If you're an avid user of social media, you've probably seen at least one article reposted or shared with a title ending in "... And That's Okay." As someone who follows The Odyssey, as well as a few other journalistic writing platforms, I see these at least once a day.
The problem with this style of article is not the format itself. There's nothing wrong with articles titled things like "I Don't Like Ice Cream And That's Okay," or other similar opinion-based stories.
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The problem comes when people start writing about things that are definitely not okay, and then try to convince everyone that they are in the right by adding this convenient little phrase to the title. These would be things like "I'm Not A Feminist And That's Okay" or "My Kids Aren't Allowed To Be Trans And That's Okay."
Adding this statement to the end of a title doesn't excuse the very not okay comments hidden within. It's the equivalent of saying "no offense" before saying something blatantly offensive. Just because you add a disclaimer, that doesn't mean that you are entitled to moral immunity.
So when is the proper time to use this phrase?
Simple: When the article is opinion-based.
To be clear: believing that women are unequal to men is not an opinion. Believing that LGBT+ individuals are deserving of lesser rights is not an opinion. These are prejudices fueled by ignorance and hatred.
Opinions are things such as whether or not you like pineapple on pizza, or which sports team is the best. Opinions are not valid if they undermine the humanity of any person.
Now, if people keep disguising their hatred as opinion, how long will it be before we subconsciously associate this hate with being "okay?" If we keep seeing that it is "okay" to be ignorant, that idea will eventually become more and more ingrained in our subconscious. If you're told a million times that it is okay to hate women, how long do you think it would take for you to start believing that?
Even if you don't want to associate yourself with a women's equality movement, or even if you don't believe that all human beings are deserving of respect, at least admit that up front. Disguising prejudices as opinions only serves to reinforce the culture of hate that has become so much stronger in the past couple of months.
So please, next time you see an article titled something like "I Support The Travel Ban And That's Okay," don't be afraid to speak up, because letting someone know that their prejudices are not okay is the first step to helping them change.
