Jobs & Education1 min ago
Goldsmiths Students' Union Diversity Officer To Keep Her Job.
16 Answers
So she can keep her job? A prime example of how this racist thingy only works one way.
/// She also explains how she cannot be racist or sexist to white men as she is an ethnic minority woman. ///
/// But she also said the use on her personal account of hashtags such as #killallwhitemen were "in-jokes and ways that many people in the queer feminist community express ourselves". ///
/// She also explains how she cannot be racist or sexist to white men as she is an ethnic minority woman. ///
/// But she also said the use on her personal account of hashtags such as #killallwhitemen were "in-jokes and ways that many people in the queer feminist community express ourselves". ///
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I find myself unable to agree with this lady's position that, as a member of a number of minorities, she is exempt from being racist.
As far as I am aware, the term is applied to anyone who offers prejudice against another based on their ethnicity - and on that basis, everyone is capable of being a racist, her 'subdivisions' by which she feels she is exempt are flawed.
Of greater concern is the apparent apathy with which her words and actions have been met among the students she represents.
No doubt my perception of apathy will be rotated into a ringing endorsement for her views when she next speaks on the subject.
As far as I am aware, the term is applied to anyone who offers prejudice against another based on their ethnicity - and on that basis, everyone is capable of being a racist, her 'subdivisions' by which she feels she is exempt are flawed.
Of greater concern is the apparent apathy with which her words and actions have been met among the students she represents.
No doubt my perception of apathy will be rotated into a ringing endorsement for her views when she next speaks on the subject.
At some length I went on about why this is a clash of definitions more than anything else. I'm not going to repeat that here, although I did want to emphasise that I really do dislike the attitude some people working for equality take, which appears to amount to "if you are not with us then you must be against us". If she can't see how bad #killallwhitemen looks, joke or not, then she is in the wrong job as far as I'm concerned.
What bothers me about it, too, is the idea that it's OK to make such jokes (which, to be fair, I sort of agree with so long as it's clear that it's a joke) in one direction but not the other. The closest I have got to being involved in a racist incident was when I made some joke involving "the n-word", primarily because I'm known in life for being incredibly reluctant to use 'strong language' so it had a bit of a shock value. I can't entirely remember the context, but what I do remember is that I instantly apologised to the people I'd told it to and explained that I didn't really mean what I'd said.
The actual racist incident bit, the way I see it, came over a week later, when I was barred entry to a party by someone whose party it was not because, somehow*, he had found out about what I'd said -- but apparently hadn't troubled himself to learn about either the context or the apology I'd already made. And so, in my own college, this man had taken it on himself to tell me that I wasn't allowed inside various parts of the college grounds, and that I wasn't welcome. His being bigger than me didn't help matters. I was effectively frog-marched along the street back to my own flat, having been heavily intimidated and threatened, and there's a limit to how much of that I could take. Especially as I was terrified that I might be thrown out of university for it. Oh, and in the aftermath he made reference to "middle-class white guys" and various other racist views. Massive chip on this particular person's shoulder. Luckily the college took my side, but then in his memorable words they would, of course, as we were all "middle-class white guys".
What bothers me the most is that I know how this diversity officer would react to this tale. She'd defend him from accusations of racism, probably to the hilt. No matter that he never listened to any apologies. No matter that he manhandled me. No matter that he told me I wasn't welcome in what was effectively my own garden. It's not racist, apparently, and therefore almost by definition less frowned-upon. I know this because in conversation with someone last year I related the same story and was told that it was not racist, and why that was so. I can't quite remember what they thought of the incident, but as soon as you downgrade racism to "just" discrimination then it becomes by definition less severe.
Since at the same time such a redefinition comes along with talk of "allies", and in-jokes like #killallwhitemen (and why stop at white? Some ultra-radical feminists, albeit a tiny minority, seem to want to go further still...). It is not how equality should work and I really hope that people like her are only in charge of the equality movement for a short time. It's a shame, as there is still work to do before none of this matters any more.
* * *
* He actually found out because my friends decided it would be funny to plaster what I'd said all over the room in which the party was taking place. Ho hum.
What bothers me about it, too, is the idea that it's OK to make such jokes (which, to be fair, I sort of agree with so long as it's clear that it's a joke) in one direction but not the other. The closest I have got to being involved in a racist incident was when I made some joke involving "the n-word", primarily because I'm known in life for being incredibly reluctant to use 'strong language' so it had a bit of a shock value. I can't entirely remember the context, but what I do remember is that I instantly apologised to the people I'd told it to and explained that I didn't really mean what I'd said.
The actual racist incident bit, the way I see it, came over a week later, when I was barred entry to a party by someone whose party it was not because, somehow*, he had found out about what I'd said -- but apparently hadn't troubled himself to learn about either the context or the apology I'd already made. And so, in my own college, this man had taken it on himself to tell me that I wasn't allowed inside various parts of the college grounds, and that I wasn't welcome. His being bigger than me didn't help matters. I was effectively frog-marched along the street back to my own flat, having been heavily intimidated and threatened, and there's a limit to how much of that I could take. Especially as I was terrified that I might be thrown out of university for it. Oh, and in the aftermath he made reference to "middle-class white guys" and various other racist views. Massive chip on this particular person's shoulder. Luckily the college took my side, but then in his memorable words they would, of course, as we were all "middle-class white guys".
What bothers me the most is that I know how this diversity officer would react to this tale. She'd defend him from accusations of racism, probably to the hilt. No matter that he never listened to any apologies. No matter that he manhandled me. No matter that he told me I wasn't welcome in what was effectively my own garden. It's not racist, apparently, and therefore almost by definition less frowned-upon. I know this because in conversation with someone last year I related the same story and was told that it was not racist, and why that was so. I can't quite remember what they thought of the incident, but as soon as you downgrade racism to "just" discrimination then it becomes by definition less severe.
Since at the same time such a redefinition comes along with talk of "allies", and in-jokes like #killallwhitemen (and why stop at white? Some ultra-radical feminists, albeit a tiny minority, seem to want to go further still...). It is not how equality should work and I really hope that people like her are only in charge of the equality movement for a short time. It's a shame, as there is still work to do before none of this matters any more.
* * *
* He actually found out because my friends decided it would be funny to plaster what I'd said all over the room in which the party was taking place. Ho hum.
If (by the logic of this silly Lady) a person in a minority cannot be racist towards those in the majority ...
Then presumably
... the terms that the British in India used to describe the natives,
... and the terms that the white minority during Apartheid used to describe the blacks
... cannot be seen as racist.
Then presumably
... the terms that the British in India used to describe the natives,
... and the terms that the white minority during Apartheid used to describe the blacks
... cannot be seen as racist.
AOG
I'm totally with you on this.
Personally, I find it astonishing how obvious racists can get away this. They come out with mealy-mouthed excuses, but the rest of us are not fooled. She is the worst kind of racist...if she out up a sign that said 'No black men' at this event, she would have been torn to pieces.
The problem we have now, is that racists operate under this weird parallel universe, where they come out with obviously racist crap, and think they can get away with it by saying that it's their 'right to free speech'.
She may be Britain;s most highly educated village idiot.
I'm totally with you on this.
Personally, I find it astonishing how obvious racists can get away this. They come out with mealy-mouthed excuses, but the rest of us are not fooled. She is the worst kind of racist...if she out up a sign that said 'No black men' at this event, she would have been torn to pieces.
The problem we have now, is that racists operate under this weird parallel universe, where they come out with obviously racist crap, and think they can get away with it by saying that it's their 'right to free speech'.
She may be Britain;s most highly educated village idiot.
This is extremely disturbing. The fact that she keeps her position indicates that so many agree with her tortured perspective. Is what is obvious to my generation as plainly 'wrong' now acceptable?
The leader of the Student Union in my day wrote, gloatingly (after the Brighton bombing) about how wonderful the 'act of protest' was. People were killed and maimed! The entire college held a meeting (I was there) and she tearfully realised the depth of her error and resigned. That this woman is still influencing young minds is, as I said, very disturbing.
The leader of the Student Union in my day wrote, gloatingly (after the Brighton bombing) about how wonderful the 'act of protest' was. People were killed and maimed! The entire college held a meeting (I was there) and she tearfully realised the depth of her error and resigned. That this woman is still influencing young minds is, as I said, very disturbing.
retrocop - //AH
Interesting.So it is OK for a Black Diversity officer to use terms such as"white trash" in your book. That is not racist ???//
No it is not OK for anyone to use terms such as 'white trash' anywhere.
That is racist.
But I didn't state, suggest or infer that I agree with this woman in anything she says. That is not the point of the OP as I read it, nor was it mentioned in your question to me.
Bringing up another point of view is fine - inferring that I stated it, when clearly I did not, is not fine.
Interesting.So it is OK for a Black Diversity officer to use terms such as"white trash" in your book. That is not racist ???//
No it is not OK for anyone to use terms such as 'white trash' anywhere.
That is racist.
But I didn't state, suggest or infer that I agree with this woman in anything she says. That is not the point of the OP as I read it, nor was it mentioned in your question to me.
Bringing up another point of view is fine - inferring that I stated it, when clearly I did not, is not fine.
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