Derailing For Dummies

So last night I was up to the usual, reading random blogs and clicking interesting links they contained which opened new sites/blogs and somehow I ended up at “Derailing for Dummies”. It’s basically a list of all the responses that members of a marginalized group may hear from members of a privileged group when discussing certain topics. The author does an amazing job satirizing it, hopefully I can reach a point where I’m that good.

“You know how it is.  You’re enjoying yourself, kicking back and relaxing at the pub or maybe at the library; or maybe you’re in class or just casually surfing the internet, indulging in a little conversation. The topic of the conversation is about a pertinent contemporary issue, probably something to do with a group of people who fall outside your realm of experience and identity. They’re also probably fairly heavily discriminated against - or so they claim.  
The thing is, you’re having a good time, sharing your knowledge about these people and their issues. This knowledge is incontrovertible - it’s been backed up in media representation, books, research and lots and lots of historical events, also your own unassailable sense of being right. 

Yet all of a sudden something happens to put a dampener on your sharing of your enviable intellect and incomparable capacity to fully perceive and understand All Things. It’s someone who belongs to the group of people you’re discussing and they’re Not Very Happy with you. Apparently, they claim, you’ve got it all wrong and they’re offended about that.  They might be a person of colour, or a queer person. Maybe they’re a woman, or a person with disability. They could even be a trans person or a sex worker. The point is they’re trying to tell you they know better than you about their issues and you know that’s just plain wrong. How could you be wrong?

Don’t worry though! There IS something you can do to nip this potentially awkward and embarrassing situation in the bud. By simply derailing the conversation, dismissing their opinion as false and ridiculing their experience you can be sure that they continue to be marginalised and unheard and you can continue to look like the expert you know you really are, deep down inside!

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE PRIVILEGE!

Just follow this step-by-step guide to Conversing with Marginalised People™ and in no time at all you will have a fool-proof method of derailing every challenging conversation you may get into, thus reaping the full benefits of every privilege that you have.

The best part is, you don’t even have to be a white, heterosexual, cisgendered, cissexual, upper-class male to enjoy the full benefits of derailing conversation! Nope, you can utilise the lesser-recognised tactic of Horizontal Hostility to make sure that, despite being a member of a Marginalised Group™ yourself, you can exercise a privilege another Marginalised Group™ doesn’t have in order not to heed their experience!

Read on, and learn, and remember… you don’t have to use these in any particular order! In fact, mixing them up can really keep those Marginalised People™ on their toes! After all, they are pretty much used to hearing this stuff, so you don’t want to get too predictable or they’ll get lazy! 

If You Won’t Educate Me How Can I Learn 
If You Cared About These Matters You’d Be Willing To Educate Me 
You’re Being Hostile 
But That Happens To Me Too! 
You’re Being Overemotional 
You’re Just Oversensitive 
You Just Enjoy Being Offended 
Being Offended Is Great For You 
Don’t You Have More Important Issues To Think About 
You’re Taking Things Too Personally 
It’s Only The Internet! 
You’re Not Being Intellectual Enough/You’re Being Overly Intellectual 
You’re Interrogating From The Wrong Perspective 
You’re Arguing With Opinions Not Fact 
Your Experience Is Not Representative Of Everyone 
Unless You Can Prove Your Experience Is Widespread I Won’t Believe It 
I Don’t Think You’re As Marginalised As You Claim 
Aren’t You Treating Each Other Worse Anyway 
But If It’s Okay For Marginalised People To Use Those Words, Why Can’t I? 
But You’re Different To The Others 
But It’s True! - NEW! 
Well I Know Another Person From Your Group Who Disagrees! 
I’m Just Saying What Other People Believe. I Never Said I Agree 
I Said SOME Marginalised People Do That, Not ALL 
“It’s A Conspiracy!” - NEW 
You Have An Agenda - NEW 
A In B Situation Is Not Equivalent To X In Y Situation 
Anything You Can Do - NEW! 
But I’m Not Like That - Stop Stereotyping! - NEW! 
You’re Just Suffering Privilege Envy - NEW! 
Who Wins Gold in the Oppression Olympics? 
You Have A False Consciousness 
You’re Not Being A Team Player 
You’ve Lost Your Temper So I Don’t Have To Listen To You Anymore 
You Are Damaging Your Cause By Being Angry 
You’re As Bad As They Are 
Surprise! I Was Playing “Devil’s Advocate” All Along! ”

Continued at http://www.derailingfordummies.com/, or you can click the above links to view each individual item.