An open letter to straight white men who feel offended by social justice activism [View all]

Dear straight white men who feel offended by social justice activism,

Lately, I've been thinking about you, and how you have behaved-and continue to behave-in any conversation involving anything to do with social justice. Your constant protests, your whataboutery, your deliberate obtuseness, and your derailment tactics. Yes, I've taken notice, and honestly...I can't help but sense a pattern here.

You see, whenever someone-say, a woman, a person of color, or a member of the LGBT community (not mutually exclusive categories, of course..)-brings up an experience or issue of concern to them to a group (often, a "safe" space for that particular group whose members experience discrimination), and makes the connection of their experience or issue to the collective marginalization and exclusion of the social group (s) that those people happen to identify with, inevitably, like clockwork, one of you straight white men barges into the discussion, states something that is "contrarian" or plays the "Devil's advocate"; and, when you are called out for your rudeness, callousness, and general dickishness, you inevitably get huffy and angry about it. Very often, you'll then claim that (straight, white) men are the REAL victims of discrimination and oppression.

I think I know what's happening here. You think that injustice is being called out on your dickishness, or having your pride hurt and your ego bruised, or having your straight white male privilege questioned. That's not injustice, though. That's simply saying what needs to be said.

Real injustice is not being able to walk alone at night for fear of being raped and possibly killed. Real injustice is having your ancestors suffer for centuries as slave laborers, then for another century under systematic and legalized racism, then for the past few decades-likely, in your lifetime-having you and your friends and family having to be constantly wary and fearful (for your lives!) of those who are sworn to "protect and serve the public"-all of this, in a country that prides itself on "liberty and justice for all." Real injustice is not being able to marry the person you love because the dominant groups and institutions in society-the culture itself-do not recognize your relationship as a legitimate or moral one.

So, straight white men who feel offended by social justice activism....the next time you feel compelled to dismiss or deny or criticize a member of a marginalized group for daring to talk about their daily lived experiences, the next time you somehow feel offended by social justice activism (or even discussions in general), just stop yourself. For everyone's sake. Have some fucking perspective, too, while you're at it.

Sincerely,
A straight white man who isn't so easily offended


PS: Yes, this is my original work.