Let's Talk about Power and Privilege

With the emotional struggle of Hugo Schwyzer and the rise of hash tag #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen, there has been a lot of chatter this week about power and privilege within the feminist movement. One person challenged feminist bloggers to address this topic in their blogs, so I am attempting to do so. I must say something up front. I am a social worker by training, and this conversation still makes me nervous. I am scared that I will say anything wrong. I am choosing not to let that stop me, and I am open to critiques and comments. If we let fear stop us, then the conversations can never happen. AND this blog is all about starting conversations, whether in the comments section, on Twitter, on Facebook, or in real life.  

So let’s have a conversation about my identities. First, I am Caucasian, which brings me a huge list of deeply ingrained social, economic, and institutional perks, including institutional power, access to social networks, the benefit of the doubt in every situation, a lack of racial profiling, media representation, assumptions about buying power, historical representation, the list goes on. Second, I come from a higher socio-economic status and an educated background, which offers me access to better education, better community services, better food, cleaner (literally) environments, the assumption that I will achieve BIG things, and again access to social networks. I am also heterosexual, which means that I have the right to marry in every state and country, to tax breaks, to mainstream acceptance, to funeral proceedings, to benefits, to safety, and to be seen. Fourth, I am a cis woman, which offers me access to SAFETY, consistent appropriate medical care, again mainstream acceptance, again the right to marry in every state and country, a wide range of supportive employers, media representation, and TO BE SEEN. I am also able-bodied, which gives me access to any building, any room, any public space, to have a voice, to be treated like a capable adult, to be represented in mainstream culture, again access to a wide range of supportive employers, to widespread acceptance, to approval of my sexuality. On top of all of this, I do not have a mental health disorder diagnosis, which offers me affordable insurance rates, a lack of coercive and traumatizing care, acceptance in the medical community, acceptance in media, acceptance in mainstream society, and the assumption that I am, “normal,” which is incredibly powerful. 

Now, this is not a completely comprehensive list of my privilege. I am sure that there are more and more and more things that I could add. I try to recognize this power and use a social justice focus in my blog posts. I try to make them about universal issues, and I have to admit to myself that I cannot always do that. So if you are interested in adding your voice to this blog through guest posts, please let me know. I welcome the broadened conversation.

-          Lauren, privileged blogger trying to start a dialogue