As we have read in Vivian M. May's "Intersectionality," it is impossible to remove someone's multiple identities and their cultural context from their prospectives and opinions. There are many identity groups that I claim membership to, some affecting my life more than others. The identity categories that affect my individual human experience more, are generally the one's that affect my life in a negative way. These are identities that I am oppressed by or experience oppression as a result of. The aspects of my identity that I experience privilege as a result of, still affect my life, however those effects are more invisible or harder to recognize because they are privileges. They are not conditions I am forced to confront as a point of difference between myself and the majority of society.
Some of the groups that I identify with include white, upper middle class, Sicilian American, queer, gender variant (specifically trans), and feminist. These different groups absolutely affect each other and intersect creating my unique experience and lens. For example, my identity as a trans man intersects with my identity as a feminist. I know that if I had been assigned male at birth and socialized as a male, I would still be a feminist. However being socialized as a female gives me unique insights into exactly what it means to be treated as a woman in our society. I am grateful for my socialization only in the sense that I am able to understand some things fully having experienced them personally. On the same token, being a person who is and is read as white, intersects with my identity as queer. Some aspects of my privilege that are involved in being white (some not all) are canceled out by my queer identity because of representation. Although it is easy for me to look at different types of media, politics, athletics, and entertainment and easily find people who look like me and identify the same way, my queer identity prevents this. There are significantly fewer queer role models in each of these arenas.
The identities that I experience the most privilege as a result of are my race (white) and nationality (Sicilian American). This is because people do not constantly make assumptions about me based on my skin color. They do not assume that my opinion about something is a universal feeling that all people in my racial category share. I can walk into any salon and know that there will be someone who can cut my hair. I can easily sit in any history class and know that the history of my race will be discussed and represented. I can watch any channel on TV and know that there will be characters that look like me. I can show up late to something and know that people will not attribute it to my race. There are many more examples of how being in a racial majority or "preferred" racial category contribute to my privilege.
The groups I am a part of that cause me to experience oppression include queer and trans. As a trans person, I cannot use public facilities such as public bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms without anxiety about harassment or being questioned about why I am there. As a queer person, I cannot get married everywhere in this country and if I chose to move, my marriage might be invalidated by the laws in my new state or country. As a trans person I am constantly asked about my "real name" and mis-gendered through pronoun use or assumed gender. As a queer person I am constantly asked about how I have sex and told that it does not count as real sex. As a trans person it is very hard for me to find clothing and shoes that fits without having them custom made or shopping in children's sections. Finally, as a queer person, I was completely ignored in my sex-ed classes and did not even know that I was at risk for STD's through sexual contact.
Some of the groups that I identify with include white, upper middle class, Sicilian American, queer, gender variant (specifically trans), and feminist. These different groups absolutely affect each other and intersect creating my unique experience and lens. For example, my identity as a trans man intersects with my identity as a feminist. I know that if I had been assigned male at birth and socialized as a male, I would still be a feminist. However being socialized as a female gives me unique insights into exactly what it means to be treated as a woman in our society. I am grateful for my socialization only in the sense that I am able to understand some things fully having experienced them personally. On the same token, being a person who is and is read as white, intersects with my identity as queer. Some aspects of my privilege that are involved in being white (some not all) are canceled out by my queer identity because of representation. Although it is easy for me to look at different types of media, politics, athletics, and entertainment and easily find people who look like me and identify the same way, my queer identity prevents this. There are significantly fewer queer role models in each of these arenas.
The identities that I experience the most privilege as a result of are my race (white) and nationality (Sicilian American). This is because people do not constantly make assumptions about me based on my skin color. They do not assume that my opinion about something is a universal feeling that all people in my racial category share. I can walk into any salon and know that there will be someone who can cut my hair. I can easily sit in any history class and know that the history of my race will be discussed and represented. I can watch any channel on TV and know that there will be characters that look like me. I can show up late to something and know that people will not attribute it to my race. There are many more examples of how being in a racial majority or "preferred" racial category contribute to my privilege.
The groups I am a part of that cause me to experience oppression include queer and trans. As a trans person, I cannot use public facilities such as public bathrooms, locker rooms, or changing rooms without anxiety about harassment or being questioned about why I am there. As a queer person, I cannot get married everywhere in this country and if I chose to move, my marriage might be invalidated by the laws in my new state or country. As a trans person I am constantly asked about my "real name" and mis-gendered through pronoun use or assumed gender. As a queer person I am constantly asked about how I have sex and told that it does not count as real sex. As a trans person it is very hard for me to find clothing and shoes that fits without having them custom made or shopping in children's sections. Finally, as a queer person, I was completely ignored in my sex-ed classes and did not even know that I was at risk for STD's through sexual contact.
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