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Why #6

It has taken me a while to be able to articulate why I am a part of Equity Buckfield. As a white Christian female “of a certain age,” I am aware of my privilege in society and have struggled to accept that I am indeed privileged. What does privilege mean? To me, it means that when I hear people say “I am so tired of hearing about gay/trans/POC/ or any other people’s rights” this means they can turn off thinking about it and get angry when they have to think about it. Not hearing or thinking about these things are easy for someone who thinks none of it affects them.

 

I am a long-time feminist; you could say I am the feminist Rush Limbaugh warned you about. No, I don't hate men. I am married to one. But as a mother and grandmother, I worry that hard-fought women's rights are under attack. But now this is not my only worry. The rights of any group of people who feel afraid is and should be a worry for all of us.

 

I grew up here hearing racist, homophobic hateful comments often. Some of the people who said them have grown and some have only gotten worse. Some think it is OK to say these things around me because I am “one of them”. I am finally beginning to let people see who I am and I hope they will never again mistake me for “one of them”.

 

I am a part of EB because I simply want to be a good friend. I hope that is a good start.


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