I think there are a lot of rules for women. We have a lot of expectations and a lot of rules for women. So we're expected to march in a straight line, and when we don't, all hell breaks loose.
Roxane GayRead
You can't control the fact that you are born a white man or born into wealth. When people say, 'Check your privilege,' they're saying, 'Acknowledge how these factors helped you move through life.' They're not saying apologize for it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote encourages acknowledging the advantages one has due to race or wealth without feeling guilty about them.
Roxane Gay highlights the importance of recognizing that privilege, whether derived from race or economic status, influences one's life experiences and opportunities. The concept of 'checking your privilege' is an invitation to understand and acknowledge these societal advantages instead of feeling guilty for them. It emphasizes self-awareness and the recognition of systemic inequalities that affect people's lives.
Themes
PrivilegeAwarenessSocietyIdentityInequality
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about social justice to emphasize the importance of recognizing privilege.
More from Roxane Gay
All quotes →I believe in the freedom of expression, unequivocally - though, as I have written before, I wish more people would understand that freedom of expression is not freedom from consequence.
Roxane GayRead
Public intellectuals are often put in the position of having their words, no matter how off-the-cuff, treated as doctrine.
Roxane GayRead
No one is helped when cultural critics use their voices irresponsibly.
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I have never dreamed of being a princess. I have not longed for Prince Charming. I have and do long for something resembling a happily ever after. I am supposed to be above such flights of fantasy, but I am not. I am enamored of fairy tales.
Roxane GayRead
There has been, and there will continue to be, vigorous discussions about race in America. I worry that little will come of these discussions because we aren't addressing what must be done to change the current racial climate.
Roxane GayRead
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