Just what is "The Patriarchy"?

[stevenleser]

26. I do not agree with what has been presented as Kyriarchy. I don't think priviledge is that complex

nor is its effect on power complex. I think there is one dominant class/cohort in terms of priviledge, and everyone else does not enjoy priviledge.

To my way of thinking, in our society, straight-white-christian-males hold the priviledge. No one else has it.

To me, it does not make sense to say that a straight African American Christian woman has straight priviledge, for instance. Women of color are among the most discriminated against cohorts in the world. It does not make sense to me to say that a gay white christian male has male priviledge, or white priviledge. The discrimination that gay males endure is also pretty severe.

If you are not a straight-white-christian-male, you do not have priviledge. There are differences in terms of how much oppression you experience and how severe your particular cohort affects your ability to succeed occupationally/economically, but I wouldn't call that "a complex pyramidal system of intersecting multiplicative social structures of superordination and subordination, of ruling and oppression." It's really pretty simple. You are a straight-white-christian-male, or you aren't.

I say this as a straight male raised Jewish with both African American and Latino ancestry. You can see what I look like from my photo. I'm ethnic looking. I can't hide it. It has been clear at times throughout my life that various groups of 'straight-white-christian-males' have considered me 'the other'. Some of those situations I laughed off, some werent so funny. I found it hard to be amused when a kid in my neighborhood when I was growing up asked my girlfriend "why are you dating that black guy?". I also recognize that my position hasn't been nearly as bad as that of for instance, women of color or a member of the LGBT community, but I am also clearly not in 'the club'.