It Has Been a Privilege…

…to be married to Stoker for 41 years as of today. Happy Anniversary Diane!

Regarding ‘privilege’, Johns Hopkins Hospital chief diversity officer Sherita Golden wrote the following in her DEI newsletter:

“Privilege is an unearned benefit given to people who are in a specific social group. Privilege operates on personal, interpersonal, cultural and institutional levels, and it provides advantages and favors to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of other groups,” the newsletter read.

So far Dr. Golden is only offering up generalizations written in gobbledygook. But she went on to get more specific:

“In the United States, privilege is granted to people who have membership in one or more of these social identity groups: White people, able-bodied people, heterosexuals, cisgender people, males, Christians, middle or owning class people, middle-aged people, and English-speaking people.”

I’m guilty on almost all of these charges. White, check. Able bodied? I don’t feel especially strong at the gym or riding up Stoney Creek Road, but I suppose compared to the typical 67 year old I’m pretty able. Heterosexual? Enthusiastically so, at least where Stoker is concerned. Male? Last time I looked, yup. Christian? Kinda-sorta although I don’t go to services. Middle or Owning class? I suppose so. I don’t feel rich but it is true that Stoker and I don’t struggle to pay our PGE bill, even though it has gotten out of hand with recent rate hikes. Middle aged? I wish, 67 is too old for that. English speaking? I’ll let my readers decide if I have at least a fleeting knowledge of the language.

I left out Cisgender because I don’t know what that is, so I might or might not be. But I’ve got all the rest covered.

So according to Dr. Golden I have benefited from privilege and enjoyed ‘advantages and favors’ at the ‘expense of members of other groups’.

So what am I to do with this? Apologize? Pay reparations? Genuflect in the presence of anyone clearly not in one of the favored groups? If I come across a Black, handicapped, gay, transexual, Buddhist, broke, 20-something Farsi speaker, should I drop to my knees, beg forgiveness and accompany my plea with a sizeable check? Or get angry and vote for a candidate who will call this nonsense exactly what it is? I can think of one…

I wonder if all these supposed privileges include the Droit du seigneur? As Lord and Master of Casa Brumby, I suppose it could. As long as Stoker agrees!

For 41 years it has been quite a ride. Happy anniversary Stoker!