Page 60 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

34 taxonomy of microaggressions

Table 2.1 (Continued)
THEMES MICROAGGRESSION MESSAGE
Having a taxi cab pass a You are likely to cause
person of color and pick trouble and/or travel to a
up a White passenger. dangerous neighborhood.
Being ignored at a store Whites are more valued
counter as attention is given customers than people of
to the White customer color.
behind a person of color.
A lesbian woman is not You don’t belong.
invited out with a group of
girlfriends because they
thought she would be bored
if they were talking to men.
Traditional Gender When a female student Women are less capable in
Role Prejudicing and asked a male professor for math and science.
Stereotyping extra help on a chemistry
Occurs when expectations assignment, he asks “What
of traditional roles or do you need to work on this
stereotypes are conveyed. for anyway?”
A person asks a woman her Women should be married
age and, upon hearing she during child-bearing
is 31, looks quickly at her ages because that is their
ring fi nger. primary purpose.
A woman is assumed to Lesbians do not care about
be a lesbian because she being attractive to others.
does not put a lot of effort
into her appearance.

Sexual Objectifi cation A male stranger puts his Your body is not yours.
Occurs when women are hands on a woman’s hips
treated as though they or on the swell of her back
were objects at men’s to pass by her.
disposal.
Whistles and catcalls as Your body/appearance is
a woman walks down the for men’s enjoyment and
street. pleasure.
Assumption of Two men holding hands You should keep your
Abnormality in public are stared at by displays of affection private
Occurs when it is implied strangers. because they are offensive.
that there is something
wrong with being LGB.
Students use the term People who are weird and
“gay” to describe a fellow different are “gay.”
student who is socially
ostracized at school.
Source: Taken from Sue & Capodilupo, 2008, p. 114–117.

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