At the Intersec tions of Feeling and Intellec tualizing by Lyndon Cudlitz, Community Education Program Manager I had known for years: life was different for me as a working class LGBTQ person compared to middle- and upper-class LGBTQ people. I could so easily feel the differences and experiences that set me apart. And though I loved my working-class queer community dearly and derived from it a great sense of resilience and pride, I knew intimately the realities of not having access to the same opportunities and privileges as other people (such as having access to most LGBTQ conferences or being able to buy masculine clothing that would fit a female body). I had been told for years: life was different for me as a white LGBTQ person compared to LGBTQ people of color. I challenged myself to think about how my experience was, in fact, different (such as seeing my race reflected in most media portrayals of LGBTQ people or not fearing mistreatment from police if I experience a hate crime). Then I noticed a stark difference. The areas of my identity where I personally experienced oppression invoked a feeling of pain at the core of my being. This motivated me to activism with intense passion because it felt like a necessity for my community. In contrast, I was intellectualizing other injustices, such as racism, instead of feeling the depths of their consequences. Fighting for the rights of other people felt more like an option, not a necessity. So how did I bring this unconscious disparity to the surface? For almost a decade I’ve conducted a yearly personal exercise – a challenge, a reminder. I make a chart listing social groupings and within each, the groups that carry the most social power and privilege, and those with less (remember, this isn’t about exceptions on an individual basis, this is about larger systems that are institutionally reinforced). Then I mark where I fall for each social grouping.
The chart provided here is an abbreviated example and can serve as a starting place. Other social groupings such as ethnicity, religion, age, and citizenship status also affect our access to power and resources. Additionally, some groupings such as age and class cannot be easily divided into two distinct categories: we know that some people have more access to power than others, but it’s difficult to define a precise cutoff point. Lastly, it is important to note the role that perceived identity has when assessing our access to power and resources (for example, my disabilities are often invisible and may afford me some of the privileges that ablebodied people have).
By being aware of how we intellectualize vs feel about different injustices, we begin to shift to a place of greater empathy and compassion. Conducting this activity teaches me that I have a role in each of these systems, not just the ones that are so often on the forefront of my mind. It serves as a reminder that I am not just one thing nor the sum of my parts, but rather that each of these identities (and more!) affect one another.
Remember, this isn’t the Oppression Olympics; it’s not about “who is most oppressed.” This activity is about starting to examine what parts of our identities are granted or denied access and how we contribute to or are affected by systems of oppression. By being aware of how we intellectualize vs feel about different injustices, we begin to shift to a place of greater empathy and compassion. We ALL have experienced being part of social groups with more social power and less social power. Our unique combination of identities plays a significant role in how we navigate society and interact with others, whether we are aware of it or not. I find the more I challenge myself to be aware of, the more I grow as an activist, as a community member, and as a human being.
I invite you to further expand your awareness, too, with the following activity:
* A Three-Part Challenge *
Step 1: Make your chart. Mark where you fall for each social grouping. Notice your thoughts and feelings about your own chart. Step 2: Make combinations. Pick any two of your identities and ask yourself how these are connected in your life. For example, “How does being transgender affect my experience as a Christian?” or “How does being white affect my experience as a lesbian?” You can even use this as a journal or blog prompt! Step 3: Consider your causes. Despite all oppressions being connected, we so often only focus on one cause that we feel truly passionate about. Almost always, this is connected to an identity of ours where we are oppressed. Your challenge is to pick two causes to get involved in, one from a place where you hold less social power and one where you hold more, and to give them equal passion and effort.
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