I think I remember a post on GC where a black single mother getting her college degree was the headline. There were a ton of people talking dirt about her for “poor choices” in terms of getting pregnant when she was impoverished. It offended me in that not everyone who’s a “single mother” sought out to be in that predicament. I wondered to myself if people were quick to judge her based on her race, her socioeconomic class, or both. I tend to doubt people would have criticized her as quickly if she were white.

There seemed to be a lot of classism in some of the old GC threads that was obvious to me as a low-income woman (I’m not a WOC). I’m not “poor enough” for much assistance except slightly lower housing rent, so I barely survive. If you asked for financial help on GC, the suggestions given were simply not applicable to those who don’t already earn big bucks in STEM, those who have children to care for, etc..

I have a degree, but a useless one, and made the bad choice of keeping a pregnancy with a man who gave a lot of empty promises. To some that gives people the green light to dismiss my problems or to blame me for systematic issues that prevent people like me from progressing. There is a lot of brainwashing out there that makes women falsely believe society supports mothers way more than they do; and I encountered major hurtles when I attempted to seek a termination. I was already “showing” just days before my appointment, people in my family noticed, and I felt I had no choice but to cancel the appointment. From the very start, you’re behind the 8 ball. Some cultures are very “pro-life” to an extreme degree, and if you dare to terminate you’re ostracized, and if you “don’t have a man” when you’re a young woman you’re vilified.

The shit-storm most low income mothers encounter in “anti-welfare” states in the US can’t be understated. It’s one giant cluster fuck of a life destroyer to have a kid before you make big bucks, even if you have a degree— and many women in their 20s still barely make 30K. I’m sure this issue is compounded by multitudes for WOC. Larger political talking points, often with racism implied, are drilled into many people’s heads when it comes to WOC. I know many of these tropes are false as I know a TON of white people on medicaid, SSD, unemployed, who have children they can’t afford, criminal records, etc.. the aspersions cast on WOC is often projection.

I guess my point is, sometimes unless the issue touches you personally, it’s easy to dismiss others. Being brainwashed to think a certain way clouds one’s judgement. I think people didn’t “see” the racism that happened on there, as it didn’t effect them personally.

I can say for certain that some issues don’t seem pressing to me unless they touch me personally. The trans issue, to me at time that sub was still up, seemed irrelevant to my existence as I’m a low wage worker who has minimal contact with academic circles, high wage jobs where MtFs are common. Now that I’ve experienced the Reddit pogroms and see what’s happening in the UK, I think otherwise.