I'm blond and the boss likes blondes.

Share it....and give it away - when you have a place at the privilege table, ask for other opinions, ask that the group recruit POC, Queer, female, youth etc. board members, employees, or whatever.

i would ask you the same question i asked linus...how do you give it away? you can't force those who are giving you the benefit to transfer it to someone else. if you request places at the table for others, it doesn't ensure it will happen. in a perfect world, you could ask for those things and be given them, with the thoughtless person who didn't include the others in the first place slapping their head and learning from the experience. not to say it couldn't happen..it certainly could. can you give me some real world examples of how i can use the new privilege i have to help others?

Nope, there are no guarantees and we should try. When given the opportunity to speak in front of a group one can give the opportunity to someone with another voice - say, "Thank you very much and Ms. So&So can speak to that much better than I could." or This board is made up of car driving people, howcould we know if the bus schedule is working? We need to ask bus riders." Some thingsare easier (heard & seen more readily) than others. Inviting bus riders to a bus scheduling meeting will fly quicker than lots of other situations I might think of.

And I think that the thread is exploring male privilege. I will identify trans or butch depending on the point or depth of the discussion and the person I am talking with. For me it is too long a discussion for here and now, but I choose not to take T or have surgery. I wear my hair very short and cut my sideburns off square, so approached from the back, I get called "sir" on a regular basis. I also have a soft face, large chest, and my voice will be the end of that most of the time - so I don't pass. And I am well aware of how dangerous it can be for a transman to go into a public mens room AND there are many, many privileges to being male in this society. And it's fucking complicated. AND there probably some things a transguy ought not say in a room full of lesbians if he doesn't want to tick off folks, some of whom may never speak to him again.

It's all about assumptions - people thinking we know what someone else is about because of a word, a sentence, clothes, a beard, a turban, etc. - without having the discussion. And sometimes it gets old saying that no, I don't think that cuz I look like this. And when we talk about it and share ideas I learn new ways to think about things. I am very greatful for the people who have shown me others ways to be...and especially to those who don't shed blood while doing it.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

03-08-2011, 03:11 AM	#22
Turtle Senior Member How Do You Identify?: A mixity Preferred Pronoun?: whatever Relationship Status: chillin Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: in a really really cute little place Posts: 2,144 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,442 Thanked 4,528 Times in 1,220 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Originally Posted by Turtle A person may do different things with privilege - and the power that goes with it - some of may favorites being: Notice it - be aware that you are being given undeserved benefits. do you mean underserved as in no one should have those benefits or undeserved in that everyone should have the same benefits? I mean that the person being given the privilege did do anything to deserve the benefit. as in being given the job because I'm blond and the boss likes blondes. Share it....and give it away - when you have a place at the privilege table, ask for other opinions, ask that the group recruit POC, Queer, female, youth etc. board members, employees, or whatever. i would ask you the same question i asked linus...how do you give it away? you can't force those who are giving you the benefit to transfer it to someone else. if you request places at the table for others, it doesn't ensure it will happen. in a perfect world, you could ask for those things and be given them, with the thoughtless person who didn't include the others in the first place slapping their head and learning from the experience. not to say it couldn't happen..it certainly could. can you give me some real world examples of how i can use the new privilege i have to help others? Nope, there are no guarantees and we should try. When given the opportunity to speak in front of a group one can give the opportunity to someone with another voice - say, "Thank you very much and Ms. So&So can speak to that much better than I could." or This board is made up of car driving people, howcould we know if the bus schedule is working? We need to ask bus riders." Some thingsare easier (heard & seen more readily) than others. Inviting bus riders to a bus scheduling meeting will fly quicker than lots of other situations I might think of. And I think that the thread is exploring male privilege. I will identify trans or butch depending on the point or depth of the discussion and the person I am talking with. For me it is too long a discussion for here and now, but I choose not to take T or have surgery. I wear my hair very short and cut my sideburns off square, so approached from the back, I get called "sir" on a regular basis. I also have a soft face, large chest, and my voice will be the end of that most of the time - so I don't pass. And I am well aware of how dangerous it can be for a transman to go into a public mens room AND there are many, many privileges to being male in this society. And it's fucking complicated. AND there probably some things a transguy ought not say in a room full of lesbians if he doesn't want to tick off folks, some of whom may never speak to him again. It's all about assumptions - people thinking we know what someone else is about because of a word, a sentence, clothes, a beard, a turban, etc. - without having the discussion. And sometimes it gets old saying that no, I don't think that cuz I look like this. And when we talk about it and share ideas I learn new ways to think about things. I am very greatful for the people who have shown me others ways to be...and especially to those who don't shed blood while doing it.