Lex
Expert Member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2004
- Posts
- 8,253
- Media
- 0
- Likes
- 118
- Points
- 268
- Location
- In Your Darkest Thoughts and Dreams
- Sexuality
- 99% Gay, 1% Straight
- Gender
- Male
- Lex,
Placing the article "a" or "the" in front of a label really invites all of the stereotypification inherent in people's belief systems to come into play.
For example, if some says:
Naughty, you are black, can you tell me, from your experience, why you think many African Americans are having issue with ____________?
Lex, as a gay man who is also black can you decribe for me what it is like being a minority within a minority?
This is a MUCH different statement than saying:
The blacks are having issue with ______________.
Black gays experience differences as they _____________
The second statements brings with it generalizations and stereotypes that are not inherent in the first statement.
It is why a lot of people prefer "people first language." For example:
For example, if some says:
Naughty, you are black, can you tell me, from your experience, why you think many African Americans are having issue with ____________?
Lex, as a gay man who is also black can you decribe for me what it is like being a minority within a minority?
This is a MUCH different statement than saying:
The blacks are having issue with ______________.
Black gays experience differences as they _____________
The second statements brings with it generalizations and stereotypes that are not inherent in the first statement.
It is why a lot of people prefer "people first language." For example:
- Person with a disability versus handicapped person (the condition should not define or limit the person)
- students placed at risk versus at-risk students (they were not anywhere, we decided to place them in a category)