Sexuality And Racism Analysis

As a cis-gendered white male who has grown up in privileged life, it would be easy for me to live life without considering the struggles of those who are less privileged than me, but because I am gay, I feel like that opens the door for me to better empathize with people of color who experience racism on the daily. I am not saying that people of color and the queer community face the same struggles, but there are some definite parallels between the two. Race and sexuality are two different dimensions of humanity that can intersect in different ways in different people. Since I am a white cis-gendered pretty much straight-passing male, I face a lot less discrimination than a transwoman of color might face. One of the biggest differences between …show more content…
We have a huge population of Somali refugees, and it is threating to those who are used to living in the city nicknamed “White Cloud.” In ways, the Somali refugee populations has lessened racism against the bulk of the black community in St Cloud because almost all of the racial tension is directed towards the Somali community. I’ve even had black people tell me that Somalis don’t count as black, that they are a different kind of black. There are black people, and then there are Somalis. This distinction allowed black people to join in the racist banter that the white community has been spewing since the first refugees arrived. Lots of people like to make racist comments like “I’m not racist, but I just can’t stand Somalians,” or they make comments about how they smell, dress, act, and how they supposedly live here for free and don’t pay taxes, etc. Then again, there are lots of people like me who see all this hate for what it is. It is just racist banter meant to divide us and keep the whites on top. My friends and I did our best to try to change people’s minds and help them to see that all the racist commentary is just gossip and rumors not based in reality. If you treat Somalis with respect, they’ll most likely treat you with respect too. It’s the same with every other race. No matter the race, gender, sexuality, age, mental and physical capabilities, etc., most people will treat you respect if you just give them back the same respect, although sometimes people blinded by privilege might be offensive without knowing it. I’m really glad I get to take this class and discuss these important issues because I can hear new and different perspectives and hopefully become a better person from