Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Comment

‘My boyfriend is racist’ – the threat of reverse tolerance

A few days ago, my friend burst out when talking about her crush: ‘he’s actually really racist!’ and a few lines later, ‘but nobody’s perfect, right?’

 

Why is it when somebody close to you says something inherently wrong we are automatically tempted to forgive them, and worse, to justify their actions? We feel compelled to forget the incident, as if it were nothing more than a bad joke. But, to avoid quoting an overused expression, if reasonable people do nothing, how can anything prevent unreasonable people from being so ignorant?

 

Despite the common assumption, we do not live in a post-feminist and post-racist world, even in the West. Instead of obvious threats staring us in the face, racism and sexism have become implicit problems that have unnoticeably integrated everyday life.

 

This has increased our blindness to these issues, which many deem to be out-dated and past. Students as well can become increasingly naive, because we are not necessarily constantly and directly confronted with racism and sexism. But even when we are, we tend to gloss over the issue as if it were never raised, and move on with our unconcerned lives. Of course, a majority of students are aware of gender and racial discrimination, but often this awareness only extends to spheres outside of our own. When it comes to our family and our friends, we can sometimes be blind or consciously choose to ignore problems that are staring us right in the face.

 

This passive acceptance of discrimination is dangerous because it perpetuates the illusion that we are not responsible for what other people say. And we aren’t. However, we do have responsibility to react to racist and sexist behaviour in order to prevent it, or at least to denounce it.

 

We are responsible to influence the perceptions of the people around us, especially if these perceptions are wrong. Just because your father is white and upper-middle class, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stand up to him when he thinks he is making a harmless joke about women. Just because you like someone, doesn’t mean you can simply ignore their views on crucial things.

 

The personal is political. Or rather, the political has become a personal matter. Disagreeing with the basic concept of gender and racial equality cannot be simplified down to a flaw of character – it’s an issue that needs to be addressed, an opinion that needs to be contested.

 

Some might argue that tolerance goes both ways. Yet, tolerance can quickly become acceptance, or transform into a state of biased passivity. Reverse tolerance is a trap. Because once you start to come to terms with the discriminating views of others, you inevitably contribute in perpetuating them. Racism, sexism, and all forms of discrimination can only ever be fought by denouncing them in the people and places closest to us.

 

Your boyfriend is racist? Let him know. And dump him.

/home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 17
" data-author-type="
Warning: Undefined array key "type" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 18
" data-author-archived="
Warning: Undefined array key "archived" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 19
">
/home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 39

Warning: Undefined array key "id" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 39
-"
Warning: Undefined array key "archive" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/html-layout.php on line 40
itemscope itemid="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" >

Warning: Undefined array key "img" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-avatar.php on line 4

Warning: Undefined array key "show_social_web" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-socialmedia.php on line 6

Warning: Undefined array key "show_social_mail" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-socialmedia.php on line 7

Warning: Undefined array key "show_social_phone" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-socialmedia.php on line 8

Warning: Undefined array key "type" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-name.php on line 17

Warning: Undefined array key "type" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-name.php on line 19

Warning: Undefined array key "type" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-name.php on line 21

Warning: Undefined array key "archive" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-name.php on line 37

Warning: Undefined array key "name" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-name.php on line 41

Warning: Undefined array key "job" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 10

Warning: Undefined array key "job" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 15

Warning: Undefined array key "company" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 17

Warning: Undefined array key "phone" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 26

Warning: Undefined array key "mail" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 36

Warning: Undefined array key "web" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-meta.php on line 46

Warning: Undefined array key "bio" in /home/roarnews/public_html/wp-content/plugins/molongui-authorship/views/author-box/parts/html-bio.php on line 8

Latest

KCLSU & Societies

During a channel crossing event in late February, six King’s College London (KCL) students formed the majority of a crew rescued by the French...

News

Chairman Lord Geidt was found to have broken lobbying rules following an investigation by the House of Lords Commissioners for Standards. The chairman of...

Culture

After the runaway success of their last production, staged inside the majestic baroque settings of the Strand Chapel, King’s College London Opera Society is...

Creative Corner

Creative Corner is a space to share your creative writing at Roar! We hope you enjoy this poem written by May Zaben Calloused fingers...

Comment

News Editor Daisy Eastlake looks into the British accent divide and what it means for social mobility within the UK. Like many university students,...

Events

Staff writer Matthew Pellow reports on the latest King’s Tories Port & Policy debate which referenced Enoch Powell, drew heavily on Islamophobic tropes and...

Comment

Staff writer Douglas Gibb discusses Diane Abbot’s controversial letter within the context of broader allegations of racism within the Labour Party. The offending letter...

Culture

Staff writer Joseph Harrison discusses the recent controversy over Madonna’s appearance at the Grammy’s, and the problematic relationship between women and ageing it speaks...

Comment

Staff writer and ‘CAMERA on Campus’ writing fellow Saul Levene examines the dismissal of the president of the National Union of Students. Was former President...