Politics as a dysphoria trigger

[Lucca]

I wanted to talk a bit about what is probably the biggest thing that's triggered my gender dysphoria and caused my huge depressive spiral earlier this year, American politics. My apologies to the moderators if this is in an inappropriate section due to it's political nature, feel free to move it if it is.

So, I don't think it's a secret that white men are being blamed for a lot that's been going wrong in the United States. A lot of my gender dysphoria is coming from other demographics in the liberal voting pool taking a brief look at my appearance and using it to decide what political actions I should take and what positions I should have, and dismissing any arguments to the contrary I may make because of my race and gender presentation. Either that, or suggesting that I somehow "owe" disenfranchised groups something because I'm a white man, so I'm responsible for cleaning up the mess that other white men have caused.

For example, I was a supporter of Bernie Sanders in the primary, but a lot of Hillary Clinton fans, the Democratic Party, and much of the liberal media view this is an unacceptable betrayal for all sorts of reasons, either because they believe he damaged her chances of winning in the general election, or because they think it's sexist to vote for a man over the first female candidate with a real shot, or some other reasoning I find spurious. When I try to argue, I'm dismissed, because I'm a privileged white man who doesn't understand how unprivileged groups feel, and I should just follow their lead.

I've faced plenty of hardships in my life, particularly because I was raised in a repressive conservative Christian environment and became an atheist later, but no one seems to believe because no one can look over my status as a supposedly privileged white man. I certainly don't feel all that privileged given my miserable teen years and the discrimination I faced; for example, when I was in High School, I went to see two different therapists for help with my depression, but they wouldn't take my problems seriously because they were religion-based, and so I couldn't get on any medication or receive social support at a time when I really needed it. I had to make it out of High School with zero support from anyone around me, and no professional mental health help. Now, more recently, I tried to convince someone that I deserve to have a voice in liberal politics because of my history of being discriminated against for being an atheist, but she just told me that "there are a lot of groups under attack right now, and white men aren't one of them." I did not bring up race or gender earlier in this conversation, I only mentioned that I felt discriminated against for being an atheist, but the fact that I was a white man overshadowed everything that I actually said, and my arguments were ignored because of my appearance.

Stuff like this puts me in the awkward position of having to defend white men as a group, but I really don't want to bother doing this. I only identify under the "white male" demographic because other people have decided it's what I fit in to based on a cursory glance at my appearance, I didn't get to choose my skin color or biological sex. I don't identify closely with stereotypical male (or white) emotions or desires, and I also don't feel like I get the sort of social support from other white men that I truly want, so in essence, I feel like I'm stuck defending a group that's never done anything for me, which other people have decided I'm a part of against my wishes.

I don't think that all this caused my gender dysphoria, but it's really driving home my desire to let out everything inside of me that could get me out of the "white male" box if it were made visible. I don't see why I'm still acting like and presenting as a man when it's not gaining me anything or making me happy. I have a credible claim to not actually being a man, so why not just stop being a man, and then all this will go away? I'm sure I'd still meet plenty of resistance, but at least I'd feel like I'm actually being true to who I am when defending myself.

[Doreen]

That only works if you identify AS a white male.   I identify as a .. multigenepool genetic mutt lol.. and female.  Also .. and probably the most important lesson in life...   Nobody owes you anything.  Nada. Nunca. 

I certainly didn't benefit from any alleged white privilege growing up.  My family was very poor, I worked full time on a paper route EARLY before school in elementary (think it was around 3rd grade when I started it), and after school until dark I kept delivering papers.   Full time job.. high school didn't improve either.   I was either working janitorial work for the school or working at Bonanza Family Restaurant until closing (often 11-2am) I would then go home, catch a couple hours of sleep... and TRY to stay awake through classes.   I didn't always succeed.

Why did I work? To support my family because my deadbeat father was in prison most of my life, and my mother chose to work a non paying secretarial job instead of nursing... for whatever stupid misguided rationale. 

White privilege? Ya.. right.  Tell me again about how much I owe anyone.  NONE of my ancestors going back centuries owned slaves.   How do I know? Because I do.. and I know where my ancestors came from finally.

Trigger? Only thing that 'triggers' me in politics is the crap load blame game people try to play.  I don't feel guilty, about anything.  OH, and I haven't said where my political inclinations are   I try to avoid that if at all possible, but I believe in neutrality in politics & life.

[Lady Sarah]

I must be lucky. Nobody tries to tell me what my politics should be. But then, I refuse to talk politics in public. Texas is highly right wing, and most support the man in the White House. There are very few liberals, and I'm happy having nobody know I'm a moderate. How many moderates are out there probably outnumbers the liberals.
The only polling signs my neighbors had up were for Sheriff, and Justice of the Peace. Then, only because those candidates resided on the same block.
I guess it depends where you live as to whether or not your personal political opinions matter. On this site, they are highly discouraged. I know. I had enough posts deleted for expressing political opinion.

[Kylo]

The divisive harm of identity politics today will not be going away if you just identify as something else. You'd still be white, you'd still be Western, you'd still be privileged (according to them), you'd still be first world, or some other incarnation of normative and guilty according to the dogma. All it does is divide people and make them angry and hateful these days.

Instead tell them identity politics has gone off the deep end and become the exact opposite of what it was supposed to do - i.e. bring people together, raise people up instead of lowering them, and provide equality of opportunity instead of equality of outcome which is no opportunity. Instead of a winning mentality we got witch-hunts and victimhood mentalities. It's got to be called out on what it's become: harmful.

[Chloe]

. . . why I'm still acting like and presenting as a man when it's not gaining me anything or making me happy. I have a credible claim to not actually being a man, so why not just stop being a man, and then all this will go away?

Unsure about these days but wanting to transition for "social advantage(s)" USED TO BE a huge disqualification for actually doing so. I view MtF tg as a specifically male right to the Pursuit of Happiness and one should never deny one's origins.

[Lucca]

Yeah, I realize that identifying as a woman or transgender person will neither make my problems of being ignored in politics go away, nor will it even get everyone to stop viewing me as a white man. But maybe I'd be more comfortable dealing with the problems that come from being a woman or transwoman.