Angry? Mad as hell and you can't take it anymore? Get something off your chest and it could be published online and/or in print. Bitches are anonymous and may be edited for length, grammar, spelling and our lenient standards of propriety.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Dear straight white men,
If something happens in the world relating to gender, sexuality or race identity that you feel you need to defend yourself against…don't. I'll be the first to say that I have a hard time understanding a lot of the injustice in the world. I sometimes find myself confused about why certain repressed groups/individuals do some of the things they do. Then I realize that the privileges society has automatically given me at birth might not allow me to fully understand, so I check those at the door.
If you find yourself in the same situation I find myself in from time to time, here are five “easy" steps to becoming a better citizen of the world:
1. STFU and soak it all in.
2. Reach out and educate yourself through conversation and research.
3. Go home and think about it, go to work and think about it, go play sports and think about it, go to the movies and think about it, go walk your dog and...(that's right) THINK ABOUT IT!
4. Accept that this movement isn't against you, nor “for you.”
5. Be an ally.
You can be offended that you were sent to the back at a concert, that you don't have a parade, or that you were yelled at for wearing a “meninist” shirt, but always ask yourself why you feel that way and why it made others feel another. It’s about respect, mindfulness, love and equality.
My challenge to you is to always ask yourself, “How can my actions and thoughts be mindful of others while staying true to myself?”…and if you can’t, you still have a lot of thinking to do. —An Ally