here are some of MY working understandings of oppression. this informs my lens and understanding of the world. this also influences how i write. this list is not exhaustive, and i welcome feedback, and additions. also, this list has links to other pages that speak specifically on various issues addressed here. there is a similar list over at resist racism: racism 101, that i wanted to expand to all forms of oppression.

1. we can’t talk about disadvantage, without acknowledging the dichotomy. that in fact, when some are disadvantaged, the rest of us are not neutral. we are advantaged, we have privilege.

2. privilege is real.

3. when i use the term privilege, i mean a structural, or socio-political right, advantage or immunity afforded some people, but not others.

4. oppression is not interpersonal. it is not individual acts of meanness, discrimination or prejudice.

5. oppression is prejudice + institutional [laws, government, military, social norms] power.

6. subsequently, there is no such thing as reverse oppression.

7. intent is different than impact. you may not have meant for your comment or action to come across as racist, sexist, classist, but if the other person experienced it that way, you need to own it.

8. claims of oppression are not over reactions.

9. tokenizing and/or fetishizing is not the same as being anti-oppressive.

10. consuming someone’s culture whether that’s gay culture or japanese culture, does not make you anti-oppressive.

11. when people who are oppressed want some space, a safe place and that does not include you [women of color potlucks, black history month, gay alliances] recognize that this may be the only time in a dominant society, that we have the opportunity to loose our chains. as chrystos said: “give us our inch.”

12. frustration with oppression is not the same as being angry.

13. colorblindness, or treating everyone the same is not anti-oppressive. see: “the myth of colorblindess“

14. being a good ally takes forever. there is no prize at the end of an anti-oppressive journey. don’t expect cookies, praise or cheers. but being a good ally means always growing, changing, challenging yourself and being in solidarity.

15.  ignoring oppression doesn’t make it go away.

16. we all live with multiple identities. we can simultaneously be oppressed and oppressive. white women, black men. college educated people of color, gay cisgendered folks all experience oppression while in other ways being oppressive.

17. there is no hierarchy of oppression. we are complex. we experience different oppressions (and privileges) in different spaces and contexts. it’s different for each person.