Analysis Of My White Privilege On The Lgbtq Community Essay

The modern queer community exists with fine lines of privilege and distinctions of status. Factors that determine power and influence in mainstream society are perpetuated within the LGBTQ community and serve as indicators of division. Throughout my life, I have experienced privilege and I understand that as a white, gay man, I hold disproportionate influence. I understand that the factors of race and sexuality have held a considerable impact on my life and my experiences as a member of both the white and LGBTQ communities. Though I understand my racial advantage as a gay person, I do not feel shameful; instead, I feel a responsibility to further the condition of intersectional equality. An analysis of my white privilege in the LGBTQ community should begin with my childhood. As a white gay person, my youth was very distinct from that of the average queer person of color. Growing up in a middle-class family allowed me ample economic resources to fulfill my basic needs. I never felt th e pains of food insecurity or the coldness of poverty, and for that I am very grateful. Per PEW Research Center data, black and Hispanic children are nearly four times as likely as white children to be living in poverty (Patten and Krogstad). Queer people make up about 40% of the United States’ population of homeless youth (â€Å"When Bridgette†). Though this issue is improving, it remains a forefront issue for the queer community. Per the Center for American Progress â€Å"20.7% of LGBT people livingShow MoreRelatedClass Essay : Class And Classism1514 Words   |  7 PagesClass and Classism My gender, having a military parent, our type of society and being a middle-class family is the biggest influences in terms of my own biases. Lareau states the best example of the next influence, which is how a person’s class affects their growth and development in Unequal Childhoods (2003). She talks about how the class of a child gives them more opportunity for growth and advancement. In society today we perceive the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. ThroughoutRead MoreFeminism : A Feminist Perspective1667 Words   |  7 Pagespicture? Lots of pink I’m sure. Who is there? Why, a bunch of women, of course! And what could they possibly want this time? I’ll let you keep that one to yourself. We all know that in today’s world, feminism is often seen as a joke. Just a bunch of white women prancing around with signs expressing their angst for the patriarchy, right? Just obnoxious women wanting equal pay and to not be seen as lessers is all feminism is really about, right? I hate to break it to you, but you’re way off. Though theRead MoreAn Ideological Exploration Of Macklemore s Racial Redemption As A Musical Genre And Cultural Movement964 Words   |  4 PagesWhiteness as the modus operandi becomes a central place of questioning that music and specifically Hip Hop and Rap help put into question. Questioning of Whiteness through these genres of music help reveal the co-constitutive nature of music and ideology. My goals within this paper are not an attempt to explore musicality or the power of music; rather, I am interested in how ideology becomes constituted within lyrics and what they reveal about the intersections of identity, authenticity, Whiteness, andRead MoreI Am My Complex Self, A Son And Brother1776 Words   |  8 PagesI am my complex self, a son and brother, a privileged man who uses his systematically placed power to deconstruct social expectation and hierarchical structures as much as I can. A white, upper-middle class, openly gay Midwesterner who is representative of many intersecting identities that are the result of my fight for ownership of my identity in a part of the United States that might otherwise try to silence my voice. These complex identities are not contradictory, as much as they may seem to beRead MoreI Am My Complex Self1777 Words   |  8 PagesI am my complex self – a son and brother, a privileged man who tries to use his systematically placed power to deconstruct social expectation and hierarchical structures. I am a white, upper-middle class, openly gay Midwesterner who is representative of many intersecting identities that are the result of my fight for ownership of my identity in a part of the United States that might otherwise try to silence my voice. These complex identities are not contradictory, as much as they may seem to be.Read MoreOver The Past Few Years, My Understanding Of Social Work1633 Words   |  7 PagesOver the past few ye ars, my understanding of social work has changed tremendously. I first thought of the field as fixed, rigid, and one-dimensional. The more I learn about social work, however, the more I realize how vast and constantly evolving it is. Social workers study both empirical evidence as well as abstract theory and everything in between. In my studies at Vassar, I have learned the importance of a multi-systems approach to understanding a phenomenon. In my neuroscience classes, I learnedRead MoreMy Thoughts, Emotions, And Behavioral Modifications Essay2059 Words   |  9 PagesAssignment #1 This personal journal presents a reflection of my thoughts, emotions, and behavioral modifications in accordance to my learning experiences associated with this week’s class, lesson interpretations, and experiences connected to the program content. Consequently, my early judgments and feelings of this course and its subject matter has run the gambit of angry indignation at the authors of the course books for their â€Å"opinions† on the white race to a subjective joy that finally someone (the authors)Read MoreHigh School Around The United States Is Debate Essay1593 Words   |  7 Pagestypes of literature from famous authors. These events in debate can encourage students to read on their own times and as well read this literature and interpret the author’s purpose. One of the most respected authors in critical literature and one of my favorites is Frank B. Wilderson III. Mr. Wilderson is an Afro-Pessimism author that has written numerous pieces and novels over the distinction of civil society in the status quo and slavery, specifically referencing back to the Middle Passage whenRead MoreLeslie Knope s Privilege And White Feminism Essay1929 Words   |  8 PagesLeslie Knope’s Privilege and White Feminism in Parks And Recreation Parks And Recreation is a work place comedy utilizing dry humor to comment on the current American government system. The main character, Leslie Knope, is a white middle-aged cis-gender female who loves capitalist government, breakfast foods, and strongly believes that if you put in the hard work you can overcome anything. The show succeeds in demonstrating a women in a position of power, climbing through the ranks, and assuminglyRead MoreNo One Left Behind ( Hiv / Aids )3059 Words   |  13 Pages(HIV/AIDS) Imagine you are sick, afraid, enveloped in insecurity, not knowing what may lie ahead. It is in the darkest moments of a potentially fatal illness that we look to others for solace, we often turn to partners, family, friends, and our community. We rely on healthcare systems to provide medication, comfort, assistance and adequate treatment in order to assist in the recovery process, as well as to provide physical, and psychological well-being. What if the illness you are experiencing