River
Active member
River, I've seen you scold members here when generalizations are made about differences between men and women. Someone who says something like, "Women are just more sensitive and compassionate than men are," often gets a rebuke from you. You would tell them not to generalize, that to do so is bullshit because there are plenty of sensitive, compassionate men out there and you are one of them. But now you're doing the same thing!
I sorta doubt that I am, but I'm certainly willing to explore the possibility. This stuff isn't exactly plain and easy!
What I tried to say is that LGBT people OFTEN have to much more deeply explore issues around sexuality, gender and relationships than many hetero / straight / "normal" people have had to do, and this fact has deepened our perspective on some of these matters "on average".
It is similar to saying that racial minorities have often had to examine very deeply the racial issues in our society, and that doing so has caused them, on average, to have more awarness and sensitivity -- and often insight -- into social power dynamics (for example) than those who are not racial minorities -- all on average.
Are there exceptions to these trends? No doubt there are.
Do I think average women are more aware of power dynamics with regard to patriarchy and sexism? Damn right I do. As a guy, I have to work a little harder to see the world the way a woman can here. And I think my being one of the marginalized has helped me to be sensitive in this way.
I've never meant to suggest that "straight" people are somehow less sophisticated than LGBTQ folks. Instead, I've suggested that LGBT folks have been handed a lot of lemons and some of us have creatively made lemonaide out of some of these lemons (though rarely all of them).
What is more, I know and love many straight/"normal" people (non-LGBTQ) who are extraordinarily conscious, intelligent, developed, sophisticated, awake, loving and beautiful. I don't have a preference for LGBTQ people over non-.
There are still many white people living in the deep South who think they are superior to black folks. If only they could be black for a little while, ideally in childhood, they'd perhaps wake the f**k up? And there are men who think they're better than women, etc.... Same for them. Right?