Anyone can commit a microaggression, even if they don’t mean to. Microaggressions are small, everyday interactions that affirm oppressive social hierarchies, regardless of the party’s intent or awareness. Do you know how you’d respond to these common microaggressions based on race, sexuality, and gender identity? Let's put you on the spot.
(set: $score to 0)
[[Begin ->Race]]You are sitting in a classroom with your classmate Jason, watching your classmate Ali explain a math problem on the whiteboard. Ali finishes writing her equation, and turns to face you and the rest of your study group.
(set: $raceA = "Helpful")
“So when you take the integral,” Ali says, “1/x becomes ln(x), so the final answer should be… ln(10) - ln(1), which since ln(1) is zero, just becomes the ln(10).”
Ali circles the answer and sits back down in front of you. Jason turns to face Ali with an inquisitive [[look ->RaceAnswer]].Ali smiles gratefully at you while Jason looks flustered
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“Sorry, jeez,” Jason replies. “I meant it as a compliment.”
(set: $raceA = "Helpful")
Ali turns back to Jason. “Well, your intent didn’t equal your impact. For your information, I’ve lived in Sacramento basically my whole life.” She stops to think for a moment. “Well- I was born in Fresno, but no one wants to remember Fresno.”
[[Next -> RaceExplain]]Ali glares at you, seething.
(set: $raceA = "Hostile")
“Sorry,” laughs Jason. “I’m really bad at telling you people apart!”
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“I’m not--” Ali starts to respond, but stops and throws her arms up in the air. “You know what, screw it. You guys can study this on your own.” She picks up her bag and storms out of the classroom.
[[Next -> RaceExplain]]Ali looks at you for help, but you look back to Jason.
(set: $raceA = "Complicit")
“Hey, I don’t know what you’re getting so defensive about.”
Ali looks down. “I mean… I just told you I’m from Sacramento.”
“And your parents?” Jason leers.
“My family came from Fresno-” Ali stops herself in a huff. “Look, can we just go to the next problem?”
Jason sighs, and slouches back in his chair. “Alright, fine. I don’t get why you’re so worked up about it.”
[[Next -> RaceExplain]]You are sitting in a classroom with classmates Erica, Alex, and Marcus, listening to Erica and Alex talk while waiting for the teacher to come in. Erica and Alex look frustrated while Marcus is not paying attention and texting. Erica begins voices her grievances with the class to Alex.
(set: $genderA = "Helpful")
“I’m one of like three girls, and Professor Bowles never calls on me. And he always seems so surprised when I get a question right. I’m just tired that he thinks that because I’m a woman, I’m not as smart as the men [[here ->GenderAnswer]]."Alex turns to you, “I have been waiting it out. For five years of getting misgendered. Is it even hurting you that I get gendered right?” They ask hopelessly.
(set: $genderA = "Complicit")
Erica glances at you, visibly frustrated, “And I just want to exist in class without being harrassed and no one except them are doing anything about it,”
Alex lets out a sigh and rubs their eyes, “Nevermind. It’s not like you care anyway.”
Alex turns back around to their work while Erica goes on her phone.
[[Next -> GenderExplain]]Alex smiles at you but is unsure, “Thanks. I don’t really even know where to go.”
(set: $genderA = "Helpful")
“Well I know if we go to the dean of our college, we can file a report against the professor,” Erica mentions. “We’ve already tried talking to Professor Bowles and nothing’s changed.”
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“What would we say? I mean, we have allegations of sexism and transphobia. Would that be enough,” Alex asks?
Erica turns to you. “Thanks for helping us. Can you go with Alex after class and help them find what we need to file a report? Meanwhile, I can look at resources on campus like the Gender Equity Center and the Pride Center for help.”
[[Next -> GenderExplain]]Erica and Alex both flinch and turn to glare at you while Marcus laughs, not really paying attention.
(set: $genderA = "Hostile")
“I’m sorry, but what about this is us trying to be “special?” Erica asks angrily, “Me not getting catcalled in class or Alex making sure that their correct pronouns are used?
(set: $score -= 5)
You look over to Alex, who is visibly frustrated, “It doesn’t hurt you at all for us to be treated with respect but it looks like you’re getting emotional whenever we just want the same respect and rights as the men in this class.”
Erica glances back at you, “I can’t believe I thought that maybe you’d at least care. But you’re just like everyone else,” she says before spinning back around to her desk.
[[Next -> GenderExplain]]You and Danica are sitting eating lunch together while talking about your friend Henry and his new boyfriend.
(set: $sexualityA to "Helpful")
“So you know Henry from Coms?" Danica says, "I was in line at Starbucks with him yesterday and he saw his boyfriend and called him over, and his boyfriend like kissed him and then they held hands for the rest of the line. Like… I’m fine that he’s gay and stuff but like he doesn’t have to flaunt his sexuality or be in my face about it you know? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate gay people or anything, I just think they don’t have to be so annoying about it.”
''How do you respond?''
[["Let them live. You’re being really homophobic right now." -> HelpfulSex]]
[["Oh yeah... sorry about that." -> ComplicitSex]]
[["No; you’re completely valid. Show some decency.” -> HostileSex]]You say back to Danica, “It does seem like you are homophobic. If your straight friends were to do that you would not think twice about it, but since they are gay it appears that you are uncomfortable by their relationship."
(set: $sexualityA to "Helpful")
Danica immediately looks defensive but backpedals, “What? No I swear I’m not homophobic, well... maybe I am even though I don’t mean to be. They’re not hurting me at all. I think I’m mostly just jealous that Henry and his boyfriend are really happy together. But… you’re right. I have to work on my biases so I’m not as homophobic.”
(set: $score += 5)
You respond, “It is good that you are being honest to yourself, that is the first step towards understanding others. You should do more research on hidden biases, because it may seem that you have more than you think”.
Danica asks, “Do you think the Pride Center has resources for learning more about hidden biases? I may try going after lunch. Anyways, thanks for calling me out and helping me to see the situation from an outsider's’ perspective. I’ll try to do better.”
“No problem, Danica. Your friends should call you out when it appears you are biased towards a specific group of people, especially those who are marginalized and face daily discrimination. These things must be discussed and kept fluid in conversation," you explain.
[[Next -> SexExplanation]]You say back to Danica, “Oh, I’m sorry you feel that way.”
(set: $sexualityA to "Complicit")
Danica replies, “Thanks. I don’t know, like sometimes I think that maybe I’m being unfair, but then I tell these things to friends like you or my roommates and they never say anything so maybe I’m not doing anything wrong, right? If I really was being homophobic, people would tell me and not just be complicit, right? They would call me out so I could stop my behavior."
You say nothing.
She smiles. "See this is why I like you. You let me say anything."
[[Next -> SexExplanation]]You respond to Danica, “No, I totally get where you’re coming from. It makes me really uncomfortable when they kiss around me and hold hands when I am so clearly standing right next to them. It’s like they don’t even realize we are standing there. Like sure straight people do it all the time, but it's different with gay people."
(set: $sexualityA to "Hostile")
Danica says, “Right? I’m really glad you agree with me. I was talking to other people about this and they told me that I was being homophobic and mean because I’m holding them to a different standard to straight people but I’m glad that you can let me say these things without consequences. You won’t tell Henry what I said, right? I don't want him to know I'm talking about him behind his back, you know?"
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[[Next -> SexExplanation]]“Ali, you speak English really well.”
“Thank… you?” Ali responds, confused.
“Where are you from?” asks Jason, leaning in.
“Uh… I’m from Sacramento.”
“No,” Jason says, leaning back in his chair. “Like, where are you really from?” Ali is taken aback.
''What do you say?''
[["The color of her skin doesn’t determine how well she speaks English, where she's from, or anything else." -> HelpfulRace]]
[["Did your parents come here legally?" -> HostileRace]]
[["I mean, it’s a valid question. Like, you’re not just from California." -> ComplicitRace]]You were ''$raceA''.
While "you speak English well" may have good intentions, there is an underlying expectation that people of color--especially those of Latinx or Asian descent-- have English as a second language and speak with an accent.
At the same time, there is also the expectation that Latinx and Asian students are immigrants to the United States, or at the very least their parents are. To assume that people of color "weren't born here" is a thinly veiled xenophobic notion that people of color don't belong in the United States. This also applies to their document status.
Want to be an ally for people of color? A good rule of thumb is don't say anything to them you wouldn't say to a white student-- commenting on their English, asking where they're *really* from, or their document status. Even if they are from another country or undocumented, those are invasive questions that a white student would never get.
[[Next Section -> Gender]]You were ''$genderA''.
Being a womxn or trans person in academia, especially in STEM fields, is already difficult with double standards and stereotypes about cisgender men outperforming other genders, specifically womxn. The difficulty to succeed in classes is doubled when trans individuals either must sacrifice their humanity and dignity by allowing classmates and especially professors to misgender them, or continually fight against transphobia in the classroom.
There are several ways to fight against microaggressions based on gender equality. The simplest is to not assume intelligence based on gender to not sexually harrass students for any reason. This includes behaviors such as catcalling, stalking, and unwanted, repeated flirtation.
For trans students, respect their pronouns and use them correctly, even if they are not there. Concerned about the "grammar" of the use of a singular they? The use of a singular-they has existed for decades, and can be seen in common phrases such as "to each their own", and was even used in the first sentence of this paragraph. Language is constantly evolving and if someone asks you to use their correct pronouns, actively choosing to not respect them is an act of violence.
[[Next -> Sexuality]] Alex laughs frustratedly. “I know, right? The only reason he calls on me is because he constantly forgets or just doesn’t listen to the ten times I told him that I'm nonbinary and I use they/them pronouns. Like how hard is it? But whenever I correct him, two minutes later he’s like “Go see Alex. *He* has the correct answer.”
Marcus finally looks up from his phone, “Hey don’t feel bad. You’re doing really well in this class for a girl. And you and Alex are friends. Maybe he can tutor you.”
''How do you respond?''
[["Don't let it get to you. Just wait it out." -> ComplicitGender]]
[["Don’t listen to him. Do you want me to come file a report with you?" -> HelpfulGender]]
[["Don’t get emotional. Just stop trying to be special and it’ll be fine." ->HostileGender]]You were ''$sexualityA''.
People in queer relationships are usually held to a higher standard than those in a straight one, often being accused of "indecency" or "unprofessionalism", even though the amount of pda is equal to or even less than the amount of pda that straight couples have. Additionally, LGBTQ+ people are pressured to hide many of their relationships and pride both in academia and the workplace due to being "inappropriate", which can be stifling and harmful to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Many people do not recognize their hidden bias against queer people, which is why it is important to call people in and point out their microaggressions. By being complicit, you are allowing these microaggressions to continue and harm queer folks. Like race, a good rule of thumb is to give queer relationships the same grace and tolerance that you would normally give straight relationships.
[[See Score -> End]]Final Score: $score / 15.
(if: $score <= 0)[You are committing several acts of microaggressions that are even bordering on blatant racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobic. If you don’t realize you are perpetrating negative stereotypes or committing microaggressions, take the time to educate yourself on how to be a good intersectional ally.]
(elseif: $score <= 10)[While you may not be committing many acts of microaggressions, you may be complicit in letting other people around you commit them. Known as the Bystander Effect, when other people are present, you may be less likely to call out people’s behavior when they are being racist, sexist, transphobic, or other acts of oppression. While speaking out against problematic behaviors is difficult, remember that it is infinitely more difficult to endure these microaggressions. When you see people being targeted, remember to ask them what you can do and if they need anything.]
(elseif: $score <= 15)[Congratulations on knowing what to do in situations where someone is committing a microaggression. It is important to check in with the recipient of the microaggression to see if they need any help or comfort. Look for resources like Ombuds to report biases and acts of oppression by professors or faculty, and check your own privilege and friends’ privileges when you or they say things that would be offensive.]