Quote from: Pica Pica on October 21, 2008, 08:54:31 AM
I just want to thank Nero for this thread, oddly.
Coming late to this, me too. The middle of the thread wasn't very nice, but despite the tone the start gave some food for thought and the more recent posts have been a nice save for the nastiness in between. Anyway.
Sure, I have cissexual privilege and male privilege. What one has to keep in mind, though, is that it's not as simple as that: all these privileges are not on/off things but instead relative and very situational. There are some contexts where there is a definite female privilege -- say, when a couple goes to see a midwife, or in a lot of feminist discourses. Male and cissexual privileges are just the most egregious ones from our point of view, and the most basic ones with regard to everyday life.
The privileges have their flip side too. My biggest issue all along has been the people who
expect me to use the oh-so-wonderful male privilege, and there have been several cases where my refusal to be 'male enough' has been a problem. Similarly, in the past year or two I've come to see cissexual privilege as a personal straitjacket, and while the thought of losing it is scary, it has also been liberating to make an attempt at not worrying about it. Just like it has been a relief to not worry about losing transsexual privilege in these forums.
The key issue here is to realise that this complex web of privileges exists -- it does, and there's not too much we can do about it -- and try to live so that the various privileges have as little effect on one's personal behaviour as possible. In other words know the big picture but be true to oneself, I guess.
Nfr