Comments on: Invisible Identities, Part 1: Invisible to Whom? http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/11/25/invisible-identities-part-1-invisible-to-whom/ In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:47:30 +0000 hourly 1 By: amandaw http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/11/25/invisible-identities-part-1-invisible-to-whom/#comment-288074 amandaw Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:28:09 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=17170#comment-288074 I love the way you turn things around. The responsibility rests on the party making the assumptions -- it is not anything inherent about you or your particular characteristics or mannerisms. It is, instead, a matter of social attitudes. And those are things that can be changed. And the more we force other people to acknowledge those facts, the more that does change. Little by little. I love the way you turn things around. The responsibility rests on the party making the assumptions — it is not anything inherent about you or your particular characteristics or mannerisms. It is, instead, a matter of social attitudes. And those are things that can be changed. And the more we force other people to acknowledge those facts, the more that does change. Little by little.

]]> By: Ouyang Dan http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/11/25/invisible-identities-part-1-invisible-to-whom/#comment-288046 Ouyang Dan Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:34:52 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=17170#comment-288046 *wild applause* I think you already know how I feel about this piece. You've done well in writing it. *light skinned WoC/invisible disability high fives* *wild applause*

I think you already know how I feel about this piece. You’ve done well in writing it.

*light skinned WoC/invisible disability high fives*

]]> By: dasha http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/11/25/invisible-identities-part-1-invisible-to-whom/#comment-288043 dasha Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:47:27 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=17170#comment-288043 Lately, I've been hiding my identities and I fear the repercussions of just being myself, fully and openly. I'm doing it because I know right now I haven't got the energy to deal with the backlash but that doesn't make it any easier to put up with the hatred and misunderstanding which is so routinely manifested. I feel guilty for shying away from revealing myself. I'm not very good at biting my tongue, either, when others' prejudices surface. This makes me come off as very touchy and moody, and I'm still managing to 'other' myself by not falling in line. Being in the identity closet takes its own type of toll on you. Lately, I’ve been hiding my identities and I fear the repercussions of just being myself, fully and openly. I’m doing it because I know right now I haven’t got the energy to deal with the backlash but that doesn’t make it any easier to put up with the hatred and misunderstanding which is so routinely manifested. I feel guilty for shying away from revealing myself. I’m not very good at biting my tongue, either, when others’ prejudices surface. This makes me come off as very touchy and moody, and I’m still managing to ‘other’ myself by not falling in line. Being in the identity closet takes its own type of toll on you.

]]> By: hexy http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/11/25/invisible-identities-part-1-invisible-to-whom/#comment-288022 hexy Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:56:11 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=17170#comment-288022 *applause* Thank you so much for writing this, and for putting it so clearly! While denial of the identity of pale-skinned non-white people is definitely an issue in Australia (and I have written about such previously) it can be really confronting and upsetting to run into American ideas of race and racism that are so prevalent on the internet, and that really reinforce the idea that such judgements are acceptable. My racial identity, disability status, and to a certain extent my sexuality, are all erased by people with relevant privilege who "get to" assume I'm one of them. It gets so tiring having to constantly reassert my right to have my own identity, and then to often be forced to defend it. *applause* Thank you so much for writing this, and for putting it so clearly!

While denial of the identity of pale-skinned non-white people is definitely an issue in Australia (and I have written about such previously) it can be really confronting and upsetting to run into American ideas of race and racism that are so prevalent on the internet, and that really reinforce the idea that such judgements are acceptable.

My racial identity, disability status, and to a certain extent my sexuality, are all erased by people with relevant privilege who “get to” assume I’m one of them. It gets so tiring having to constantly reassert my right to have my own identity, and then to often be forced to defend it.

]]>