Identity Politics

I have been told that, simply because I am trans*, if I am not anti-gamergate then I am enabling my own oppression.

Okay then, let's unpack this premise.


Main Thesis: 

If I am X, I must vote/support/endorse things which benefit X. 

Since I am a transwoman, I must perforce be on the assumed "pro-woman" side. (I'm not even going to address the assumption that anti-gamergate is pro-woman; for purposes of this discussion, I shall let it stand unchallenged, even though it desperately needs challenging.)


Consequence of Main Thesis: 

Since I am white, I must vote/support/endorse things which benefit white people. 

That's what I'm being told, right? After all, this isn't about what my sense of morality and personal ethics tells me what's right; I'm an X, and so I have to vote for X. This means I have to side with Officer Wilson and against the people of Ferguson, no matter what... which is something I expect the speaker does not agree with. Whoops. 

And it's not just me who has to do this; all minorities must endorse things which benefit them, even if it harms or disadvantages other ethnicities. In other words, Hispanics can only vote for things which benefit Hispanics, and to hell with Asians, who can only support Asian causes, even if it comes at the expense of Hispanics. We all have to move in lockstep with the rest of our demographic, regardless of what our consciences tell us. Otherwise we're enabling our own oppression, and have internalized hatred or something. Double whoops.


In Other Words:
My demographic, uber alles.

Furthermore, I'm not even allowed to have an opinion on races and cultures and sexes and religions that aren't my own: since I'm female and must always vote pro-female, my opinion on male issues (say, circumcision) is going to be colored by that obvious prejudice. Since gay men always vote on gay male issues, their opinion on female genital mutilation is apparently irrelevant. Three whoopses for the hat trick!

Conclusion: 
Identity Politics is inherently illiberal. 


Finally, I'll just leave this here, okay?

Bill Clinton: Gender and Racial Politics ‘Greatest Threat’ to Country’s Future‏

Well... golly. It's almost like a great bastion of the Left is telling me that I ought to think for myself, and not simply vote for X because I'm an X. So either Clinton isn't a proper Liberal... or he's come to the same conclusions outlined above.

Hmmmm. 







*Technically I'm not trans, although I don't mind being called it. I only quibble semantically** because I don't want to give folks the wrong idea. The technically correct term is "genderqueer", although that's a bit of a mouthful.

** Tee hee hee!  "Semen."