Privilege. A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. Often times people such as women, people of color, people of low class, non-citizens and sexual minorities can be so caught up their own forms of oppression they forget that they too have some type of privilege. So how do you know if you’re privileged or how privileged you are? Here are some of the most impactful privileges:
Race: If you are able to turn on the television and see your race widely represented or were taught about the history of your people throughout your scholastic career you are racially privileged.
Sex: If you were born a male or have never changed your sex you are privileged.
Gender: Those who are cisgender and identify with the gender which relate to their biological sex are privileged. Not fearing using public bathrooms or feel unsafe because of your gender is a privilege.
Citizenship: Being a citizen of the country you live in, especially if you were born there grants you privileges a non-citizen may not have from healthcare to decent working conditions.
Class: Class is easily one of the most identifiable privileges because it is easy to see the advantages of someone born into money compared to someone who was born into a poor family. If you have a car, go shopping often or have attended college you have advantages that someone who is homeless may never have.
Ability: People who are able bodied with no physical disabilities are able to achieve things in their day to day lives and span of their entire lives that people who are disabled may never be able to accomplish.
Sexual Orientation: Simply being heterosexual is a privilege, you don’t have to worry about being publicly shamed for small acts of PDA or struggle to find a marriage officiant if you wish to marry someone.
Mental health: If you have never been depressed, considered suicide, been diagnosed with a mental illness, taken medication for mental illness, do not have a learning or social disability and are at the peak of mental health then you are privileged.
Education: Not everyone is afforded the opportunity to attend college, complete high school or even make it to high school. Simply having any type of formal education is a privilege.
Religion: If you are a Christian or believe in the most dominant religion of your country, you are privileged. People can be harassed, denied opportunities and socially rejected for their beliefs.
Being privileged does not mean you don’t work hard or your struggles are any less real. It just means that you have an advantage that not everyone has so just be aware of the system you benefit from.