If you've ever tried talking about or explaining a form of discrimination or oppression to someone, you might have encountered one of those arguments that make you want to pull your hair out. I tried explaining misogyny to my ex, and he would sometimes come back with these arguments that wouldn't truly reflect on what I was talking about. This is called derailment which is perfect for stopping a legitimate issue in its tracks. I would often get the "It happens to men too or other people have problems." Yeah, true, but I'm not focusing on that and it sounds like you're taking away the worth of my issue or not being understanding about it.
Here's an awesome link for all types and examples of these derailments
http://www.derailingfordummies.com/menu.html
His would fall under the "Who Wins Gold in the Oppression Olympics?" category. The title of Audre Lorde's article, "There is No Hierarchy of Oppression," is the answer to this one.
Next time I see a post online or have a discussion about oppression with someone that feels like people make it a bigger deal than it really is, I'm pulling this out to play.
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| Photo credit: gradientlair.com |
Also, but unrelated, this girl is awesome for 13.
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