Anti-Racism. Feminism. Gender Equality. Privilege. Derailing for Dummies. Handy Reference Guide to Identifying Oppressive Silencing. To assist you in identifying and resisting dominant and unequal power relationships in your life, we’ve compiled a list of common phrases people in historically dominant roles have been conditioned to and may use to try to silence oppressed others, particularly when they perceive their dominance to be challenged.
The quotations below were used by men against women and are thus patriarchal; however, one could expect to find similar strategic dismissals and silencing of the accounts and concerns of people of color, working class and poor people, queer and LGBTQI people, young people, fat people, disabled people, and other marginalized folks in the discourses of those who discriminate against them. The simultaneous and intersecting nature of oppression is also considered here. These strategies, and others we may have missed, can be found in any order, but from our experiences attempts to silence us commonly go something like this: Strategy: Assert authority. 1. No, but… 2.
Gradient Lair.