What sort of discrimination have you experienced? [Archive]

LuÃs Henrique

4th October 2009, 17:49

Actually, if I dont want to downplay the meaning of the word "discrimination", none.

I am (in the context of Brazilian culture) White, male, a Southern Brazilian, and straight, so I haven't actually faced the main forms of social prejudice in Brazil: racism against Blacks, (hetero)sexism, and prejudice against Northeasterns (how would this kind of prejudice be classified in this poll?)

I have at times faced religious prejudice (against atheists or against non-Catholics), but except for some schoolyard bullying (and possibly the loss of a job due to having told some high school students that the Communion is an act of ritual anthropophagy - but I can't be certain this was the cause), it never actually amounted to discrimination (ie, I have never been denyed anything significant in my life due to the fact that I am an atheist).

I must say that for some curious reason, people often think that I am a Jew; while this was never tied to any thing even close to discrimination, I find that it is possible that it has to do with some ingrained prejudices against Jews. Perhaps people identify me as a "cosmopolite"...

Any person in a patriarchal society, regardless of sexual orientation, is subjected to the effects of heterosexism; the proper roles of straight males are not enforced without much moral violence. I am, of course, no exception to that, but I don't actually think it counts as "discrimination".

Political persecution - not discrimination - is the closest thing to this thread's subject that I have actually encountered. This was quite brutal, including, for some time, the permanent risk of being arrested as a "subversive" for my affiliation to underground resistance organisations. I must consider myself lucky that I was never caught, but the climate of terror was extremely disagreeable to say the least. I may say also that I was lucky that at the time when I had to find a job, the dictatorship was already in its deathbed, so I was never jobless due to my political colours.

I have no "identity" and I make a point of not having one. I think it is a reactionary and dehumanising thing.

I am a civil servant, so I haven't faced the burden of ageism (this is missing in the poll) while looking for a new job after my 40th birthday. I know that this is going to be a problem in the future, including the fact that my retirement will quite certainly bring monetary losses.

Luís Henrique

which doctor

4th October 2009, 18:26

I'm white, (mostly)straight, male, and from a middle-class family, so I've been lucky enough to experience very little discrimination in my life. I do have a mild stutter, so I have experienced some disability-related discrimination, but it has been pretty minor compared to the other forms of discrimination that go on.

DÃ³chas

4th October 2009, 20:29

identity - because i actually think for myself instead of following what "every one else" does

political - well i live in a conservative area and a conservative country in general so ye, political discrimination pretty common

Pogue

4th October 2009, 20:35

I've never had racial discrmination or gender or sexuality, being a hetrosexual white male living in Britain. I've actually had a bit of discrimination based upon being part Irish which is absurd because I don't even have an accent, its actually come after I've told someone my family comes from Ireland. Never had discrmination for my politics as far as I know.

In fact only discrimination I've had is based on age and also football team. Once I wasn't allowed into a cafe on a train station because I was dressed as a Chelsea fan. Fucking tosser bloke who worked there.

Been mocked a bit for mannerisms of accent I suppose, guess that could be cultural. But really I don't fit the demographic of who is discriminated against, but I'm always on the alert to it happening to others.

Aeval

4th October 2009, 22:00

Beyond general mindless sexism, and a fair amount of sexuality related bullying whilst I was in school, it's only recently since moving to another country that I've experience proper in-your-face discrimination:

- Firstly, (incorrect) racism - stuff like being ordered off a bus because the driver though I was polish, being started on by a group of lads 'cause they thought we were jewish, just generally having people being rude and nasty to you when they hear you're foreign (though this tends to be only when they don't know what 'type' of foreign you are, once they realise you're not from one of the countries they hate for 'stealing' their jobs they start being nice again)
- Ageism/discrimination based on appearance - as in, being stalked round shops by security guards, being harassed by police, having people move seats when you sit next to them on the bus, and my personal favourite, being accused of shoplifting (which was awesome because she made a massive scene about 'catching' me and then looked a total tit when she looked through my bag and found nothing :D) - I don't know if this is ageism, it seems more against anyone who looks 'punk' or 'chavy' (or when you're in the center of town just 'not rich')

I suppose it's a bit different to normal acts of discrimination because I'm not a 'punk' or polish or jewish etc, so I don't feel particularly hurt by it, it just shows how amazingly ignorant some people can be.

Manifesto

5th October 2009, 00:26

Usually my friends threaten me for being a leftist so far just death.

Invincible Summer

5th October 2009, 02:19

I have experienced racial, age, identity, and political discrimination.

Race - I applied for a job at a golf course (to work in the clubhouse kitchen) and I heard from a friend that worked there that the boss told her that there were too many Asian employees and therefore he wasn't going to hire any more. Whether or not the boss was pressured by the patrons, I don't know, but it pissed me off. It was the first time I had been denied something for my race.

Age - Various areas of life, people telling me "You're too young to understand," or being looked at suspiciously and having a security guard hover around me because I'm a 20-something Asian male (coincidentally, the same age and racial group that has had a rash of gang violence in this area... I suppose that's also race) "loitering," when I'm waiting for a friend.

Identity - I'm Chinese, but I identify with... not being Chinese really. I never learned the language and most of my friends are either similarly "whitewashed," or are white. Other Chinese/Asian people at my high school always looked down on me and laughed at me because I "didn't know my roots."

Politics - I have a few friends that are conservatives/right-libertarians and they harass me (in a non-joking way) whenever I bring Communism up.
Another time at one of my old jobs, my supervisor made a critical comment about capitalism - I didn't realize he was joking, so I chipped in. Then he said "What are you, a Communist or something?" and then he would stop talking to me unless he really had to.

5th October 2009, 03:16

violence from neighbourhood jew-haters.

This for me, except only threats of violence, verbal attacks, vandalism, etc. I've never actually been physically assaulted as a result of this. There have been four occasions where I've left work at the end of the day to find svastikas painted all over my car. Which is really not some big deal, except I always expect something to accompany it. Luckily nothing ever has.
Sexism has been, by a long shot, the really big one for me though, with undoubtedly the worst consequences.

Axle

5th October 2009, 06:02

I've been lucky. I've only faced mild religious discrimination because of my atheism and some political discrimination because I'm a communist.

5th October 2009, 07:06

Political Discrimination, it's funny cos no-one I know actually knows what communism truly is. Like in class the teacher says about how this teacher from the 50s was discriminated against by his students because he was a communist. Someone mentions my name and they all start laughing. A girl didn't know what communism was so the teacher told her that it was a cruel dictatorship where the State is the supreme authority and it always fails in practice. I would've laughed at that if only people hadn't laughed at me. Also being Hungarian with Russian and Serbian parents is not good when your friends are such ignorant people, infact, Australian society in general seems to hate European immigrants.

rebelmouse

5th October 2009, 08:42

I vote for race discrimination because there is no option for discrimination on the basis of nationality (fascism).
so, I was discriminated many times in west on the basis that I am from East Europe and from Serbia. In Swiss they hate Yugoslavians, in Germany they hate Serbians and they like Croatians (because of II World War), in Scandinavia they hate all East Europeans but it is not on the basis of nationality than on the basis of materialism ("we take their jobs, etc"). but it is the fact that they hate East Europeans when we come to find job, they don't hate people from London or other Western countries who came to find job. so it is not only materialist discrimination than racial/race discrimination also (they discriminate whole Slavic population, not "only" one East European country). national discrimination is fascism, race discrimination (and religious one) is racism.
I can say that also this type of discrimination like in Germany can be seen as race discrimination because it is connected with colonialism, nazi idea: they see Slavic population (Poland, Yugoslavia, Russia, etc) as lower race and they think that "they are better, higher, blue blood nation who has right to rule over others". I think that capitalism develop racism in order to justify occupation of other nations, rulers want unity of domestic nation when they attack other/foreign country/nation. mass media and nationalist education (history, etc) help them about it.

beside it, as a homeless, I am discriminated on the basis of materialism. workers in the stores hate homeless when we exchange bottles for money in the store, women don't want relationships with homeless, we can't participate in capitalist society where everything is based on money (about making of friendships (drinking in cafe bars), making of culture happenings, etc), people run away from us because we need million little acts of help, etc. and we don't have medical care like middle class (mostly medicine sisters discriminate us or receptionist in hospitals who don't let us to visit doctor if we don't have money or insurance or EU passport).

Искра

5th October 2009, 09:57

Religious - I'm atheist from my 8th birthday, which was quite big think in 1998's Croatia. I was in "special" class because of that with Jews, Jehovah's Witness, Muslims (Albanians) and other atheists. When you are 8 and all kids go to chatolic class and you are left out, that's quite big thing. But I didin't mind that, I fucking hated God. Problem was because kids are the crulest living beings, so you know how do they act.

Race/culture - Serbian people (not all ofcourse) hate me because I'm Croat. Croatians hate me because I speak like Serb.

Politics - Well, baby I'm an anarchist :)

KarlMarx1989

5th October 2009, 12:32

Race, gender, culture, religion, and politics. So, I fight back [as much as seven people can fight against the masses].

LuÃs Henrique

5th October 2009, 18:46

red cat

5th October 2009, 20:02

Race, culture and politics.

Le LibÃ©rer

5th October 2009, 21:30

This for me, except only threats of violence, verbal attacks, vandalism, etc. I've never actually been physically assaulted as a result of this. There have been four occasions where I've left work at the end of the day to find svastikas painted all over my car. Which is really not some big deal, except I always expect something to accompany it. Luckily nothing ever has.
Sexism has been, by a long shot, the really big one for me though, with undoubtedly the worst consequences.
That seems surprising to me as well. Four times? Thats a bit excessive. I have to ask as well, how you handled it. I always thought your part of the world was like the hippie mecca.

Here if there are a series of hate crimes like these, they assign a special unit to investigate it.

6th October 2009, 04:32

That seems surprising to me as well. Four times? Thats a bit excessive. I have to ask as well, how you handled it. I always thought your part of the world was like the hippie mecca.

Here if there are a series of hate crimes like these, they assign a special unit to investigate it.
I think you have a bit of a misconception about the west coast. I obviously cannot speak for the entire west coast, but the city where I live is no hippie Mecca by any standard. I moved here from the east coast when I was seven, and the town where I went to school is the home of the National Socialists of Washington State. The word “Jew” is basically the all-encompassing insult here. As for the graffiti, it occurred over the course of about a year, presumably by the same person, who obviously knows who I am. I never called the police over it. Other than filing a report, I really don’t see what they could do about it, and I’m frankly not interested in getting myself involved with the police for any reason if it isn't necessary. Each time, I just went back into the lab, told my co-workers, and the evening janitor came out with me and helped me wash them off. I was not aware vandalism with svastikas even qualified as a hate crime.

RedRise

6th October 2009, 09:00

Usually people just make crummy but still offensive jokes about my religion (pagan) or politics. I've been called a gay commie despite no evidence that I actually am gay so they're basically just using that as an extra insult.:confused: I have been called witch, evil witch, creepy magic person, voldemort and durza as well as being asked I dance naked in the moonlight or drink goats blood.:blink: I'm often teased because I skipped a grade very early so I am the youngest in my class.:mad: Boys sometimes assume I'm week because I'm female but they generally change their minds pretty quick.:rolleyes:

un_person

6th October 2009, 10:12

Political. I live in Small Town, USA. Around here communism is equated with satanism and tyranny. I believe the best way to change this is through education about what communism really means, not what our schools and media tell us it means.

Aeval

6th October 2009, 10:59

6th October 2009, 11:40

Искра

6th October 2009, 12:33

It's interesting that the one with the largest percentage of votes by far is 'politics' - I'd be interested to know what form this political discrimination is taking, I mean, is it like people attacking you for it or refusing to give you jobs and stuff, or is it more them not knowing what communism or anarchism, or what ever -ism you happen to be, actually means so they start making dumb comments? I'm not trying to belittle the political discrimination some of you may have experienced, obviously some can be pretty horrendous, I just would never have expected that to be the most common one. I guess maybe it's just to do with the demographics of the board.
Ok, here's my explanation of political discrimination and reason why did I put that there.
I don't count here stuff like when kids in your highschool tease you you are anarchist haha, or you are commie, bash the commie, anarchist fag, we won't hang around with you because you are an anarchist, Serbian whore etc. That's just kids crap...
I'm talking here about some serious stuff which I'll not mention (since this is public forum) try to describe. I'm talking here about prejudice that people have about my political ideology (anarchism), about they really don't know a shit. Also, I always try to promote my ideology, in the way of breaking prejudices and then I get into conflict with people I'm surrounded. Those conflicts are really (almost never) physical, but more psychical, mentally... I don't know to describe it better... I would also like to mentioned that Croatia is not like USA, or Spain, UK etc. country with some kind of anarchist tradition...

Original posted by Apikoros
It is far less surprising when you are generally familiar with the demographic makeup of the forums here. It is overwhelmingly white, male users posting here. In which case, there is not much room for discrimination in the areas of race, gender, identity, and culture.
I can't agree with you on this. This is also discriminating... :)
The fact I'm white, heterosexual and male, doesn't make me accepted by society in Croatia. Also, here you can't be any other race than white because whites here are 99% majority. There are maybe around 10 black people here which are mostly from African countries and they study here, and there are few Chinese people with their stores here.Here in Croatia biggest discrimination is ethnic. "Kill all Serbs and Muslim" (Muslim is here ethnic and religious stuff). Also, only "God can help" you if you are gay here and people know that. Since, I'm not so accepted by society here, imagine how would accepted be someone who's Serbian, male, gay and atheist in Croatia, or Muslim, female and Muslim (or make your mix).

I think that there's, unfortunately, always room for discrimination. Which is not anything good and we should fight against it (but sad thing is that it always ends up on the words).

Jazzratt

6th October 2009, 13:15

I haven't experienced any, or at least any that would really count. 6' 5" able bodies white dudes tend not to. It's pretty much all privelege all the time.

6th October 2009, 13:21

Original posted by Apikoros
It is far less surprising when you are generally familiar with the demographic makeup of the forums here. It is overwhelmingly white, male users posting here. In which case, there is not much room for discrimination in the areas of race, gender, identity, and culture.I can't agree with you on this. This is also discriminating... :)
The fact I'm white, heterosexual and male, doesn't make me accepted by society in Croatia. Also, here you can't be any other race than white because whites here are 99% majority. There are maybe around 10 black people here which are mostly from African countries and they study here, and there are few Chinese people with their stores here.Here in Croatia biggest discrimination is ethnic. "Kill all Serbs and Muslim" (Muslim is here ethnic and religious stuff). Also, only "God can help" you if you are gay here and people know that. Since, I'm not so accepted by society here, imagine how would accepted be someone who's Serbian, male, gay and atheist in Croatia, or Muslim, female and Muslim (or make your mix).
Note that I said "in which case, there is not much room for discrimination." Implying there is far less chance that you will be a victim of discrimination based on (in the order I specified) race, gender, identity, and culture if you are a white male. Note also that I did not include religion or sexuality. I also did not say that white males can't experience any of the forms of discrimination I listed; the implication, rather, was that it is far, far less likely. And this, in the countries from which revleft draws most of its users, is simply a fact. White males in these countries are the least oppressed group, in terms of the factors I specified, and the least likely to face discrimination as a group.

NecroCommie

6th October 2009, 13:21

Australian society in general seems to hate European immigrants.
Oh, the irony!

I haven't faced anything that could be classified as discrimination, some social bullying but it had nothing to do with stereotypes. Discrimination seems to be festering in this rotten society however, as I hear continuously the most hideous of racist and sexist claims. Being a generally well liked guy, I can make most of those douchebags feel uncomfortable though. I shall seehow lon I can keep countering their infantile phobias, as I am seriously outnumbered. It is only a matter of time until their limited understanding will grasp a concept as complex as overpower.

Random Precision

6th October 2009, 16:53

When I was in the Boy Scouts I was frequently mocked because I preferred to sit inside my tent reading at night rather than, say, sitting around the campfire with the other boys talking about the most effective way to masturbate. I wouldn't call that any specific kind of discrimination, perhaps anti-intellectualism which is to be expected in that sort of crypto-fascist organization. Also the most common insult I encountered was "queer", "homo" or related words when in Boy Scouts. Specifically one time I was met with incoherent remarks such as "Why don't you go get a civil union?" when I wore a Kerry/Edwards campaign shirt to one of the meetings.

However, I don't want to make that any bigger than it is. I am straight, although my propensity to engage in knitting in public places may tell strangers something else. :) Other than that I am white, male, raised Catholic, etc. I have had people mock my political beliefs on occasion, but to this day I cannot say that I've experienced any sort of institutionalized discrimination on behalf of that.

Stranger Than Paradise

6th October 2009, 21:09

I have not suffered most, mainly cultural, I am Scottish and I get a bit every now and then in London.

mel

6th October 2009, 21:19

I can't say I've faced much of any institutional discrimination, I'm still young and haven't applied for many jobs, and the ones I've been denied for weren't discrimination issues. I suppose I've experienced some minor ageism with respect to payscale (someone just slightly older than I with comparable experience and skill would generally be paid at least three times what I was paid for the same work) but I still made significantly more than is typical for others my age, so it's difficult to find room to complain about that.

I've dealt with some standard bullying over sexuality (I'm a heterosexual male, but because of the way I dressed and acted other males "decided" that I was homosexual and subjected me to standard teasing and bullying for it), but it never escalated far beyond verbal abuse or taking my things and playing keepaway with them. I'd hesitate to call any of that "discrimination".

MilitantAnarchist

6th October 2009, 22:58

I'll be honest, i think i've felt most of them at some point in my life... Once at a job, it was in a computer store and there was me and another guy waiting for the interview, and the manager and the other guy started chatting in another language, and spent about half an hour in the office (they double booked for the interview by mistake so i waited) and when it came to my turn i was in their about 2 mins... it isnt the WORST discrimination, but it is discrimination at the end of the day... also at another job the manager was a hindu and i was training a new employee who was also hindu even though he was paid more then me...

Most of it is employment, because i had similar experience because im male when i went for a job as a 'bra fitter', just cos i was a bloke i couldnt get the job (that was a joke by the way :laugh:)

Also, alot of it is because of my hair n tats n piercings, and with people you know who know your politics you get alot of abuse.... and i've had alot of shit because people people assume i was gay and that comes with alot of shit.

I think alot of it, for alot of people is because you dont fit in the mould... if you are different in anyway you are gonna feel alot of shit.

Another good example, is when i wouldnt stand in the pub with a bunch of ****s and say 'yea enoch powell was right'... i said he was a racist twat and i had a good old dance on his fucking grave! as im sure you can imagine that comes with alot of discrimination in itself! lol

KatherineElizabeth

8th October 2009, 22:41

I have been lucky enough to have faced very little discrimination in my life. The little bit that I have faced has been due to my sexuality and my gender identity.

Tifosi

8th October 2009, 23:09

Age Discrimination is a real shit. I can't think for myself because I'm young, well that's what I've been told. Na don't get you pal

Kukulofori

8th October 2009, 23:47

I'm a tranny and every damn cop I've spoken to has been very careful to emphasise the "sir"s or "dude"s.

RedAnarchist

9th October 2009, 15:41

I don't think I've ever suffered discrimination - being white and male removes two of the reasons listed. I'm not religious and live in a fairly secular country anyway.

Bad Grrrl Agro

13th October 2009, 02:29

Just about all of the above.

Not that it matters anymore. I've figured by now that it's just part of life.

SchrÃ¶dinger's Cat

13th October 2009, 07:29

Animalism. Damn cats.

Rascolnikova

13th October 2009, 07:51

It all blends together at a certain point. I lost most of my friends over becoming a communist, but I often wonder--given that they are mostly extremely religious, as I was raised to be--whether they would accept my stances more readily from a man.

Mujer Libre

13th October 2009, 12:02

I'm a black woman. And it's not just that I face discrimination for being black and being a woman separately. It's multiplicative. People expect certain things from you because you are black and a woman. And when you don't conform tot heir expectations- shock! Horror!

Bad Grrrl Agro

14th October 2009, 02:25

Mujer Libre, on some level, though the specifics may vary, I see what you mean through what I deal with. Obviously from the perspective of a Mexican who doesn't fit into my "birth gender" here in the United States.

The Accomplice

14th October 2009, 03:38

I experienced cultural discrimination a lot in high school.

It was all because I wasn't born in the United States. I was actually born in The Democratic Republic of Congo. What I found strange and ironic at the time was that it was the black kids who were making bogus stereotypes of my culture and non of the white kids.

Nightingale27

14th October 2009, 16:51

I'm white, live in a highly Muslim populated part of town and have lost count the amount of times I been racially abused by mouth. Attacked well twice.

proudcomrade

14th October 2009, 17:27

I have experienced a few discrimination events in my lifetime; some of them have been over real things, and others over what is perceived.

The most recent stuff to happen were a couple of very minor things about what people perceived. I am an Italian American and a Spanish speaker, and strangers will occasionally take me for either Latin or Middle Eastern in certain situations. Some are fine about it no matter what; others' racisms start to show. A couple of times, people have given me dirty glares or fearful looks when they think that I am the ethnicity against whom they are prejudiced. A couple of people overheard me speaking in Spanish in a grocery store, and they just started ogling me until I finished shopping and took my food out the door. Another time, I was dressed in a way that, between the style of clothing and a few of my features, apparently made me look very stereotypically Middle Eastern. Random strangers on the street started backing away and darting fearful glances at me. All I was doing was just walking down the sidewalk and sipping a cup of coffee. Another time, there was a lady at a pharmacy who kept giving me this wide-eyed look that was practically terrified. I felt disgusted and sad for her at the same time.

Meanwhile, those who do not mistake me for either of those backgrounds, treat me either respectfully or just indifferently if they don't know me- some strangers are even downright chatty when they consider me just a regular old neighbor from town. The double-standard is infuriating and sad.

Being an ethnic white person is a weird experience at times. I am grateful for the occasional incident like that, in a way, because it serves as a reminder to me that people of color still don't have justice; that I cannot even imagine what they are forced to go through every single day; and that I should personally question and fight my own overprivelege every day, lest I get too complacent to call myself a worthy comrade anymore. I can never understand what it is to live with real racism; but solidarity is key.

Redmau5

14th October 2009, 18:06

While I've never experienced any direct discrimination in terms of employment etc., I've recieved abuse and insults in the past because of my religion. I was brought up as a catholic in Northern Ireland, and while I'm no longer a catholic in the religious sense, people in Northern Ireland are pigeon-holed and stereotyped depending on what side of the divide they are born. For example, someone wearing a Celtic or Ireland shirt while walking through a protestant/unionist area will automatically be identified as a catholic and will likely be abused, insulted or, in more extreme cases, assaulted or killed.

Of course, this trend works both ways, and while new equality legislation makes it harder for people to discriminate on the basis of religion or political persuasion, it still happens all across the North, particularly with issues such as housing and police harassment.

Il Medico

19th October 2009, 10:13

I have experienced a few discrimination events in my lifetime; some of them have been over real things, and others over what is perceived.

The most recent stuff to happen were a couple of very minor things about what people perceived. I am an Italian American and a Spanish speaker, and strangers will occasionally take me for either Latin or Middle Eastern in certain situations. Some are fine about it no matter what; others' racisms start to show. A couple of times, people have given me dirty glares or fearful looks when they think that I am the ethnicity against whom they are prejudiced. A couple of people overheard me speaking in Spanish in a grocery store, and they just started ogling me until I finished shopping and took my food out the door. Another time, I was dressed in a way that, between the style of clothing and a few of my features, apparently made me look very stereotypically Middle Eastern. Random strangers on the street started backing away and darting fearful glances at me. All I was doing was just walking down the sidewalk and sipping a cup of coffee. Another time, there was a lady at a pharmacy who kept giving me this wide-eyed look that was practically terrified. I felt disgusted and sad for her at the same time.

This seems really common actually. I am also Italian and people mistake me for Hispanic/Middle Eastern quite often. It is rather sad to see how many people here react to someone they think is a minority.

Beside stuff like that, the main discrimination I have to deal with is the rampant homophobia of the area I live in. Being both an Atheist and a Communist doesn't help me in this rather conservative area either.

proudcomrade

19th October 2009, 18:04

This seems really common actually. I am also Italian and people mistake me for Hispanic/Middle Eastern quite often. It is rather sad to see how many people here react to someone they think is a minority.

Beside stuff like that, the main discrimination I have to deal with is the rampant homophobia of the area I live in. Being both an Atheist and a Communist doesn't help me in this rather conservative area either.

I have never been to the Midwest, and I have only been to the South once, a summer trip to Virginia when I was eight years old. I cannot even imagine what it must be like out there. I try not to complain too much about the Northeast, where I am from and still live, even with all its problems. Even up here, though, it is not safe to admit to being a Communist in public. Very, very few know of my political "condition" in real life.

By the way, I am sorry if I said anything to offend you on that thread in Chit Chat. It was truly nothing personal. I have a seriously short fuse when ganged up on by groups of people and forced to defend myself alone when the others just won't stop, be it IRL or online. I am not good at being the one who can walk away. If they ban me, I guess that's how it'll be; but I have to say that being here has been good, too- learned quite a lot in a short time.

OriginalGumby

19th October 2009, 18:21

In my home town of 8,000 the schools and the police constantly harassed teenager who looked different. I had longer hair and wore baggy clothes and I would get pulled over just walking around town with a few friends.

I also have face political discrimination in the form of red-baiting from a few people out of ignorance a few times and conscious efforts by hostile anarchists other times. All this really sucked.

counterblast

19th October 2009, 19:21

All of those.

There isn't really a "main one". As was mentioned earlier by some others; I don't feel for me personally there is sexism and racism and homophobia; but an sort of microcosm of all of these things at the same time.

I don't feel that people simply look at me and say "look at that woman" but more often "look at that middle eastern woman".

Atrus

19th October 2009, 20:13

There's certainly a degree of ageism in Britain, although I'm unsure as to whether it's really "discrimination". I certainly get stopped by the police if my friends and I are walking places when it's dark, we used to have our bags searched, etc. However, often we'd have alcohol in our bags, underage, so that's why I'm unsure if it counts as discrimination, if we actually were breaking the law. Anyway, it still happens a great deal, I've been asked to leave an upmarket shopping centre simply because they didn't believe I was a customer.
But compared with the kinds of discrimination faced by so many people every day, I don't think these really count as anything more than petty annoyances.

kalu

20th October 2009, 22:43

I have frequently experienced "discrimination" because of my brown skin. Mostly people yelling at me from the car (honestly, I don't get it). And of course, after 9/11 I was the obligatory "terrorist." I am a straight man though, so I of course have been implicated in other forms of oppression, ie. awkwardly sitting with friends as the obligatory "*****" and "slut" wafts through the air.

Fortunately, I have only had to deal with verbal forms of oppression. I've been physically threatened though, but the bastards must've thought twice about going to jail before trying to make a move. I do have to say though, spending a summer with my Black friends, I realized I wasn't even getting the worst of it...literally, we would walk into a restaurant (three or four guys) and I start hearing different types of slurs, "...here come a bunch of em...what, are they giving out free food today?" As a member of a "model minority," I hadn't experienced that side of racism. It's sickening and frightening, makes your blood pressure rise and your heart race. And that's if you're lucky (pray you don't meet most cops in America).

Stick that under "material effects."

Killfacer

21st October 2009, 00:01

Being a straight, caucasian male with no identity issues whatsoever, i have never received any of the above.

LOLseph Stalin

21st October 2009, 00:17

The main forms of discrimination I have experienced are based on my politics, religion, and my disabilities(asperger's and a speech impediment). I have found ways to get discriminated less based on my politics though. I just usually say I'm left-wing rather than communist. Of course left-wing can mean anything from Social Democrat to Communist. As for religion, I am often discriminated on the basis that I'll "burn in hell" for being a Non-Believer, mainly by Christians. Also, I have been denied jobs based on my speech impediment as employers assume I'm slow.

spiltteeth

21st October 2009, 00:31

I'm a convicted felon.
WHEN I can get work, bosses pretty much assume they can give me tons of shit

LeninBalls

21st October 2009, 23:27

I've experienced tame discrimination for being a Marxist, for being Irish and for having a Spanish mother/family.

The Ungovernable Farce

21st October 2009, 23:54

Most of what I've experienced has been the result of not fitting gender norms. It's impressive how much little bits of "femininity" coming from males pisses people off. That, plus the kind of casual anti-Semitism that lurks somewhere between joking and serious, nothing on the level that Apikoros has experienced, tho.

un_person

22nd October 2009, 01:09

Being a middle-class, heterosexual, white male I have it very easy when it comes to discrimination. I live in the American South so I hear a lot of racial slurs and all sort of discrimination. The only kind I have ever faced is based on my political beliefs and, because of my long hair, I have been challenged on my sexual orientation.

Dr Mindbender

22nd October 2009, 02:39

I got called a 'stupid paddy' at work.

Comrade Anarchist

25th October 2009, 02:56

religiously i guess because people seem to love to hate and punish atheists;
politically too because i am not allowed to do anything left wing in my house without the fear of getting my face kicked in so yahhh.

counterblast

25th October 2009, 04:47

A wonderful quote by Audre Lorde, that in many ways sums up my feelings about this issue;

"As a Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, poet, mother of two, and a member of an interracial couple, I usually find myself part of some group in which the majority defines me as deviant, difficult, inferior, or just plain "wrong."

From my membership in all these groups, I have learned that oppression and the intolerance of difference come in all shapes and sexes and colors and sexualities; and that those among us who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children, there can be no hierarchies of oppression.

I have learned that sexism and heterosexism both arise from the same source as racism -- a belief in the inherent superiority of one group over all others and therefore its right to dominance.

"Oh" say a voice from the Black community, "but being Black is NORMAL!" Well, I and many Black people of my age can remember grimly the days when it didn't used to be!

I simply cannot believe that one aspect of myself can possibly profit from the oppression of any other part of my identity. I know that my people cannot possibly profit from the oppression of any other group which seeks the right to peaceful existence. Rather, we diminish ourselves by denying to others what we have shed blood to obtain for our children. And those children need to learn that they do not have to become like each other in order to work together for a future they will all share.

The increasing attacks against lesbians and gay men are only an introduction to the increasing attacks upon all Black people, for wherever oppression manifests itself, Black people are potential victims. And it is a standard of right-wing cynicism to encourage members of oppressed groups to act against each other, and so long as we are divided because of our particular identities we cannot join together in effective political action.

Within the lesbian community I am Black, and within the Black community I am lesbian. Therefore, any attack against Black people is a gay and lesbian issue, because I and thousand of other Black people are part of the gay and lesbian community. Any attack against lesbians or gays is a Black issue, because thousands of lesbians and gay men are Black. There is no hierarchy of oppression."

RHIZOMES

25th October 2009, 11:13

Not really. I'm a white straight lower-middle class male. I was turned down by a girl for being a communist once... does that count?

RHIZOMES

25th October 2009, 20:59

Actually I could say I've experienced class discrimination, I remember when I was like 13/14 I was bullied for not being able to afford a phone and an mp3 player.

kalu

25th October 2009, 22:52

Actually I could say I've experienced class discrimination, I remember when I was like 13/14 I was bullied for not being able to afford a phone and an mp3 player.

Interesting, I don't think anyone's mentioned that in this thread ("classism").

RHIZOMES

26th October 2009, 04:18

Interesting, I don't think anyone's mentioned that in this thread ("classism").

Yep, the people who did (Mainly 2 guys) were aspiring trendy hipster yuppies and blatant racists.

black magick hustla

26th October 2009, 07:50

some motherfucker called the cops on me and told them i was making bombs. i think it was a girl also. because the cops asked me if i had a bad relationship with a girlfriend. i still dont know why to this date. i suspect it has to do with my shit accent, odd name and facial features

SchrÃ¶dinger's Cat

26th October 2009, 08:13

True story.

Number 16 Bus Shelter

2nd January 2010, 01:20

Police hanging outside my house for 3 days in a row
Getting arrested on the charge of spray -painting a police car
Getting arrested 2 weeks later for fire-bombing a police car
Being pulled over 6 (!) times on the very first day I got my motorcycle license.

Thats just the more shocking stuff.
Most of that can be explained though. The police hung outside my place, because recently some vandal had been spay-painting activist shit all over the town. It got traced back to me. Luckily I know what a fucking private cop car looks like, and they never had any proof so they did nothing.

As for the spray-painting and fire-bombing of the cop cars? I seriously have no idea.
They arrested me, I said nothing, demanded my state-provided lawyer, It went to court, case dismissed. But I really did have nothing to do with it. There wasn't even any proof of damaged police cars.

As for the motorcycle - it was diy job - and it looked and sounded like a fucking 900cc monster. Ahhhh good times. (If you've got ya leaners or restricted ya can't have anything above a 250)

There has been real racism as well though, with me not exactly being the whitest kid on the block. :laugh:

Costello

2nd January 2010, 03:03

Living in the North of Ireland, I have been discriminated against several times because I am a Catholic by Protestants and by the RUC/PSNI.

Canadian Red

3rd January 2010, 07:47

Sexuality is the biggest one for me. Im an outspoken gay rights activist and often get jeered at by homophobes. Homophobia is rampant.

Dr Mindbender

3rd January 2010, 15:16

Living in the North of Ireland, I have been discriminated against several times because I am a Catholic by Protestants and by the RUC/PSNI.

i am from a protestant background, and recieved celtophobic abuse from english people after i moved to england.

Across the water they don't care which side of the divide you hail from. I think those experiences fairly much killed any iota of unionist sentiment i had left at the time.

ComradeMan

3rd January 2010, 15:36

Ha..... a good deal of my family are Jewish.... no need to explain.

piet11111

3rd January 2010, 17:37

for my politics my atheism and my age when i was younger.

ComradeMan

3rd January 2010, 17:45

I'd just like to thank KHAD for neg-repping me for the post I made above and saying that I, like all Israelis, harrass people who do not agree with me.

Seeing as I am not Israeli, and I was talking about discrimination from a Jewish point of view your actions have shown you to be an anti-Semite.

The Red Next Door

3rd January 2010, 20:18

I have been told i was mess up for being a communist and my cousin grab me by my neck because i spoke my opinion about our government. As for race i probably been discriminated for being black but didn't notice it because when i was a kid i use to be very oblivious to social issues around me sort of.

SamB

9th February 2010, 18:47

A fair bit because of my sexuality but never really anything serious - mostly just comments people say under there breath or occasionally to my face.

The Red Next Door

9th February 2010, 19:11

Red Commissar

9th February 2010, 19:40

I haven't experienced any yet, but an older friend of mine got fired from his work after they found out he joined a union. That's "right-to-work" laws for you.

ContrarianLemming

10th February 2010, 19:56

i've been discriminated for my politics, atheism, being irish and being a man

Il Medico

10th February 2010, 21:34

and being a man
Oh really? Do tell. :rolleyes:

Tablo

13th February 2010, 05:58

Being a white male I haven't had to deal with very much discrimination. The discrimination I have received was mainly for being non-religious. I have also received a great deal of discrimination for my gender identity and my political beliefs(don't we all?).

The Ben G

13th February 2010, 06:12

I have had on numerous occations been discrimanated for being an Anarchist and a Communist. Also the way I dress, the music I listen too,for being a Vegetarian , how I stand up for homosexuals, muslims, ect. The area of Florida I live in is filled with rich elderly supa dupa christian republicans/liberals. I cant even count how many times ive been harrased for not being a conformist nazi.

Quail

21st February 2010, 22:12

I voted sexuality and other.

Sexuality because, although I haven't experienced anything too bad, if you're with a girl and kiss in public, random people standing around seem to feel compelled to comment in a pretty moronic way. Eg. "Whoooo lesbians!" I think that's kind of discrimination since they wouldn't do it if there was a straight couple stood there.

The other discrimination I've encountered has been mental-health related, and actually quite often from people in the medical profession, which I find pretty unbelievable, really. It can be amazing how ignorant doctors and nurses can be.

Calmwinds

21st February 2010, 23:11

I find it extremely difficult to get hard to get discriminated against for anything other than shit you cannot control your presentation (race,sex, etc) but your politics? I have in numerous times before shouting socialist/communist revolutionary explained my politics to among the an extreme amount of people, and have never gotten anything other than "Yes, i support you" or "i agree".

The presentation matters a lot. There is a violent part of being a revolutionary, but I wouldn't let that become a part of your personality, and I certainly would not present that violence whilst communicating with the public.

I grew up in the BAY/Cali and always had a lot of friends/acquaintances and already racial profiling/discrimination is extremely looked down upon and the public is extremely displeased and takes direct action when that stuff happens (At least from my area). I guess having a lot of friends helped.

I am interested, those who were discriminated because of politics, what were the kind of people disliking you because of it? Did you present it as a moral imperative, or an economic sensibility. (Curious to know the effectiveness of it)

edit:kayl, i think the above lesbian comment is just joking. The way you make it sound is pretty hilarious actually.

The Ben G

22nd February 2010, 00:00

edit:kayl, i think the above lesbian comment is just joking. The way you make it sound is pretty hilarious actually.

I dont find it funny.

Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor

22nd February 2010, 05:05

Race, Gender, Sexuality, Politics, Religion, Identity, Culture

A lot of people like to conceptualize discrimination in a way that makes it never apply to anyone but minorities. However, I think this thread kind of goes against that trend. I think if you just interpret in the casual way it's defined, it can apply to a huge amount of cases.

Race: I've was harassed for being white at an Aboriginal reserve. I also made a friend there so I'm not intending to disparage a group. Kids from all racial groups, it appears, will take whatever they can and torment someone because of it.

Gender: I suspect many men get teased for being sensitive or "throwing like a girl." This is an interesting case that mainly discriminates against women, but it also puts children in awkward situations.

Sexuality: I am uncertain about categorizing my current identity, but I strongly identified as straight when I was younger. By strongly, I mean I knew quite clearly I was straight and had no reason to believe otherwise. There is no gaydar and for whatever reason, people decided I was gay. I was harassed for my quasi-sexuality. This didn't last that long, obviously, because sexuality often reveals itself through leering and such.

Politics: Nothing serious. I occasionally find that when politics get brought up, anyone who becomes uncomfortable basically says "he's a communist," and I end up having to defend myself and switch the topic for them. Otherwise, anti-communist stereotypes remain reinforced. I can't say I've actually swayed people much, though. Nothing serious in this regard, though.

Religion: When I was becoming an atheist and uncomfortable with taking an unpopular position, given that I liked to be a "good" kid, I was teased by someone. This didn't last long as I ended up becoming a quite staunch atheist and it isn't hard to outargue teenagers.

Identity: I suppose, as someone mentioned, mental healthy discrimination occurs. People don't realize that sometimes when someone says they can't get out of bed, go to work, or maintain other responsibilities, they aren't being lazy. They're telling the truth as much as someone with a cow on top of them is being truthful when they say they're unable to get up without help.

Culture: Canada, white. Culture? I don't know, our country is made fun of often, and I could care less. I don't have any strong roots in any community. I don't even know what culture is half the time because it's so normal.

So yeah, discrimination doesn't happen to me much now that I'm in the real world. And when it does, it's relatively minor, with the exception being mental health issues, which despite having a public health care system, Canada lacks the funding and other resources to properly deal with issues.

It's hard if you're depressed, they want you to work for meaning, and you can't get meaning from the crappy jobs available because (1) they don't interest or challenge you and (2) you don't conform to the capitalist work ethic where a pat on the head makes you feel accomplished.

Stand Your Ground

24th February 2010, 22:03

I was very often made fun of in school for having acne and being shy and quiet. I saw it mentioned earlier the 'throwing like a girl' tease, I was never any good at sports or very strong so I would often suck at sports lol.

This one wasn't me but it's discrimination nonetheless. My grandfather was telling me a story from when he was in the Navy. They stopped at a port on some island (I forget where he said) and he went with his gay friend to a bar and while they were there the gay guy went to have a cigarette outside and two men approached him and said 'Hey fa**ot give me your wallet.' He calmly put out his cig and replied 'There's two things in this world I love: sucking dick and fighting', he then proceeded to beat the two men senseless lol. My grandpa came outside to see what the commotion was and saw the two men on the ground with their faces fucked up lmao. :thumbup1:

Pjotr

8th March 2010, 21:19

I have never had any real problems with my beliefs. Belgium (or Flanders to be more specific) isn't that left-wing (considering economy quite on the contrary), but I have never really had problems with my socialist ideals. Ofcourse many people do not know what socialism and communism means, but that's not a major reason to discriminate people against.
I did have problems with the fact that I'm 'gay' though. Allthough Belgium is mostly seen as one of the more progressive countries in the world considering homosexuality, the only really heavy discrimination I have ever experienced was because of the fact that I was gay. It was especially a problem when I wa

Pjotr

8th March 2010, 21:31

I'm living in Belgium, a country generally known because of it's linguistic tensions AND progressive attitudes.

I have never felt real discrimination because of my political beliefs. Most people think it's ridiculous to be a socialist, but they're not hatefull against left wingers in general.
Belgium is generally concidered quite progressive when it comes to gay rights, but the one reason why I have been discriminated against is because of my sexual orientation.
I have regulary been beaten up by the Belgian equivalent of the rednecks: Macho-assholes, who listen to Filip Dewinter or Geert Wilders. Really confused 'flemish-nationalist' guys who despice muslims because of their so-called homophobia, but who aren't afraid of smashing gays because they don't belong in their white, flemish utopia.
I've even had trouble with assholes who accused me of rape.

But generally I'm not complaining, nowadays I don't really have any problems because of my sexual orientation. But I do realise that it's still a problem.

I've also had troubles with classist discrimation. E.g. I have condemned the war in Iraq once or twice, I've called it a war between the rich, I claimed the chaos in Iraq was a result of the American invasion and I claimed that the rising of islam fundamentalism was largely caused by imperialist war partly caused by the USA. Because of these opinions I have been called a 'marginal proletarian', stemming from lower class marginalized morons. Luckily, I consider 'marginal' and 'proletarian' as an honour.

Elfcat

15th March 2010, 01:02

I say sexuality in the sense that I grew up in Southern California, a stronghold of somaticism (discrimination on the basis of human body morphology), and one in particular which told fat girls and women that no one would be attracted to them unless they starved themselves into submission, essentially that no such people exist.

When I entered adolescence, I found that in fact I was attracted to fat girls and women, and thus from that moment became, in the perception of the punditocracy, either "nonexistent", or "deranged", or someone with a "mother complex" or "ulterior motives", or - the most annoying false reason - the noble person who "can look past all that repulsive stuff and sees the beauty of the person inside" <new age sigh>.

Uh, no, thank you, I do see what everyone else sees; I simply have a visceral summation of it which is the polar opposite of repulsion.

And that is what has made me a fighter against the whole trope of somatic apartheid, as propagandized by one of the most vicious of all corporate blocks, as far as I'm concerned, which profits obscenely by transmitting some of the most hurtful and hateful content in the world of marketing.

Robocloud

15th March 2010, 20:52

I am a 6'6" white male, have trained in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and have a lot of reliable allies. Violence and intimidation generally doesn't work out well against me anymore.

If you use the term loosely. . . I have been subjected to all of the above (Largely due to societal preconceptions)

If you use the term moderately. . . I have been subjected to:

Religious (I am agnostic/open with 4 protestant churches less than a 1/4 mile from my house. Mainly just people trying to "save" me, with the occasional threat)

Political (My neighbors are basically Fascists, one even attempts to march like the 3rd Reich but is too fat)

Identity (I am soft spoken passive, and somewhat androgynous, so I have been subjected to a lot of verbal abuse, and some physical.)

Other (I have always been an honor student and somewhat quirky. I used to have trouble staying still, and failed to account for the fact that many people frequently failed to understand what I was saying. I was hazed, attacked, verbally abused, and alienated.)

If you use the term strictly. . . NONE. Especially since I got outta high school and started making the Dean's List at my college Most of the assholes didn't get through a single semester. I also became more conscious of my behavior, and keep my opinions private, This helps.

thatdevious

22nd March 2010, 16:10

A couple years back, before I moved back to France I was in the US Air Force. I took shit daily about being French. Being called Frenchy (which doesn't particularly offend me, I just would have preferred a more original nickname), other airmen talking crap about the French flag, the French Army, the French being cowards, etc. It was very disrespectful, but I learned to just not listen to it. When some guys from my unit found out I was half Lebanese (something I'm ashamed to say I hid for as long as possible) things got really bad. Here I was, serving a country that I wasn't even from and being called hadji, terrorist, sand nigger, and a whole bunch of other shit. Some people from my unit literally stopped speaking to me overnight. I have to admit, it hurt.

Wolf Larson

22nd March 2010, 19:10

I've lived in Oakland and San Fransisco for the past 8 years and am white 185 lb's and have a somewhat rugged manly look I guess so I've always been treated like a blue eyed devil- especially when I lived in East Oakland. White people aren't that popular over at 850 Bryant St either :) When in jail [for various reasons] convincing a room full of angry people of color you're not racist is a task. You'll face discrimination at 850 Bryant St [jail] no matter what you do. I was actually in there for assaulting a Neo Nazi in Golden Gate Park [years ago] .I don't blame them....in there white people are the minority and people of color treat white inmates the way people of color are treated in society. Like shit. The jail system is a strange racist world. Don't go there. Everything is based on race and they give you no choice in the matter - no making friends with different races, no playing basket ball with different races, no sharing cups or cigarettes with different races etc.. It's a disgusting racist environment that the state actually condones/facilitates. A lot of it is boiling out into the streets these days.

Over in the deep East Bay suburbs I'm treated like a "liberal communist".. Class discrimination has been bad at work when I'm in Blackhawk, Danville Moraga, Orinda, Marin or any other upscale suburb. I built custom homes when the housing industry was booming and would meet with homeowners after they purchase their multi million dollar 15,000 sq ft home to tie up loose end etc. Every now and then you would be put in your proper place with subtitles here and there. A look, body language, a comment. I was a cook for a catering company when I was in my early 20's and I would have to dress up in black and whites with a bow tie and hold an hors d'oeuvres tray every now and then at upscale weddings at the Dunsmuir mansion. That was a humiliating experience. Rich wives grabbing my ass, angry husbands and old uptight ladies scoffing at my presence. I'll never work in the food service industry again. People treat you like a unworthy subordinate.

The discrimination I experience most often is related to upscale homeowners/customers. The tattoos put some homeowners off so we usually send one of the other guys to do the initial bids. We started a construction coop which has gone kaput with the housing market but when we were busy we would send the "cleanest" looking of the bunch to do the bids. That's just the way it is.

Timebomb

22nd March 2010, 20:56

Till i was 11 years old i lived in a small 95% white town with a "well spoken" very white father then he died and i whent to live with my mother a white woman and my two half black sisters in a area that was 30% white. The way i walked,talked and dressed singled me out and i was discriminated against for my race by groups that were black,white and mixed race and for my British/English culture by people who called me a traitor for not liking football. One young man who is black and targeted me for my race and culture is now what i can only call a white supremest,a long way since he gave my the racist nickname i've been known by for 7 years now.

Ligeia

23rd March 2010, 12:07

I've faced and face racist discrimination very often. I live in Germany (I'm mixed indigenous-mexican and slavic) and there I always get to experience the everyday subtle racism like being watched by shop-keepers when shopping, by the security staff, by employers in banks,.....being treated very coldly by collectors and other people you treat with on every day basis.
Though more overt racism like calling names or being beaten down (that only happened once) happened, as well.
Other forms of discrimination not so much though.
Classism in the famous case of the german school system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Germany#Who_is_least_likely_to_succee d_in_German_school.3F) (my parents are immigrants and working-class).

RedStarOverChina

23rd March 2010, 22:09

Race/culture - Serbian people (not all ofcourse) hate me because I'm Croat. Croatians hate me because I speak like Serb.

Geez, that's pretty tough. I personally know a few Serbs, Albanians and a Croat, the intense hatred they have for each other blew me right away. I always thought nationalist feelings were strong in Asia----but man, it's way worse in the Balkans.

I'm Chinese from mainland China. In every political discussion people seem to have this kind of dualism imprinted in their mind, that it's either Western "democracy" or Chinese authoritarianism.

Being Chinese and anti-capitalist "naturally" lead people to the conclusion that I'm a "goon" of the CCP.

It is clear that, to many, Chinese people are not entitled to an opinion (unless it's pro-Western) because China "doesn't have a free press".

RaÃºl Duke

24th March 2010, 05:50

Maybe ethnic?

I remember a time while I was in PR where being the son of an American was an "issue."

Sendo

24th March 2010, 14:56

Geez, that's pretty tough. I personally know a few Serbs, Albanians and a Croat, the intense hatred they have for each other blew me right away. I always thought nationalist feelings were strong in Asia----but man, it's way worse in the Balkans.

I'm Chinese from mainland China. In every political discussion people seem to have this kind of dualism imprinted in their mind, that it's either Western "democracy" or Chinese authoritarianism.

Being Chinese and anti-capitalist "naturally" lead people to the conclusion that I'm a "goon" of the CCP.

It is clear that, to many, Chinese people are not entitled to an opinion (unless it's pro-Western) because China "doesn't have a free press".

Shamefully, I thinked like that until I started learning Chinese history outside of high school. I don't know where it came from. By that I mean, I don't know how it came to be. I totally see that ridiculous dichotomy in action, but I don't remember specifically being told it was the case. I think it's roudnabout methods like: Socialist countries don't have free press (implication that the USA Today and CNN are champions of independent thought and investigative journalism) and other shlock...and then "China is totalitarian just like Stalinist USSR and they killed 100 million combined! OMG!!1!!" The brain fills in the blanks...and so, yeah, I see how I thought like that now.

danyboy27

24th March 2010, 17:57

i have been discrimated by female bosses, and its not funny at all.

basicly, she told that men are not organised enough, and that we are not smart enough to write a sentence without making error.

Sendo

25th March 2010, 05:13

very few of these comments seem to describe real discrimination, and the ones that do, like danyboy25's are mostly attitudinal. It's just a simple fact that most men never will face real discrimination since most of us men are members of the majority in our respective countries. I face discrimination in South Korea on a random basis with respects to restaurants, cell phone service, dating, etc. But is mostly attitudinal racism, and institutional racism is nothing like it is in the USA. It's more out in the open (especially out of cosmopolitan areas where it takes on polite condescension).

The institutional racism is disappearing and largely out of stupidity. For example, schools used to pay foreigners only to domestic bank accounts for their yearly bonuses/severances but would wait 14 days while we are required to leave the country after 10 days (from our last work day...anywhere outside the country to restart a new visa). Just completelyidiotic thinking most of the time.

Rottenfruit

27th March 2010, 19:56

I have italian hertiage and i have been asked countless times if i´m releated to the italian mafia which annyos me ,

Belisarius

27th March 2010, 19:58

some of my "friends" keep making stupid jokes about communism and how stupid it is, without ever wanting to learn a thing about it (they don't even listen), which is quite frustrating.

Ã‘Ã³ẊÃ®Ã¶ŉ

27th March 2010, 20:43

Hiero

28th March 2010, 05:16

I wore a hat in a shop, and they told me to take it off. :(

Red Streltsy

1st April 2010, 00:46

I've been discrimated against for being an atheist while in th US Army. I've been referred to as "just another stupid white man" by some militant lesbians. Ignorance comes in many flavors.

The Black Comrade

1st April 2010, 12:57

I am black, and almost everyday i have to deal with some kind of racism or discrimination. Even from people of the same race as me discriminate me because i dont fit a "black" stereotype.

chegitz guevara

1st April 2010, 18:58

race, gender, religion (lack of), culture, and being in a bi-racial relationship

chegitz guevara

1st April 2010, 18:59

very few of these comments seem to describe real discrimination,

To be fair, the OP just asked about discrimination, not oppression.

Il Medico

2nd April 2010, 02:50

I've had the dubious "pleasure" of being the victim of homophobic jokes and bullying. Even though I didn't realise at the time I was bisexual, it was highly unpleasant.

Thankfully I haven't had any similar experience since coming out. Strange.
I have noticed that too. The only people who ever tease me with gay jokes anymore are my gay friends, oddly enough.

Bad Grrrl Agro

2nd April 2010, 03:38

cska

4th April 2010, 05:26

As a man I have been expected to fit "masculinity". Every once in a while, I am discriminated against because I am brown skinned.

The biggest discrimination I face, however, is for my culture (as a first generation American, I retain a large part of my parent's culture), and even worse, for my religious beliefs (atheist).

Stand Your Ground

4th April 2010, 14:10

some of my "friends" keep making stupid jokes about communism and how stupid it is, without ever wanting to learn a thing about it (they don't even listen), which is quite frustrating.
I know how you feel. My brother and my fiance always complain about how all I talk about is communism and don't wanna listen when I try to explain why I always talk about it.

aziraphale

5th April 2010, 17:29

I have experienced discrimination on many fronts. As an autistic I have faced serious ablist discrimination to the point where I nearly had my life completely ruined with a spurious charge made up in order to kick me out of school because I was too expensive. The school, before going for the framing, did everything in their power to drive me out, such as suspending me every time I had to leave the classroom due to the noise even though every neurotypical who was distracted by noise could do their tests and quizzes in the hallway. When I thought I was a lesbian (11-13), I experienced bullying, with the school refusing to stop it. The school refused to do anything because they "didn't want to support the gay lifestyle." I was in middle school. As a transman, I have experienced serious discrimination. I have been hospitalized in psych wards many times and two out of the three times I was hospitalized while out of the closet I experienced descrimination. The first time I was informed that my gender orientation was "inappropriate" and I wasn't allowed to talk about it, despite it being the very reason why I was hospitalized. They completely refused to use my male name, use the male pronoun or respect my gender in any way. The second time I was allowed to discuss it and they had to use my male name because it was then my legal name but I was still disrespected with use of the wrong pronoun. The behavioral problems school I was stuck in for the 9th grade refused to allow me to live as a guy because it would be "disruptive." All I wanted to do was tell people that I wished to be referred to as a "he" and use the nurse's bathroom. Every other kid could use the nurse's bathroom but the school actively tried to maek ti as difficult as possible for me to use it. Politically, I've only entered the fringe very recently so I haven't experienced any yet.

The Black Comrade

6th April 2010, 04:55

I know how you feel. My brother and my fiance always complain about how all I talk about is communism and don't wanna listen when I try to explain why I always talk about it.
Seems to be the reoccurring factor in america due to the laziness of everyone :/

Bad Grrrl Agro

6th April 2010, 07:44

As a transman, I have experienced serious discrimination. I have been hospitalized in psych wards many times and two out of the three times I was hospitalized while out of the closet I experienced descrimination. The first time I was informed that my gender orientation was "inappropriate" and I wasn't allowed to talk about it, despite it being the very reason why I was hospitalized. They completely refused to use my male name, use the male pronoun or respect my gender in any way. The second time I was allowed to discuss it and they had to use my male name because it was then my legal name but I was still disrespected with use of the wrong pronoun. The behavioral problems school I was stuck in for the 9th grade refused to allow me to live as a guy because it would be "disruptive." All I wanted to do was tell people that I wished to be referred to as a "he" and use the nurse's bathroom. Every other kid could use the nurse's bathroom but the school actively tried to maek ti as difficult as possible for me to use it. Politically, I've only entered the fringe very recently so I haven't experienced any yet.

I feel you on this one. I'm the same just on the other side of the coin. I'm m2f.

InuyashaKnight

6th April 2010, 08:08

I can get into fights with some right wingers in my school.

The Black Comrade

7th April 2010, 03:23

So here i am in my suburban apartment, walking in flip flops wearing a peace necklace, walking enjoying the great spring texas weather when i passed my a nice looking fellow. So i pass him while he locks his car, normal right? Then he locks the car 5 more times with his remote control making a bunch of those annoying beeps. I guess he thought i would steal his car because i am black and black people MUST steal cars. Im tired of people doing suddle racist things like this. This has happened 3 times before while i was walking with a group of comrades and alone.

Mendax

7th April 2010, 15:36

I recieve the occasionnal homophobic comment but there mostly from cocky pricks, and "Jokes" from other people which centre around the idea that I must attracted to anything with male genitals, scared of vaginas and should act a lot camper (Some people won't beleive I'm gay xD). If my family knew I was gay then a lot of comments they've made in the past could be counted as descrimination.

I never really get abuse for my political views - although I occasionaly get sworn at by people who tried to debate with me and there main points against are things I think should be abolished or are along the lines of "non-one will do anything" and "Everyone will just kill each other".

Pretty much everyone I know is aethiest apart from a handfull of people who beleive in god but don't realy know anything about the religions they follow.

Raisa

14th April 2010, 22:46

AGE/ GENDER : When youre a younger woman and you work in a place its like people in general EXPECT for you to have kiss ass conversations with them.
Like htey want to get all into your family history and when you ask them why it matters so much or denote that you arent cool with the conversation going so personal they start to act discriminantly towards you at work, throwing the books at you basically where everyone else gets away with things.

ECONOMIC STATUS: But the main discriminatory issues I have faced was, when I was homeless and looking for a job and I had a P.O. Box as my mailing address, and they pretty much knew I was homeless and rather elaborate on my address and where I actually live rather then talk about my skills.

RELIGION: Its obvious when you look at me what religion I practice. When I was working in an office job it was all good I was "doing great...learning very fast"...and then all the big bosses came in one friday, and the next thing I know after lunch I am given my check and told appologetically that I am not learning fast enough and its not working out by the guy who hired me and was gassing me all along!
There was this lady once that would try and go out of her way to give me my lunch before prayer time. One person had to have that early lunch and she kept trying to give it to me, who actually is seen going across the street everyday to make my prayer, just to be Isreali. She was always doing crap like that, trying to make me work longer moving my register etc....I wasnt like the immigrants who work there that put up with her so they can keep their jobs, I upheld my rights and for that, She was such a hater.
And ONCE I worked in a factory where the supervisor told me I made a mistake for not being a christian. I was the only english speaker there. And I told him that this is "discrimination...to harass me while im working about something personal" and he told me " ooooh nooo, dont say discrimination, thats a very bad word here!" List goes on and on. but I could care less. I quit once I see youre a devil.

I dont care if people discriminate me, so long as they dont touch me. Cause I dont want to work with people that hate me anyway.

Then when something is missing or broken its "you"...

PurpleLove

16th April 2010, 04:16

I selected race, gender, sexuality, religion (or lack thereof in my case) and politics.

I'm an atheist and I live in Arkansas...enough said. I don't really talk about my atheism a lot because I live in an "at-will" state so...yeah.

Sexuality....it's just like my religion. With some people I'm open about it, with others...I'm not. We have an openly gay guy at my job but he's higher up than me and I just hate being known as "the lesbian" which is pretty much how people knew me in high school...except it was "the smart lesbian.":thumbup1:

One way people are discriminated against, which wasn't mentioned was parental status. Sometimes parents are treated better, sometimes they aren't. I don't have kids and I'm not ever having kids. I'm part of the Child Free community on LJ and there have been reports of discrimination from members there.

Stand Your Ground

24th April 2010, 14:51

Gender - I can't be hired as a housekeeper at a hotel because I'm a 'man'.

brigadista

24th April 2010, 14:54

why is class not a category on this poll?

RedAnarchist

24th April 2010, 14:56

why is class not a category on this poll?

I think almost every member here will have been discriminated against because of their class, so it's pretty much unnecessary to add it.

Uppercut

25th April 2010, 23:02

For me, it's mostly just politics (I'm a white straight male from a semi-bourgeois family). I talk about Communism a lot and people call me a hypocrite for it.
"Why did you buy that food? That costs capital, so you're a hypocrite!" He then went on to tell me that he wouldn't care if I starved to death. Oh well, it's kinda difficult being the only serious Marxist in high school.
"Man, I don't even feel bad for you anymore. If you wanna be brainwashed and worship Mao, then whatever. I don't anything to do with it." Couple that with chronic depression and anxiety and you pretty much get the idea.

Belisarius

26th April 2010, 18:14

here for the revolution

26th April 2010, 19:47

Politics, obviously, but also identity. As a metalhead in a generally `chavvy` town I tend to get a lot of harsh words and the like. It's weird because I actually love a lot of hip-hop and rap, I just don't look it!

Uppercut

28th April 2010, 11:33

Anti-Zionist

29th April 2010, 10:11

I have had discrimination against my political views along with my ethnicity. I have also been discriminated against because of my mental illness (Schizoaffective Disorder).

fly the flag

7th May 2010, 00:23

Race all the time.

i cant get a job:crying:

The Ben G

7th May 2010, 00:36

Race all the time.

i cant get a job:crying:

May I ask what race are you?

SammXVX

15th May 2010, 07:42

I've been affected by all of those in the poll. I can tell you that it is the worst feeling ever.

The worst of it was probably being beaten up daily by someone for being white and female, i suppose. The only excuse was "His dad left when he was young." Doesn't explain why I had rocks thrown at me, but alas.

It is definitely why I am a pascifist, because fighting with a fist is as dull as arguing with a wall. It's a brunt move, for small things like this.

Now that I'm older, the discrimination is in debate form, but more people are afraid to say something. I prefer it this way, of course.

I don't know how to stop this because people will always have blind aggression and conflicting desires for other people. why the human mind things it has the ability to control the desires of others, I don't know, or even the things that the brain can't control, it is ridiculous to me.

Either way you flip it, someone can propose that you are being prejudiced, because as stated (in short) by George Hegel, every thesis has an anti-thesis. it's a dialectic, and there is really no ending, but it doesn't mean we have to stop trying to open other peoples eyes.

LOLseph Stalin

15th May 2010, 08:26

Gender - I can't be hired as a housekeeper at a hotel because I'm a 'man'.

Wow, seriously? They do that? At the pizza joint I used to work at a couple years ago the new owner is sexist. He seems to only hire males. I suspect that part of the reason he let me go was because I was female.

Stand Your Ground

15th May 2010, 21:07

Wow, seriously? They do that? At the pizza joint I used to work at a couple years ago the new owner is sexist. He seems to only hire males. I suspect that part of the reason he let me go was because I was female.
Yep. However he lets me clean the parking lot. But not the rooms..?

Ocean Seal

23rd May 2010, 02:20

Race/Culture--> I am Hispanic. I notice that security follows me slightly closer than they follow most. Also I'm often accused of being a "token". Racial Slurs are said to me on occasion. And I worked at a university in the science program where I was treated like crap most probably because I was Hispanic and according to some my race was enough for me to "not belong in the sciences".

Religion--> I tell people that I follow Liberation Theology which upsets both the religious and irreligious. The irreligious which in my area aren't communist anti-theists but rather liberal bourgeoisie anti-theists are anti-theists so that they can place themselves above the working class and thus insult the religious people as having some kind of defect. Again I understand that communist anti-theists oppose religion in a different way, but liberal anti-theists are intolerable.

Politics--> Like everyone else here I'm a communist. I've been kicked out of stores, insulted by my peers and teachers and people upon losing debates to me have stated that they hope I get arrested by the CIA.

leftace53

23rd May 2010, 02:58

Religion - People still don't like atheists.
Politics - Similar issue as Uppercut, I come from a fairly well off family (even though we are first gen immigrants), and thus I always get labelled a hypocrite for being a communist.
Gender - Being the only female in a computer engineering class still didn't give them the hint that I am just as smart as the rest of the class, it was always "what is a girl doing here?" or from the student perspective "she is only passing because she is a girl"
Sexuality - You tell a dude you're bi, they want a three way. You tell a girl you're bi, they think you're immoral. The world's a silly place.
Appearance - I have piercings, that doesn't disqualify me from serving you fries.

I don't think I've faced race issues, but they could have been disguised under something else (a south asian background allows me harassment from the border police if I want to go to USA I guess, but I don't usually like going down there anyways)