Marginalised identities and marginalising

Recently an LGBT activist had a go at me for talking about racism and feminism. Race he argued doesn't exist and we are all human. He went onto assert that race was made up by anti racist activists who kept the issue burning. Race is apparently only a reality because it is structurally embedded. This is not the first time an LGBT activist has claimed that other marginalised groups don’t have a valid reason for their discontent. I find the deliberate silencing by one marginalised group by another worrying.

I have heard the theory that race is a concept and not a biological reality that would be fine except race does exist biologically our physical differences are indicative that race exists. It has also been argued that homosexuality does not exist as it has been invented. These explanations would be fine except discrimination associated with the protected characteristics is still a reality.

These are examples from things several transgender women said to me –

You can’t call yourself black you are brown get the langue right (if you can self identify so can I)

Are you allowed to eat pork I assume you are a shade of brown so you are Muslim or some such faith that doesn’t allow you to eat pork or meat.

Hey I know transphobia exists, racism exists too in this day and age? Really who is racist anymore are you sure?

People who have been marginalised know deep down when they are being discriminated some of these experiences are violent some verbal. In all three incidents the people involved were fully aware of their marginalisation and how that played out in their daily life. What they weren’t willing to admit to was how another group of people were marginalised and had similar struggles. This is true of LGBT people of colour who experience discrimination on two fronts – race and sexuality. Does this come as any surprise then that white gay men dominate the Canal Street area in Manchester? I have seen LGBT people of colour being spoken to in derogatory ways. I have seen race, gender and sexuality clash in ugly ways in an area that is meant to be for people who have had a rough time in mainstream society. This observation is not mine alone several LGBT people of colour have noted this.

It is understandable that one marginalised group doesn’t know how to address another but to outright deny their existence  speaks of identifying with the privilege of your oppressors. In the wake of Ferguson protests it is hard to argue race does not exist