Advocacy: A journey, not a destination | News, Sports, Jobs – Alpena News
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Let’s talk about bias. Merriam-Webster defines bias as “an inclination of temperament or outlook, especially: a personal and unreasoned judgment.” In other words, bias is someone’s personal judgment toward a situation, particular place or another person. Biases can be toward the positive or the negative, and are learned from some form of experience. The problem with biases isn’t that someone may have them-it’s the action taken because of them.
And. Everyone has biases.
We see evidence in everyday language. “I’m not racist, BUT…” or “I’m not homophobic, BUT…” (What comes after the word “but” is almost always a biased statement.) Though, it’s not always as direct as that. The aunt at thanksgiving asking about her nephew’s “girlfriend” without acknowledging the possibility he could be gay is a form of bias. The father telling his child to “be a man” without considering the fact they identify as non-binary is a form of bias. These situations show bias towards an unobtainable norm, and, even if the family member is well-intended, the comments come across as dismissive and invalidating.
The tricky part is that these biases may go unnoticed by the individual holding them. The same aunt may have and be wildly supportive of a gay child of her own. The same father may house and support his child’s LGBTQIA+ friends when their housing is in question.
So. What can we do about our biases, especially if we don’t know we hold them?
The first step is admitting we didn’t know. Though, just admitting we didn’t know we had a bias does not absolve us from doing something about said bias. By admitting we didn’t know, we are allowing ourselves to be open to new information.
Which leads to the next step: continue learning.
At the beginning of each community course I teach, I ask this question:
“On a scale from 1 to 10, where would you place your knowledge of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion?”
Many will overestimate their knowledge and confidently declare an 8 or above and quickly question their response when I, the “teacher/expert,” only say 5 or 6. I don’t do this to trip anyone up or to prove a point, but, rather, I do this to pose a question. “What do you really know vs. what you think you know?”
This question isn’t meant to discourage those reading this article or those who take my community courses. This question is meant to encourage everyone to continue to learn-to move past that “I don’t know” and to do something about the lack of knowledge.
And, doing something about that lack of knowledge doesn’t mean one has to go to school or enroll in DEI training. It simply means one should listen to people when they speak of their life experiences. It means to go into conversations with an open mind, and not invalidate someone’s lived experience just because the person on the news said differently. By doing so, we will continue to chip away at those negative biases.
Mitchel is an arts-based advocate in the NE Michigan area. His art and advocacy work center on the experiences and lives of minority bodies, with a focus on his life as a gay man. For more information about his work, visit mitcheldipzinski.com.