I am a straight white male, I grew up in a house with a yard, my own bedroom, both parents and an older sister in the suburbs, went to college and got a degree. While I am now employed in a job that doesn't use my degree I still work full time. All of these things have allowed me certain advantages that I did not and sometimes still do not realize I have.
I do not know what it is like to walk in a store and be watched so I don't steal because of my color. I have never had a person walking towards me on the street cross the street to avoid me. I have never been pulled over or stopped by police for the color of my skin. While I have worn dresses for skits and Halloween, I have never been stared at due to people wondering my gender. I have never experienced these things or many other things and most likely never will.
I am a straight white male, and these are some of my privleges. Because I have never experienced these hardships I will never be able to fully appreciate the impact they can have on others.
I can try to understand what it is like and how it feels.
I can and do know that these should not be privleges, but basic human rights.
I can educate myself and my children about these things.
I can treat everyone the same and with the respect they deserve as human beings.
