#i will never take issue with discussing Jewish issues equally with people from any denomination

[goldyke]

Anyway the only time it matters what sect of Judaism you are from in terms of discussing Jewish things is when specifically discussing the practice of one sect.

[almost-hysterical]

So @infpbandgeek and I were at lunch today talking to a couple of friends and were talking about misogyny, racism, nativism, LGBTQ+ animosity and religious discrimination. The two friends that we were talking to argued that none of that is a thing. That there's no white privilege. That there isn't true racism. That men don't have any advantages. That America doesn't need immigrants. That Christians aren't favored. Says the white, straight, Christian, American born males. As a woman I have to consciously choose my routes based on where I am least likely to be assaulted. I can't look around without seeing my body and my fellow sisters' bodies sexualized and attuned to what will fill MEN'S sexual appetites. I can't be angry without being disregarded because of my monthly cycle. I can't make a mistake without it becoming a reflection of my gender. I cannot speak for what I believe in because then I'm loud and bitchy. I cannot say no without being called shrewd. I cannot say yes without being called a slut. I can't wear tank tops or shorts to school, even though I've seen men with practically no shirts on. I can't question the wrongdoings of a man without being called a "feminazi." I can't bring up the idea of gender equality without being shamed for my identification as a feminist. The list goes on, so don't you dare say there isn't male privilege. Racism is rampant. My black and Latino friends are treated differently than other kids because their pigmentation determines their intelligence according to some. And Asian friends are all assumed to be smart and shamed when they aren't. And a white kid acting up is just a kid being a kid, but a black or Latino kid making a mistake is a reflection of their entire race. Latino friends of mine feel uncomfortable speaking Spanish to other Latino friends at school for fear of being assaulted, verbally or otherwise. Muslims can't wear religious clothing because it's seen as dangerous. People avoid them and call them terrorists, despite the moral codes of the Quran preaching quite the opposite. Because apparently ISIS is a fair generalization for all Muslims and Arabs. So don't you dare say racial issues are only happening within our police force. I have never met an immigrant with ill intentions. No matter the part of the world. Central/South American, African, European, Asian, and Australian immigrants all attend my school, and I get along perfectly with them. They are kind, and smart, and funny, and passionate just like anyone else. Their birthplace is not a reflection of who they are as people, and yet most are afraid to talk about their homelands because they know people will attack them for it. Kids with undocumented parents can't reach out for help or get insurance or go to the doctors because there is no protection for immigrants and no help for them to become citizens (which isn't cheap, by the way). The place these people are born determines their worth as a person and that is NOT okay. So don't you dare say that there isn't nativism. (Not to mention our newly inaugurated president wants to ban Muslim/Arabic immigrants and wants to build a fucking wall on the Mexican border) As a bisexual women, men ask me all the time if I'm interested in a threesome with two girls and a guy. The answer is and will always be no. But the point is that my sexuality is used to assume that I am easy. And I'm not. I am complicated and dedicated and focused. I am not ANYBODY's property or sex object because I am a woman, not a thing to be owned. Gay men are always assumed to be feminine and flamboyant and boy-crazy, when they are just as smart and kind as any heterosexual. Lesbians are expected to be butch, which doesn't have anything to do with sexual orientation. Speaking of gay couples, to people who ask, "Who's the boy and who's the girl?" The answer is no. Saying two gay people in a relationship are different genders kind of defeats the purpose. And gender equality is dismal. Gender fluid, non-binaries, transgendered, and undecided friends are all afraid to show what gender they truly are because they know people will attack them. People get accused of being too sensitive when asking for specific pronouns. And people who are displaying their true gender are often pushed down, and told they still look like their sex. While on the topic, gender and sex are not the same. Gender is in the brain based on hormones and brain chemistry, sex is what genitalia a person is born with. Saying they're the same is saying that thinking with your head is the same as thinking with your penis and that's fucking stupid. So don't be a dick and use "gay" as an insult or purposefully use the wrong pronouns, despite how much of a trend it is these days. Don't tell me there isn't discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. As a Jewish woman, I can't really talk about my heritage or religion. When I mention that I'm Jewish, the Jew jokes and Holocaust jokes roll in. People say they can tell by the shape of my nose. They make fun of traditions and degrade me for not agreeing with the teachings of their own religious denomination. Once, I mentioned I was Jewish in a class discussion based on the idea of Jewish culture and when I came back from the bathroom that class period, my notebooks and class work was covered in swastikas and horribly offensive, obscene language. Muslim friends can't wear the hijab because "it's not safe," but white boys can wear hats. Let's just say these issues aren't really based on the idea of safety. And no one is allowed to leave class to pray except some Catholics. During some Jewish holidays and many Muslim (sorry if I leave out your religion, I'm just not very informed about some of them), it is expected to pray in a specific way at specific times of the day. And not allowing people to practice those religious traditions is taking away their ability to feel close and safe with their God. Not to mention that as much as Trump supporters rally around the Constitution and the idea of America, they've seriously overlooked the part about religious freedom. There is religious discrimination and thinking there isn't is ignorant. This is a long post, but put basically: Our problems aren't because of gender, race, origin, sexuality, or religion. Our problem is that we focus on those generalizations too much to realize that in the grand scheme of things our political and social situations are what's wrong. I promise that someone being born with dark skin doesn't inherently make them a terrorist. Swear to God. So if you're a white, Christian, American born, straight male, great. I don't really care, I guess. But don't pretend there aren't issues because you haven't had to face them, and don't pretend that the way you were born is somehow a writ of passage into being a better person.