"it was disheartening to read "Sit down and shut up white man, you have nothing to say" when I gave an opinion on Medium"
I completely agree. I'm so tired of hearing this across all of the various, arbitrary divides. Men can't talk about women's issues. White people can't talk about black issues. Non-trans people can't talk about trans i…
"it was disheartening to read "Sit down and shut up white man, you have nothing to say" when I gave an opinion on Medium"
I completely agree. I'm so tired of hearing this across all of the various, arbitrary divides. Men can't talk about women's issues. White people can't talk about black issues. Non-trans people can't talk about trans issues. It's so obviously divisive and stupid. And increasingly, it's not even a divide of identity, it's a divide of opinion. Black people attack other black people with the "wrong" opinions. Women attack women, trans people attack other trans people. I've said it before but it just doesn't stop being true; we need to learn to talk with people who disagree with us without demonising them.
You make a good point about talking in person vs reading online too. Online discourse really sucks the humanity out of people and makes context so much more difficult to appreciate. That's why it takes extra special effort to do it compassionately. As online is the way most of us connect these days, it's effort we all need to make.
Sad to hear about that guy at the whist table though. The issue is what he said, not whether you were there to hear it. The fact that he clearly doesn't appreciate that is disheartening frankly.
"it was disheartening to read "Sit down and shut up white man, you have nothing to say" when I gave an opinion on Medium"
I completely agree. I'm so tired of hearing this across all of the various, arbitrary divides. Men can't talk about women's issues. White people can't talk about black issues. Non-trans people can't talk about trans issues. It's so obviously divisive and stupid. And increasingly, it's not even a divide of identity, it's a divide of opinion. Black people attack other black people with the "wrong" opinions. Women attack women, trans people attack other trans people. I've said it before but it just doesn't stop being true; we need to learn to talk with people who disagree with us without demonising them.
You make a good point about talking in person vs reading online too. Online discourse really sucks the humanity out of people and makes context so much more difficult to appreciate. That's why it takes extra special effort to do it compassionately. As online is the way most of us connect these days, it's effort we all need to make.
Sad to hear about that guy at the whist table though. The issue is what he said, not whether you were there to hear it. The fact that he clearly doesn't appreciate that is disheartening frankly.