For the love of God, stop it with the Oppression Olympics.

[lightningandsnow]

Arguing over which groups are more oppressed, which types of discrimination are socially "acceptable", and the like, is really unproductive.

Facing minority groups off against one another is, honestly, a distraction from the bigger goal of making the world safer and more accepting for everyone. I know there is a perfectly human tendency to only focus on what issues affect one personally, but there is a difference between fighting for your own issues and saying, essentially, that nobody else's matter.

It also ignores intersectionality - there are LGBTQ people with disabilities, women of color, and the like.

So, can we just say this?

Racism exists, and is bad.
Sexism exists, and is bad.
Homophobia exists, and is bad.
Transphobia exists, and is bad.
Ableism exists, and is bad.
Classism exists, and is bad.
And so on.

What ever happened to working together?

Also, people need to deal with their own prejudices and privilege without getting so goddamn defensive.

[elleng]

1. And such arguing is exactly the sort of thing

repugs WANT Dems to do.

[tavalon]

2. At least we're good at it

Those poor Repugs are tearing themselves apart now that they're trying out the circular firing squad. Plebes!

[lightningandsnow]

5. 'zactly.

[NOW tense]

3. For the love of humankind stop

To love anything beautiful in a country is normal and natural, but when that love is used by exploiters in their own interest it is called nationalism. Nationalism is fanned into imperialism, and then the stronger people divide and exploit the weaker, with the Bible in one hand and a bayonet in the other. The world is dominated by the spirit of cunning, ruthless exploitation, from which war must ensue. This spirit of nationalism is the greatest stupidity.

Every individual should be free to live fully, completely. As long as one tries to liberate one's own particular country and not man, there must be racial hatreds, the divisions of people and classes. The problems of man must be solved as a whole, not as confined to countries or peoples. - Jiddu Krishnamurti

My flag is the human flag, sometimes I fail to fly it. My consciousness is your consciousness, and I should always try to find it.

[lightningandsnow]

6. This.

[burythehatchet]

4. We have single issue factions just like they do. We just have a lot more of them

because we are inclusive.