Reclaiming SJW

[dragonswarrior]

Hello Escapist!!

So, this is definitely the topic of the week, and I'm about to throw in my two cents.

Anyway, I identify as an Uber-Nerd Social Justice Warrior. And I've been hearing a LOT of rage lately against social justice warriors. A LOT. Most of it seems to centered around Tumblr and how ridiculous people are on there.

Now... For the longest time this made me angry. I happen to follow a small group of self identified social justice warriors on Tumblr, and I generally find that the points they make are REALLY good. They are a group of incredibly smart, educated folks and I've learned a lot from them over the years. However, I am aware that their views are considered extreme by many people, and unfortunately I've had to watch them over and over again defend themselves from masses of ignorant haters who don't want to listen to uncomfortable truths.

But... Well. I was reminded a couple of days ago that there are a LOT of folks on Tumblr that identify as social justice warriors that are... well...

They're shitty people. They're ignorant and offensive and horrible.

Specifically in this case I'm referring to those "Head Mate" folks. You know, the ones that claim that they share a brain with werewolves and whatnot and then jump down your throat when you try to call them out for their privileged ridiculousness. I was reminded of how they exist, and how they are all on the social justice warrior bandwagon, and how they are EXACTLY the kind of thing that other social justice warriors like me fight (If you want an explanation for this ask, I don't want to do it in the OP.)

And I know this is the internet, I'm sure that there are tons of others like this out there all being this kind of stupid.

SO!!!! I REFUSE to allow these shitheads to stain and tarnish a term and identity that was around for years before they were even aware social problems existed! Well, okay, they've already stained and tarnished it, but I refuse to allow that to pressure me into identifying as something else!!

tl;dr I will not stop referring to myself as a Social Justice Warrior because of ignorant shitheads who wouldn't know social justice if it slapped them in the face. I will continue to tell privileged folk to check their privilege despite the bad wrap that phrase has gotten, and I will continue to fight the good fight with words and deeds no matter how often the ignorant try to pull me down!! Huzzah!!

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Anyone who calls themselves an anything "warrior" needs to reevaluate some things in their life, and trust me, you don't want to be a "warrior." Real warriors fight and die for what they believe in, for the social justice movement there's no one to fight and nothing to die over. You have no tangible enemy, and no "war."

You're not a warrior for posting on the internet in an echo chamber among your peers, who will clap you on the back and parrot you. You're not a "warrior" for pointing out that women get paid less than men, or that minorities do bad on standardized tests because those tests have culturally charged questions.

The term "social justice warrior" makes it sound like you think that you're some kind of avenging angel for the underprivileged, and it makes people who hear you assume that maybe people like you are the ones who need to "check their privilege."

You don't need to "reclaim" the social justice warrior title, what you need to do is stop putting labels on things. Titles are about recognition, and you shouldn't need recognition for your efforts in order to try and better the world. Forget about calling yourself a "social justice warrior" and just do what you think will help your movement. Actions are louder than titles.

 

[Dragonlayer]

k

...

Good luck with that, I suppose

...

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY???

GOD, HOW OPPRESSIVE COULD YOU GET!? YOU'RE ENDORSING LIMITED RESPONSES AND ITS LIMITED RESPONSES THAT GET ALL WOMEN RAPED ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE! DISGUSTING TAD (Tacos Are Delicious) SCUM!

OT

I'm inclined to be sympathetic, because you hunt werewolves you don't seem to be a frothing-at-the-mouth crusader against imagined slights *and* have picked arguably the hardest thing on the internet to reclaim since the Scat, Snuff, Diaper and Yiff Pride Movement , but then in the Dashcon thread I saw a Tumblr pic of a French infantry charge over No Man's Land in WW1 next to a photo of two lesbians kissing, declaring that the former was brave but the latter was "real" bravery and I felt utterly disgusted. So fuck the fanatical SJWs and good on you for refusing to be associated with their bollocks, but I don't think many are going to be cutting you much slack.

 

[Zontar]

Wouldn't the ones who should be trying to reclaim the title be the ultra-Protestant theocratic movement which was directly responsible for the dark age of cinema, prohibition, and the dark age of comics? After all, they only created the title and held it for 60 years.

Conversely, the new social justice movement is at best 10 years old and only using the name because... I have no idea how they got it. I'm honestly surprised that a prominently left-wing movement uses the title of what had for decades been an extreme religious right-wing movement. And that far religious right is what I will think about when someone says they are trying to reclaim the title.

 

[TakerFoxx]

I am aware that their views are considered extreme by many people, and unfortunately I've had to watch them over and over again defend themselves from masses of ignorant haters who don't want to listen to uncomfortable truths.

Extreme in what way? Because I frequent tumblr a lot, and while I stay well away from the SJW scene, I've seen those with extreme views, and to be quite frank those people scare me.

 

[Promethax]

I don't see the point in trying to "reclaim" (whatever that means) a title that already accurately applies to you. The term isn't broken, and I'm not sure exactly who you are trying to help by attempting to fix it.

 

[wetnap]

Oh the terms pretty badly broken, at this point its been taken over by petty complainers, basically spoiled children of yuppies who have too many first world problems and are desperate for attention as victims.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

As a warrior do you actually fight or are you just another anon clicking Post on the internet?

 

[shootthebandit]

tl;dr I will not stop referring to myself as a Social Justice Warrior because of ignorant shitheads who wouldn't know social justice if it slapped them in the face. I will continue to tell privileged folk to check their privilege despite the bad wrap that phrase has gotten, and I will continue to fight the good fight with words and deeds no matter how often the ignorant try to pull me down!! Huzzah!!

How does one go about checking ones privilege? I would assume there is some sort of ranking system but I dont know? I might go down to the registry office and ask for my privilege ranking

If you are on tumblr doing SJW shit and telling people they are privileged then I think its safe to assume (and correct me if im wrong) that you yourself are pretty damn privileged?

Being an SJW what have you actually done? Have you gone to africa to build schools, have you protested for gay rights in russia and faced attack dogs and water cannons, have you protect women from rape and having their clitoris removed in Uganda? The real social justice warriors are out their today doing something, not telling people on tumblr to check their privilege because they feel guilty themselves

 

[Colour Scientist]

tl;dr I will not stop referring to myself as a Social Justice Warrior because of ignorant shitheads who wouldn't know social justice if it slapped them in the face. I will continue to tell privileged folk to check their privilege despite the bad wrap that phrase has gotten, and I will continue to fight the good fight with words and deeds no matter how often the ignorant try to pull me down!! Huzzah!!

How does one go about checking ones privilege? I would assume there is some sort of ranking system but I dont know? I might go down to the registry office and ask for my privilege ranking

The way I see it, it's just about being aware that you don't face discrimination that others might. It's not a "your life will never be difficult" accusation.

For example, I'm white, straight, well-educated, from a lower middle class Catholic family, I'm not Catholic but that's irrelevant, and I live in a society dominated by white, educated, straight, predominantly Catholic people. I went to schools and worked in professions that were mostly comprised of people from this group.

Chances are, if I lived and worked here for the rest of my life, I would never experience discrimination, unconscious or otherwise, based on my religious background, my social status, my sexuality or my race.

Checking my privilege is about acknowledging that others do.
Some people genuinely have the mindset that if they haven't personally experienced discrimination, it doesn't exist or that it's something people can just get over if they work harder and this is largely something that comes from a place of ignorance because it's not something they've experienced. It doesn't, or at least shouldn't, imply that it's my fault or that I chose for things to be this way, it's just about being sensitive to difficulties you don't experience.

OP: I see where your coming from but Social Justice Warrior is a pretty cringey term.

I don't think I could ever identify with a term that has "warrior" tacked on at the end, it's seems a bit disingenuous and full of self-importance.

 

[LetalisK]

...wait people honestly call themselves Social Justice Warriors? I was under the impression that was a mocking term coined by their detractors.

 

[Kyber]

Anyone who calls themselves an anything "warrior" needs to reevaluate some things in their life, and trust me, you don't want to be a "warrior." Real warriors fight and die for what they believe in, for the social justice movement there's no one to fight and nothing to die over. You have no tangible enemy, and no "war."

You're not a warrior for posting on the internet in an echo chamber among your peers, who will clap you on the back and parrot you. You're not a "warrior" for pointing out that women get paid less than men, or that minorities do bad on standardized tests because those tests have culturally charged questions.

The term "social justice warrior" makes it sound like you think that you're some kind of avenging angel for the underprivileged, and it makes people who hear you assume that maybe people like you are the ones who need to "check their privilege."

You don't need to "reclaim" the social justice warrior title, what you need to do is stop putting labels on things. Titles are about recognition, and you shouldn't need recognition for your efforts in order to try and better the world. Forget about calling yourself a "social justice warrior" and just do what you think will help your movement. Actions are louder than titles.

That right there is a 10/10 post.
Anyone who calls themselves an "Uber-Nerd" also needs to stop doing that, some think that it's now cool to be "such nerd XD" but they are wrong. It just looks like you're trying too hard.

 

[Ikaruga33]

The whole "warrior" part of the term just refers to social justice activists whom are stubborn, unreasonable, violent, and extreme, much like a "warrior" The term is unsalvageable because of what the term itself entails.

 

[DarkRawen]

tl;dr I will not stop referring to myself as a Social Justice Warrior because of ignorant shitheads who wouldn't know social justice if it slapped them in the face. I will continue to tell privileged folk to check their privilege despite the bad wrap that phrase has gotten, and I will continue to fight the good fight with words and deeds no matter how often the ignorant try to pull me down!! Huzzah!!

How does one go about checking ones privilege? I would assume there is some sort of ranking system but I dont know? I might go down to the registry office and ask for my privilege ranking

The way I see it, it's just about being aware that you don't face discrimination that others might. It's not a "your life will never be difficult" accusation.

For example, I'm white, straight, well-educated, from a lower middle class Catholic family, I'm not Catholic but that's irrelevant, and I live in a society dominated by white, educated, straight, predominantly Catholic people. I went to schools and worked in professions that were mostly comprised of people from this group.

Chances are, if I lived and worked here for the rest of my life, I would never experience discrimination, unconscious or otherwise, based on my religious background, my social status, my sexuality or my race.

Checking my privilege is about acknowledging that others do.
Some people genuinely have the mindset that if they haven't personally experienced discrimination, it doesn't exist or that it's something people can just get over if they work harder and this is largely something that comes from a place of ignorance because it's not something they've experienced. It doesn't, or at least shouldn't, imply that it's my fault or that I chose for things to be this way, it's just about being sensitive to difficulties you don't experience.

OP: I see where your coming from but Social Justice Warrior is a pretty cringey term.

I don't think I could ever identify with a term that has "warrior" tacked on at the end, it's seems a bit disingenuous and full of self-importance.

My problem with the whole privilege thing is that it's... well, a flawed system. And I don't mean in that in a "I've got issues too" sorta way, because, honestly, I find that checking my "privilege" against the normal stuff (sexuality, gender and sex identity, race and so on) leaves me with a shockingly low "privilege score" or whatever. It fails to take a lot into consideration, for instance, nationality, as well as how you handle it yourself, how open you are about it, and personal experiences. It does not account for things that would have a large impact on just how much discrimination someone could go through. It's rather flawed, and while using it as a way to reflect upon it yourself works, judging others based on it does not.

OP: It's good that you don't want the term to be used by all kinds of extremists, though, the warrior part itself does sound rather hostile Might be better to just go with a different term by now. Social Justice League, for instance.

 

[AuronFtw]

...wait people honestly call themselves Social Justice Warriors? I was under the impression that was a mocking term coined by their detractors.

It's probably similar to PC master race. It started as a blatant insult, mocking the group's ridiculousness, but they ended up adopting it - either out of ignorance of the mocking or in spite of it.

Either way OP, you don't want to be a SJW. They're negatively portrayed for a reason. Being a zealous, mindless follower of a cause is a bad thing, regardless of what that cause is. Extremism should be avoided if at all possible. And in this case, it's very possible. Don't strive to be a zealot... revel in what makes us human - our ability to *think critically* and *question everything*. Zealots do neither, and end up causing more harm than good. Even for their own movement.

It'd be ironic if it wasn't so fucking sad.

 

[Hagi]

Is that really something you want to reclaim?

Is being called a warrior really that much of a positive thing? Even understanding the necessity of wars, violence and conflict is that really an attitude you want to bring into the social change scene?

Plus, but maybe this is just me being cynical, how many things calling themselves justice are really about justice and not about self-righteousness? It seems to be calling more on vigilantism than activism, perhaps not the best of things?

 

[Queen Michael]

I hate the term "Check your privilege." Other phrasings are way better. The main problem with it it's that it's a standard åhrase, and there's othing people grow accustomed to ignoring quicker than standard phrases.

 

[Lieju]

...wait people honestly call themselves Social Justice Warriors? I was under the impression that was a mocking term coined by their detractors.

This.


I have no idea if the term used to mean something else, but it's far from as well-known term used by a movement like something like 'feminist' is. At the very least it was used only by a small group, whether they are/were extremist or not I have no idea.
I hang out in feminist/LGBT+ groups and the only place where I have seen people identifying as SJW's (in any serious manner at least) is on this site.

Also I don't want to call myself a 'warrior', it sounds childish.

My problem with the whole privilege thing is that it's... well, a flawed system. And I don't mean in that in a "I've got issues too" sorta way, because, honestly, I find that checking my "privilege" against the normal stuff (sexuality, gender and sex identity, race and so on) leaves me with a shockingly low "privilege score" or whatever. It fails to take a lot into consideration, for instance, nationality, as well as how you handle it yourself, how open you are about it, and personal experiences.

Yes, it depends on the culture you're in. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't think about it.
For example, I have a very Finnish name.
In Finland, it means I won't be facing any discrimination based on any guesses about my ethnicity. If someone sees my name on a job application, they won't go 'But I wonder if she can speak Finnish?'.
Which they very well might if my name was Sarah Smith. Or worse, Fatima Fakhri or something along those lines.

On the other hand, if I applied for a job in the UK for example they'd probably think I'm Polish or something, and suddenly I wouldn't be as priviledged when it comes to that.

 

[Thaluikhain]

How does one go about checking ones privilege? I would assume there is some sort of ranking system but I dont know? I might go down to the registry office and ask for my privilege ranking

To expand on what Colour Scientist said, the way we have been brought up to see the world very much depends on who we are.

We take a lot of things for granted, and do a lot of things without thinking of them, because we don't stop and consider that things could be different.

For example, if you are a reasonably well off straight able-bodied white male, in most of the West, you can go and see your girlfriend for lunch quite easily, it's no big deal. However, if you were wheelchair bound, those 3 steps that you walk over every day might be a big deal. Being able to afford to go out and pay for lunch might be a big deal if you were poor. If you were gay, and were seeing a guy, that might be a big deal. If you were black, that might be a big deal.

Now, it's important to recognise, that known of this is your fault. Society is set up to accommodate people like you, and that's just how it is.

Checking your privilege is, in large part, recognising that not everyone is like you, that the system that works perfectly fine for you might not work for everyone. When someone says that the system is broken, you can say it's fine because it's fine for you, or you can keep quiet and listen.

 

[DarkRawen]

...wait people honestly call themselves Social Justice Warriors? I was under the impression that was a mocking term coined by their detractors.

This.


I have no idea if the term used to mean something else, but it's far from as well-known term used by a movement like something like 'feminist' is. At the very least it was used only by a small group, whether they are/were extremist or not I have no idea.
I hang out in feminist/LGBT+ groups and the only place where I have seen people identifying as SJW's (in any serious manner at least) is on this site.

Also I don't want to call myself a 'warrior', it sounds childish.

My problem with the whole privilege thing is that it's... well, a flawed system. And I don't mean in that in a "I've got issues too" sorta way, because, honestly, I find that checking my "privilege" against the normal stuff (sexuality, gender and sex identity, race and so on) leaves me with a shockingly low "privilege score" or whatever. It fails to take a lot into consideration, for instance, nationality, as well as how you handle it yourself, how open you are about it, and personal experiences.

Yes, it depends on the culture you're in. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't think about it.
For example, I have a very Finnish name.
In Finland, it means I won't be facing any discrimination based on any guesses about my ethnicity. If someone sees my name on a job application, they won't go 'But I wonder if she can speak Finnish?'.
Which they very well might if my name was Sarah Smith. Or worse, Fatima Fakhri or something along those lines.

On the other hand, if I applied for a job in the UK for example they'd probably think I'm Polish or something, and suddenly I wouldn't be as priviledged when it comes to that.

Yes, and I did say that it works for self-reflection. You should certainly think about it and use it to think of discrimination others might face. However, people judge others based on it, which is not fine. Both ways. I don't want to be one of those "poor discriminated against" people because of my sexuality or the fact that I don't think my gender and sex matches. That's stupid, and people who group me up with people who are actually discriminated against makes me annoyed, because it's not true. I'll be fine, help individuals who need it, and don't group everyone up and tell them how lucky/unlucky they are. I do suppose it'd depend on where I am, but it's private information, and I don't share it IRL unless I have a reason to.

And I don't doubt there are others who feel the same way as me. Everyone has their own circumstances and situation, you simply can not judge people's levels of discrimination based on stuff like that. You can make a decent guess, but it really doesn't translate to individuals well.

So yes, do all the thinking you want to, it's healthy, and it's an important topic. What I have an issue with is assuming and judging.