Page 48 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

22 taxonomy of microaggressions

Do these three examples indicate that Richards is a racist, Isaiah Washington
is heterosexist (anti - gay), and that Mel Gibson is both anti - Semitic and sexist?
Prior to these incidents, all three were seen as respected actors and well liked
by the American public. Few would have suggested that they were bigots
and/or that they would use or make such blatantly infl ammatory language.
These outbursts were roundly condemned by the public and a debate ensued
over whether the language they used was a true reflection of personal bigotry;

Richards blamed it on the hecklers, Washington blamed it on the “ heat of the
moment, ” and Gibson blamed it on the alcohol.
Were these three individuals bigots, skilled in disguising their biases
(Apfelbaum, Sommers, & Norton, 2008), or were they generally decent people
unaware of the racism, sexism, and heterosexism they harbored until they lost
control (Conley, Calhoun, Evett, & Devine, 2001; Sue, Lin, Torino, Capodilupo, &
Rivera, 2009)? More importantly, are we capable of such outbursts? Have we,
ourselves, ever lost control and used racial epithets? What about telling or
laughing at racist jokes? If so, does it make us bigots?
Scholars suggest that it is nearly impossible for any of us not to inherit the
racial, gender, and sexual-orientation biases of our forebears (Baker & Fishbein,
1998; Banaji & Greenwald, 1995; Barrett & Logan, 2002; Dovidio, Gaertner,
Kawakami, & Hodson, 2002; Fiske & Stevens, 1993; Sue, 2003). Such prejudices,
however, may exist consciously, unconsciously, or on the margins of conscious-
ness (Ponterotto, Utsey, & Pedersen, 2006; Nelson, 2006; Sue, 2003). One could
make a strong argument, for example, that Richards, Washington, and Gibson
(1) were aware of their biases but were generally successful in concealing them,
(2) were only minimally (marginally) aware, or (3) were completely unaware
until their outbursts. To understand racism means to realize that our preju-
dices, stereotypes, and biases exist on a continuum of conscious awareness.
The avowed racist, for example, will use racial epithets freely, consciously
believes in the inferiority of persons of color, and will deliberately discrimi-
nate. Those who are less aware, however, are likely to unintentionally behave
in subtle discriminatory patterns against people of color, women, and LGBTs
outside their level of conscious awareness.

CONSCIOUS AND DELIBERATE BIGOTRY VERSUS
UNCONSCIOUS AND UNINTENTIONAL BIAS

People who are aware of their racial, gender, and sexual-orientation biases,
believe in the inferiority of these groups, and will discriminate when the

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