I’m not trying to be more or less oppressed than someone. I think it’s foolish that we argue over such things. I was told that I can’t be a transgender representative because I’m not a trans person of color. I think that’s crap because I believe that anyone can be a trans representative. You do not even need to fall under the transgender umbrella to be a trans representative. It doesn’t matter what age you are, what your gender is, what your sexuality is, where you work, what you do, everyone is a representative if they are actively doing something for the community. You can even be a rep. just by living your life as out and going through your transition publicly, even if it’s just to your family, or to your friends, because you are educating the people around you and now they have become less ignorant to trans people. 

So, you’re really just salty that there are people who want to hear trans* people of color speak? How sad. Trans* POC are BY FAR one of the most marginalized, disproportionately brutalized populations today. Don’t get all pissy because some people might want to hear what a trans* POC might have to say, as opposed to an ignorant white trans* hippy has to say. 

I’m not arguing that there is no such thing as white privilege. I’m arguing that you can be white and still be a representative to the community. Like I said, it shouldn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what your race is. All you have to do is the right thing. I believe that everyone should be happy of where they came from. There are downsides to every single race.

Please tell me what the downside of being white is. PLEASE tell me what it’s like to live in a world that is tailored to your notions of racial normality. When is the last time you were assumed to be a delinquent because of your race? ignorant? inept? uneducated? When you see photos of cultural icons (i.e. Santa, Jesus, etc) please share with me what color they are? In the media, what is the disadvantage of being white? being portrayed as clean, pure, fair, upperclass? White folks ARE SO DISADVANTAGED GUISE.

There are downsides and upsides to everything. We cannot deny that. For example I’m sicilian, 100%. You wouldn’t believe how many times my family gets harassed for it. There are hundreds of people who think just because we are sicilian we must be mafia related. I wasn’t allowed to tell my grandfather that I am transgender. He doesn’t even know that I had surgery. I was shunned and harassed by my extended family because if I’m “Italian I shouldn’t be transgender.” It makes no sense. I don’t let things like this bring me down. I don’t throw a pity party. 

Also, I don’t know when the battle changed from being about being a transgender representative to be less likely to be arrested. I was only arguing about the transgender representative part. 

It’s definitely messed up that our society still contains so much racism. It goes both ways. It goes all ways. I watched the show “Black.White.” I took African American literature and History in High School. I finished the class with a 100% average. I definitely paid attention. I definitely learned a lot. In this class I learned that there are privileges to all races. 

Lol, it’s nice that you watched a show and read some things, but you should probably read something about how reverse racism is NOT REAL. POC do not have the social clout to discriminate and oppress white folks as a community. To discriminate, you’ve got to have some social power. By insinuating that reverse racism is a thing at all, you erase the history and modern practices of institutionalized racism. If you learned that there are privileges to all races….that class was shit and was a lie. You didn’t learn what you thought you learned. This is coming from someone who ACTUALLY works with anti-racism programs, in addition to plenty of fancy classes and book-learnin on race.

I’m not in a battle to be more oppressed than someone else. I’m not in a competition. I’m not trying to throw some pity party or be in someone else’s. I’m just trying to do the right thing by standing up for the community. To the people that don’t want me to be your representative: There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t represent yourself. And I constantly say during my youtube videos and speeches that this is my own story, it’s not the story of any other specific trans person but myself, and it’s my own interpretation, it applies to only me. Most cases I’m just speaking for myself. 

You’re certainly not invited to my pity party, because discussion of racism within POC communities are not pity parties at all. They are empowerment parties. Giving a name, clear history and language to our oppression helps us fight it. It’s naive white hippies like yourself that put a downer on it and try to take away our empowerment by discounting our experiences all together by claiming that SOMEHOW white folks have it bad too. Get the fuck out of here. 

I didn’t chose to be white. Nobody chooses their skin color. I’m not going to feel guilty for being white because I have it “less worse” than someone else. I think that’s foolish. I think that it’s absolutely terrible that I am getting harassed based on something that I couldn’t decide or choose. What is even worse is that I’m getting harassed by people in my own community, people that know what harassment feels like. We should not harass each other. We should not judge each other. We need to all stand together and be one. If we are missing one person in this community we are worth so much less in the march to equality. We need everyone. 

No one wants you to feel guilty. Two things (usually) happen when white folks hear about their whiteness.

1) Completely deny it and continue being ignorant fucks.
2) Replace their notions of white privilege with one/all of the following (all equally ridiculous):
     a) we’re all human, man.
     b) hey, don’t judge anyone, not cool.
     c) i’m oppressed in other ways, that cancels out my whiteness, duh.
     d) i don’t see race/we all bleed red/I’m a humanist/I’m color blind/etc.

AND In rare cases:

3) Accept the fact that white privilege exists. Noting that, though they themselves may have not owned slaves/beat up POC/etc, that it is their responsibility to actively combat and acknowledge their privilege every single day. This is doing their part to restructure society, instead of taking a lazy approach to it like you have.

You live in a fantasy world. This naive shit that you’re typing is coming out as ignorance. Simply because you’ve experience oppression in one form DOES NOT mean that you know everything about racial oppression. Some of the most racist folks I know are LGBT identified. I will harass you, I will harass anyone who is ignorant and who thinks they’re correct in their ignorance. I will harass anyone pushing the basic ass notions of social justice that serve to keep white folks comfortable and makes POC compromise on our comfort. I will call you the fuck out and hold you accountable.

If you’re a fierce advocate for trans* folks, fucking awesome. This doesn’t give you a free pass to spout off at the mouth like you know what that fuck you’re talking about when it comes to race. You do not know what it is like to be POC, and even more than that a queer POC. Queer white folks are so damn phony sometimes when it comes to social justice and race.

(Source: ryancassata, via ryancassata)