We need to examine where we are privileged and where we are not.
— As a white person, I am privileged.
— As a woman, I am not.
— As a poor person (relatively speaking), I am not,
— As a person with mental and physical disabilities — many people think that because I am fortunate enough to not be in a wheelchair that I don’t “look disabled” — as if that would magically make me privileged (when people with disabilities are NOT privileged).
— As someone in a heterosexual relationship, I am privileged.
— As someone who is a polytheist, I am not….
Looking at this list, in some areas I benefit from society and it’s structural biases. In others, I do not. It is easy for us to be blind to a person’s struggles if we are privileged in regards to them….
It becomes easy for us to mentally dismiss their valid complaints as being “whiny”. And there is a tendency for people to internalize their lack of privilege as their being somehow “lesser” in importance than other people — thus keeping us from being effective advocates for ourselves and others.
A few years ago, I wrote an essay about Ares and Hestia being partners in working for social justice. To them, I would also add Apollon for shining the light of clarity, Athena for understanding and the wisdom to fight with the tools at our disposal, and finally Nomos and Dike as they work together for both Law and TRUE Justice……
May all the Gods inspire us to examine ourselves so that we understand how we are both part of the problem when we don’t acknowledge our areas of privilege and part of the solution when we do — and work to change that…..
