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Why do I lack the ability to trust white people who claim to be progressive or leftist? (hexbear.net)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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When a person of color, especially if they're black like me, affirms their support for causes such as queer liberation, feminism, animal rights, or socialism, I immediately feel that I can believe, with minimal doubt, that they're truly convicted and principled in what they're advocating for.

However, when a white person claims to support leftism, until my skepticism is proven wrong, I immediately assume they're a dishonest and performative libshit. I then proceed to interact with them with hefty amounts of caution. If my assumptions are proven true, I'm never shocked.

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[–] [email protected] 34 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

When a person of color, especially if they're black like me, affirms their support for causes such as queer liberation, feminism, animal rights, or socialism, I immediately feel that I can believe, with minimal doubt, that they're truly convicted and principled in what they're advocating for. However, when a white person claims to support leftism, until my skepticism is proven wrong, I immediately assume they're a dishonest and performative libshit.

It depends, I do not trust any person of any race immediately when it comes to topics like LGBT rights or feminism for example. There are many homophobic and sexist people of all races. There are many performative people of all races. People are people, after all. However, when it does come to issues around race, I agree with you. I think most white people simply do not understand the concept of structural racial discrimination as they have no experience with being on the side that gets discriminated against because of their skin colour and/or ethnic group. Obviously there are exceptions, but as a whole Eurocentric thought, which includes white supremacy, has been dominant throughout the past couple of centuries.

With regards to socialism, I find that in South Africa black people in general tend to have a much better understanding of what socialism is. I would say that is because part of the struggle against apartheid was based on socialism, and people from other racial groups, in general, have been influenced heavily by red scare propaganda or a comparador mindset.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I absolutely agree with that take. I was raised in a devout Catholic, Afro-Caribbean immigrant family who I had to completely cut ties with due to their very staunch opposition to LGBT people literally just existing.

One thing I will say, though, is that within the queer community, black queer people certainly tend to treat me better than white queer people do, and that's for sure. I've noticed that white queer people seem to be more likely to have an exclusionary mindset, in having a higher chance of being one of those "LGB drop the T" people but also being racist towards queer people of color. It's horrifying how their lack of intersectionality can really lead to this kind of behavior.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I've noticed that white queer people seem to be more likely to have an exclusionary mindset ... but also being racist towards queer people of color

Unfortunately this definitely exists, many white gays that want nothing to do with LGBT+ people of other races. I've seen it in South Africa. It's very sad. As the LGBT+ community, we're already a minority and further division over racist nonsense is just going to make us weaker and easier to oppress.