With the momentous Women's March that swept the world, many have felt the keen warmth of Hope sweeping their hearts. Many feel that this unity could be enough to weather, if not overcome the impending onslaught of America's newly inaugurated President, Donald J Trump, and his association. This may not come as a surprise to the sane, but unfortunately many individuals are still in denial that there is anything wrong. In my opinion this is in no small part due to the privilege that those individual bare, and haven't been aware of. Thus, I found it pertinent to write this guide for those who don't yet know how to CHECK THEIR PRIVILEGE.
1) Understanding Privilege
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The first step to anything, including this, is developing an understanding of what it is, in this case, we are talking about privilege.
"Privilege: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available to a specific person or group of people."
Okay, so what does that mean? Essentially, as you go about your daily life there are things that you do, and advantages that you have that you take for granted without even know it. Here are some examples of privileges that many people don't recognize:
a) Having the ability to walk down the street and not fear getting harassed by the police just because you skin is a different color is one example White Privilege.
b) Having the ability to walk into a bar, and not feel uncomfortable expressing your sexuality is an example of Heterosexual Privilege.
c) Having the ability to perform basic tasks from tying your shoe, to cooking a meal without the need for assistive devices is one example of Able-Bodied Privilege.
d) Having the ability to go out to a club or bar without having to fear being catcalled, sexually harassed, roofied, etc is only one example of Male Privilege.
e) Having the ability to utilize public restrooms without fearing physical or social abuse is one example of Cisgender Privilege.
2) Acknowledgment
Acknowledging that privilege is a real thing can be very difficult for some, as they have had the PRIVILEGE of never having to consider it before *privilege-ception.* However, one of the most important and fundamental steps in checking your privilege and ultimately being a better human being, is by acknowledging that YOU...yes, YOU, and everyone else, have privilege in one way or another. Also, its important to note that there is no privilege hierarchy....I repeat, NO PRIVILEGE HIERARCHY! Meaning, no ones privilege can be compared to another's, but what that doesn't mean is that people have an equal amount of privilege. It is possible, and is very common for some people to have more privilege than others, for example: an average height, middle-class, white cis-male has far more privileges than a short, disabled, lower-class, trans-woman of color. One of the easiest ways to acknowledge privilege is by identifying your own privileges.
3) Identifying Your Privilege/s
Okay so this next part is going to require a bit of empathy. Take a look at the people around you, or in your life. Can you think of anyone who may not be able to do some of the things you can? This may be hard, so here are some phrases to help collect your thoughts:
a) I can ___________ but my friend has a hardtime with it because they have a disability.
b) I make _(more/less)__ money than __(insert person of opposite gender)___ because my gender is different than theirs.
c) I can enter a public bathroom with out feeling threatened by others around me, but I acknowledge that _______________ may not feel safe.
Of course these phrases are specific to certain individuals, and not everyone, but hopefully you were able to identify with one of them. Once you have identified your privilege/s, the next step it understand what it is to you and others.
4) Understanding Your Privilege/s
Take time to reflect on your privilege/s. Think about what life would be like if you didn't have it? How much harder would your life be? Of course you can't know the extent of how lacking it would've affected your life up until now, but the point is to recognize that other who aren't privileged in that way do suffer from it.
I'm not telling you privilege is bad, in fact you should be happy you have it. You are no lesser of a person because you have privilege, just like someone without privilege is no lesser a person. What really matters is how you use your privilege. Will you use it for good, or evil? The right answer to that question, is "I would use my privilege for good," and there is a way to do that, which is advocating for those without privilege.
5) Advocate for Others without Privileged
Okay, everything you have learned so far about yourself and others up til now has lead to this point. Using what privilege you have to advocate for others is imperative if you seek to be a decent human being. Advocating means not being a bystander to mistreatment or prejudices. Advocating means investing your time to ensure that people receive the care and consideration they deserve. There are countless ways to advocate for others, here are just a few examples to help stimulate ideas:
a) Volunteer at your local food shelter.
b) Take part in initiatives to advance equality in your community.
c) Participate in PRIDE/LGBTQ+ events.
d) If you see something, SAY SOMETHING!!!
PSA
Although you now understand and acknowledge privilege, please ensure that you do not advocate in a patronizing way. Those who lack privileges that you have are not weak or needy, but just like you - they sometimes need an ally.
