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My Role as a White Member of Fandom (and Humanity)
I see on my f-list that another round of discussion has opened in the ongoing debate of racism and privilege in fandom. I'm not commenting directly on anything said by anyone but seeing some of the same issues arise -- again -- prompts me to ramble about my thoughts and reactions.
To sum up my thoughts, despite considering myself a Liberal Person who falls on the Right Side of Issues I concluded that I still had some arrogance, some hypocrisy, and a pile of blindness to overcome as part of my path of becoming a Good Person. Non-white fans and their allies won't find this revolutionary or surprising. For me, it was both a disappointment and an epiphany.
I've always prized logic over emotion in making philosophical judgments. Arguments mired in anger or bitterness or rudeness inspired in me a defensive, dismissive reaction. People who wanted me to listen had to couch their arguments in acceptable manners.
To always be perfectly polite and reasonable when discussing emotional issues that a person has to deal with every single fucking day -- that's quite the burden to impose on someone else, no? To dismiss that somebody else might have a legitimate point because I don't like the tone or the manner in which it's expressed? That's some arrogance there.
I appreciate and admire the person who can "rise above" the emotions of the events and explain it in terms calm enough that I'll stick around long enough to absorb the explanation. I find that level of superhuman control to be admirable and it's something that I aspire to. It's not that I didn't think people had a right to be angry but rather that I didn't appreciate all of that anger in my face; it wasn't a, "winning strategy."
I never questioned whether *I* should rise above my own feelings of defensiveness when confronted with somebody else's reality. It wasn't *my* job to try to understand; it was somebody else's job to entice me to educate myself. If they couldn't maintain an emotionally neutral position why should I try to? What hypocrisy!
In the miscegenation round of this debate, I recognized my own thought processes in those people who I felt quite wrongly focused their energies on whether the original person complaining had gone about it in the right way or worried that she hadn't been conciliatory enough in her raising the issues.
I only recognized it because it struck me as so preposterous. Had the original poster not impressed me with her maturity, her reasoned and thoughtful response to a situation that provoked a strongly negative emotional reaction for me, had the issue not been to me so obviously offensive, had I not felt it hit me in the gut with how unbelievably Wrong it was... Well, I probably could have easily been sidetracked into just those sorts of distracting discussions rather than focusing on the core issue: the use of an ugly word born of violent racism of the American South in the 1950s/1960s being used as a fetish and, oh by the way, "expanding" the definition to include bestiality.
And it was there that I had my epiphany. I, too, had a role to play in overcoming perfectly natural but not necessarily helpful human reactions to stress. It isn't up to people of color (and their allies) to be the ONLY people in the discussion who are swallowing their emotions and reacting in only ways that are positive and "helpful" and superhuman.
I, as a white person who is interested in healing some of the hurt of racism and who wants people of all backgrounds and racial identities to feel welcome not only in fandom but also in the world, I have a similar responsibility to rise above my "natural response" when confronted with strong emotions. I will not automatically shut down, stop listening, or dismiss a person's viewpoint solely because of manner of expression. I will not (oh the irony!) allow my emotion to decide because somebody else expresses her honest emotional response.
Perhaps the strong emotional reaction to an issue that I don't get on a gut level says more about a lack in my perception than it does about somebody else being a whiny victim who is out to ruin the fun for everyone else? (Yes, I'm overstating that last bit but that is the impression I get of people's opinions when I read their comments.) I've tried to be aware of when I'm feeling defensive. I try to determine why I feel that way, take a closer look at the substance of what someone says, and truly listen to the content rather than allowing myself to be distracted by its method of delivery.
I've found this extends into beyond fandom into real life. Race has finally reared its head in public in the Democratic nomination race here in the U.S. I find myself thinking more carefully on issues I would previously have blown off. I don't claim that I always Get It at the gut level but I do find that I don't automatically stop listening because someone's too emotional on a subject about which I am dispassionate. It has been eye-opening to say the least.
~~**~~
This isn't a new conclusion for me. I've debated with myself for months on making this post.
Why? Well, lots of reasons.
Anyhow, I've been ruminating on this for a while and undoubtedly will for a long time to come. As this newest renewal of the race debate progresses, I expect to be challenged to keep an open mind and I want to have this to remind me of my thoughts and how I hope to develop as a human being.
To sum up my thoughts, despite considering myself a Liberal Person who falls on the Right Side of Issues I concluded that I still had some arrogance, some hypocrisy, and a pile of blindness to overcome as part of my path of becoming a Good Person. Non-white fans and their allies won't find this revolutionary or surprising. For me, it was both a disappointment and an epiphany.
I've always prized logic over emotion in making philosophical judgments. Arguments mired in anger or bitterness or rudeness inspired in me a defensive, dismissive reaction. People who wanted me to listen had to couch their arguments in acceptable manners.
To always be perfectly polite and reasonable when discussing emotional issues that a person has to deal with every single fucking day -- that's quite the burden to impose on someone else, no? To dismiss that somebody else might have a legitimate point because I don't like the tone or the manner in which it's expressed? That's some arrogance there.
I appreciate and admire the person who can "rise above" the emotions of the events and explain it in terms calm enough that I'll stick around long enough to absorb the explanation. I find that level of superhuman control to be admirable and it's something that I aspire to. It's not that I didn't think people had a right to be angry but rather that I didn't appreciate all of that anger in my face; it wasn't a, "winning strategy."
I never questioned whether *I* should rise above my own feelings of defensiveness when confronted with somebody else's reality. It wasn't *my* job to try to understand; it was somebody else's job to entice me to educate myself. If they couldn't maintain an emotionally neutral position why should I try to? What hypocrisy!
In the miscegenation round of this debate, I recognized my own thought processes in those people who I felt quite wrongly focused their energies on whether the original person complaining had gone about it in the right way or worried that she hadn't been conciliatory enough in her raising the issues.
I only recognized it because it struck me as so preposterous. Had the original poster not impressed me with her maturity, her reasoned and thoughtful response to a situation that provoked a strongly negative emotional reaction for me, had the issue not been to me so obviously offensive, had I not felt it hit me in the gut with how unbelievably Wrong it was... Well, I probably could have easily been sidetracked into just those sorts of distracting discussions rather than focusing on the core issue: the use of an ugly word born of violent racism of the American South in the 1950s/1960s being used as a fetish and, oh by the way, "expanding" the definition to include bestiality.
And it was there that I had my epiphany. I, too, had a role to play in overcoming perfectly natural but not necessarily helpful human reactions to stress. It isn't up to people of color (and their allies) to be the ONLY people in the discussion who are swallowing their emotions and reacting in only ways that are positive and "helpful" and superhuman.
I, as a white person who is interested in healing some of the hurt of racism and who wants people of all backgrounds and racial identities to feel welcome not only in fandom but also in the world, I have a similar responsibility to rise above my "natural response" when confronted with strong emotions. I will not automatically shut down, stop listening, or dismiss a person's viewpoint solely because of manner of expression. I will not (oh the irony!) allow my emotion to decide because somebody else expresses her honest emotional response.
Perhaps the strong emotional reaction to an issue that I don't get on a gut level says more about a lack in my perception than it does about somebody else being a whiny victim who is out to ruin the fun for everyone else? (Yes, I'm overstating that last bit but that is the impression I get of people's opinions when I read their comments.) I've tried to be aware of when I'm feeling defensive. I try to determine why I feel that way, take a closer look at the substance of what someone says, and truly listen to the content rather than allowing myself to be distracted by its method of delivery.
I've found this extends into beyond fandom into real life. Race has finally reared its head in public in the Democratic nomination race here in the U.S. I find myself thinking more carefully on issues I would previously have blown off. I don't claim that I always Get It at the gut level but I do find that I don't automatically stop listening because someone's too emotional on a subject about which I am dispassionate. It has been eye-opening to say the least.
~~**~~
This isn't a new conclusion for me. I've debated with myself for months on making this post.
Why? Well, lots of reasons.
- I am profoundly uncomfortable declaring my beliefs. I believe in acting on them. I have no respect for those natter on endlessly about What is Right and what everyone else should do. I'm of the Be The Change You Wish to See school.
- I tend to be fairly private. I'm not perfect and I spend a lot of private energy ferreting out parts of myself that fail to live up to my ideal and working on them. I had an epiphany that I hadn't been living up to my ideal of having an open mind. I'm not proud of that.
- This isn't An Answer that will increase understanding between parties. It isn't a great leap forward for fandom at large. It's a mea culpa and I fail to see how that helps or contributes to the discussion.
- I'm not a big name whose words inspire and I was not an active participant in the public discussions. I don't already have a role in the larger scene; I feel as if I'm interjecting myself.
- This is all still new to me; I process change slowly. LJ is very much a Now medium. It isn't well suited to my need to ruminate, to turn the possibilities over in my head. My ideas are not fully formed and are subject to change. Because I do not yet know all the ramifications of my realization, I'm not certain what the point is to writing it here. I don't know what the goal is. I'm rambling rather than making a point.
- I do not label myself when discussing matters of principle. My focus isn't who I am but what is right and what is wrong. What's Right doesn't change depending on my race but I've come to understand that who I am is inextricably bound to my perceptions and responses.
Anyhow, I've been ruminating on this for a while and undoubtedly will for a long time to come. As this newest renewal of the race debate progresses, I expect to be challenged to keep an open mind and I want to have this to remind me of my thoughts and how I hope to develop as a human being.
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i tend to watch the racism debates on lj and then discuss things in email with people, so i totally get your uneasiness about the Now-ness of the nets, as well as being torn between feeling like you're navel gazing and feeling like it's important to expose your efforts at being part of the solution.
i like your reminder of that gandhi quote... being the change we want to see.
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Gandhi is a personal hero of mine; he had a lot of wisdom to share.
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Read God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and you may change your mind about that!
Can't contribute to the rest of the discussion, no idea what it's about, but also thought I'd say hi! It's been ages!
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Fortunately a person (or a source) does not have to be perfect to be a hero. I'm not a particular fan of the Bible but I find a lot of wisdom in "Turn the other cheek" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I take from the world around me that which I admire and try to incorporate it into myself.
What I admire about Gandhi is his commitment to nonviolent protest. He was the public face of the movement that won Indian independence and he inspired Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience. I cannot say that my dedication to nonviolence is so strong or true even though it is my ideal.
I knew a lot of this discussion would be a big "huh?" to the non-fandom members of my f-list. It's a subset of larger issues in the world but these issues are easier to ignore in the wider world.
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I think he can't help but sound arrogant, he has the plummiest upper class English accent of all time :P But remember that stuff about ignoring the message because you don't like the tone? ;)
The Gandhi and independence thing is viewed very differently over here (perhaps as you might expect), but there are many people who think that Indian independence would actually have happened sooner and more peacefully, with less fractious partition, if Gandhi had not done his thing. For more info I would have to refer you to my friend
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I can well imagine that many in the UK view it differently and might not be fans of Gandhi. Paul Revere is either a patriot or a tattle-tale, depending on one's viewpoint. I am ignorant of the details of the move for Indian independence so I can't speak to the effect of Gandhi's actions on the timetable but I will submit that a sample composed of Hitchens and some residents of the UK is likely to be but one view of events rather than The Truth. In any case, it's a side issue to the point I was discussing.
It is Gandhi's dedication to nonviolence that I admire and strive to emulate. Were his feet to be proven to be made of clay, I would still firmly believe in "Be the Change You Wish to See" as a wise precept for behavior. It is MLK, Jr.'s dedication to nonviolence in the face of extreme provocation while working towards what is right that I admire and strive to emulate.
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But... just no.
It doesn't matter whether a person is incoherent with anger and not spelling well today and (in fact) flaming the fuck out of the original poster if they're right. And they don't have to be gracious, or serene, or even playing fair to be right.
A hundred years ago, the rate of technological and social change was so slow that people could be fairly sure that the world they were born into would continue reasonably unchanged for their entire lifetimes; the assumptions their parents passed down to them were the ones they could take with them to their graves (as of 1908 they were wrong, but let that pass.) As of right now, the only thing any of us now living can be sure of is that the world we live in will re-invent itself profoundly several times over within our lifetimes in every way there is. The only assumption any of us can afford is that all of our assumptions are wrong: the safe, the positive, and (ultimately) the moral choice is to constantly measure them against reality in every way we can.
It's never easy.
no subject
It doesn't matter whether a person is incoherent with anger and not spelling well today and (in fact) flaming the fuck out of the original poster if they're right. And they don't have to be gracious, or serene, or even playing fair to be right.
Precisely! This has been a huge sea-change for me. I've always prized debate and its rules for getting to the root of problems and working to decide what I believe. Strident, angry voices have always turned me off without thought to whether the person might be justified and have good reason. Or, you know, just be so frustrated and tired and have reached her last straw with the larger world.
Divorcing my reaction to the manner from my reaction to the message isn't easy for me but I'm determined to try.
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I know exactly what you mean... it took me a long time to see and understand that my attitude about that was a result of white privilege and that it was probably furthering problems rather than helping solve them. One thing that helped me to understand was thinking about my occasional flashes of white-hot feminist rage when confronted by sexist comments (and you know, I still don't understand why some comments make me sooooo angry while the vast majority barely even register) and then trying to explain why the other person's comment was wrong. I tend to be a pretty calm person so it's not as hard as it could be if I was more emotional, but I can see how someone could just lose their shit and not be able to calm down. But it's still hard for the side of the majority to see the minority argument if it's not presented in logical terms so... I don't know, I'm sympathetic to both sides.
This comment is not very coherent... but I think you get the idea.
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Yes! This is where I was going. I genuinely want for us to move forward, more aware of white privilege, and eventually create a place (whether it's fandom or the real world) where people of all races feel equally welcome. It's embarrassing to realize that while I wanted that, I was part of the problem.
I get those white-hot feminist rages, too. I'm incapable of being reasonable on some issues and that has made me all the more impressed when someone else can overcome that level of outrage to be rational and well-spoken. My inability to be reasonable never led me to question whether *I* was right. I've even used that exact same argument to try to change my mother's mind on minority social issues. The irony doesn't end, does it?
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I meant to address this last night but forgot to and now I'm glad that I didn't because I thought a lot more on the question and had a new realization. Tone doesn't work. Reasonable doesn't work. I couldn't imagine anyone more reasonably addressing a situation than I saw done in the miscegenation instance. It didn't stop people from going ape-shit insane, taking offense as white people that the poster would lecture them on how to behave, telling her that her tone was unacceptable, telling her all about the one time as a white person they'd suffered prejudice at the hands of blacks (as if that makes everything equal and okay...), complaining about the icon she used...and on and on and on.
So, it isn't that people are made defensive by a poorly worded or poorly thought out complaint. It's that they're made defensive that the subject is even being raised. That disturbs me on a level I'm just starting to deal with.
All of that said? I'll still argue for being polite and following
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I'd like to provide a link to your post in my journal, along with one![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
blueraccoon posted today, to give an example of how this issue can be approached without effectively throwing people of color under the bus. I know it's huge for you to finally post, and I want to respect that, so please let me know if it's okay to link.
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Please feel free to link to this post. I appreciate your being sensitive to my feelings by asking first but I wouldn't have objected to your linking and quoting anything I said publicly without acquiring my consent.
I thought long and hard about making this a public post before doing so and accepted the consequences of speaking publicly. Of course, I'm thrilled that your reaction was positive but I would have answered the same had you taken me to task. I fully expected a big eye roll and a "how charming that you've progressed to crawling; please don't expect me to clap for you," from many of my friends.
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witchqueen's current request for specific examples and links of a successful tone being adopted is timely for my thoughts. Once I actually read some of the vitriol directed at danvers in the Life on Mars comm and I read her actual words that people were jumping on, I realized that tone had nothing to do with people's responses to challenges of racism or racist word use. That really depresses me and I'm uncertain what to make of it.
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