There are countless battles against discrimination throughout human history. People who belong to a specific minority or social group often face discrimination and struggle for equality is always an attempt to gain the same political and cultural rights as the majority. The common characteristics these victims of discrimination share is that they all have some sort of factor that is sidelined by the majority and authority, be it gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors. Understandably to combat discrimination, people are fighting for an equal society so enthusiastically to the point that the unique characteristics and features that each person possesses seems to have become a forgotten matter in society. When human history is examined, it could be argued that the division between people with shared characteristics is part of human nature.
There is irrefutable evidence of the division between ethnicities and the cruel hierarchy created according to one’s skin color through history. White supremacy and the act of slavery have existed in Europe from the Classical times and continued even after the Roman Empire collapsed. The differentiation and discrimination of ethnic groups is a dominant human conduct in many historical periods. This cruel behavior has considerably improved nowadays, but unquestionably, it still exist in the modern era. Even though 60 years has passed since the African-American civil rights movement in the United States, cases of biased judgment rooted in racism such as the Ferguson shooting still occur daily.
The factors for discrimination include not only the color of one’s skin, but also one’s gender. There are societies which are created under the social system of patriarchy, where the male figure holds the primary power. When discussing topics on gender inequality and brutal treatment towards women, strongly patriarchal countries such as Saudi Arabia comes to mind. According to the Global Gender Gap Report, Saudi Arabia ranks as one of the lowest on the list, making them one of the most misogynistic countries. Furthermore, it is the only country in the world that does not permit women to drive. The discrimination created around gender differences is clear in these societies. Gender inequality has also been an endless battle in human history; The existence of sexist societies in the modern era is only a small part of the historical battle against discrimination.
The domination and division created around diverse characteristics is not only limited to physical features, but also hidden ones. The definition of marriage and love between people of the same sex has been another battleground for equality. In the United States, since the Stonewall riots were carried out in the 1970s, the conflict between the LGBT community and the anti-LGBT community came to the forefront of societal issues. The movement for LGBT rights has definitely gained momentum, and there are many states in the US along with various countries in the world that recognize and accept same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, discrimination against LGBT still exists. The most tragic aspect of this war for equality is that discrimination also exist within the LGBT community. Discrimination by gender, social status, ethnicity still persist even within the LGBT community and this ultimately leads to more unhappiness.
The above mentioned are only a small fraction of other important characteristics that have been discriminated against. It is a cruel and brutal battle that has brought sorrow to many societies and communities. We need to create an equal society. However, the main question is how do we create such a society where the characteristics of each person become a secondary factor for the society to continue working in an efficient way. Nevertheless, it is evident that it is extremely difficult for these characteristics to be forgotten since discrimination or an “us versus them” mentality seems to be deeply rooted in human history, perhaps even human condition.
The solution for discrimination might not be to be blind to the characteristics of people prone to discrimination (ie. Race blind, gender blind) but instead, to acknowledge and embrace them. These characteristics are countless, what needs to be done is that we need to widen the pool of our acceptance, give more leeway to people so that they can feel at home in a community that embraces them. More importantly, it is necessary to teach tolerance through education in order for these differences between people to become a symbol of originality and personality, rather than make them targets for discrimination.