“Individualism divides the world up into different kinds of people—good people and bad, racists and non-racists, "good guys" and sexist pigs. It encourages us to think of the isms as diseases that infect people and make them sick. And so we look for a "cure" that will turn diseased, flawed individuals into healthy, "good" ones, or at least isolate them so that they can't infect others. And if we can't cure them, then we can at least try to control their behavior…From an individualistic perspective, if you aren't consciously or openly prejudiced or hurtful, then you aren't part of the problem. You might show disapproval of "bad" people and even try to help out the people who are hurt by them. Beyond that, however, the trouble doesn't have anything to do with you so far as you can see. If your feelings and thoughts and outward behavior are good, then you are good, and that's all that matters.” - Allan G. Johnson, Ph.D. (Privilege, Oppression, and Difference)

“A major problem with the colorblind position, particularly in politics and mass media, is as long as race is hidden from consciousness, the dominant racial and ethnic group can maintain the illusion that they are not responsible for the state of race relations because they do not knowingly engage in a racist behavior, and even consider talking about race off-limits…Color blindness is a denial of the unfair power imbalance, allowing whites to deny their privilege while still recognizing its benefits. One problem with racial color blindness is that it functions to erase differences among people and it forces those who defer from the white norm to assimilate into or to imitate whiteness. Color blindness and assimilation take a toll on those subordinate groups pressured to assimilate. They are forced to subordinate their characteristics, traditions, and culture, in order to blend with the dominant group.” - Kristin J. Anderson (Modern Misogyny: Anti-feminism in a Post-feminist Era)

“Sexist oppression is of primary importance not because it is the basis of all other oppression, but because it is the practice of domination most people experience, whether their role be that of discriminator or discriminated against, exploiter or exploited. It is the practice of domination most people are socialized to accept before they even know that other forms of group oppression exist…Unlike other forms of oppression, most people witness and/or experience the practice of sexist domination in family settings. We tend to witness and/or experience racism or classism as we encounter the larger society, the world outside the home.” – bell hooks (Feminist Theory from Margin to Center)

“Boys are more likely to be influenced by other boys - not teachers and not girls…That is because a woman is perceived as just another mother, while a man is a Man. Women, even women teachers who are in positions of authority, are perceived as just “moms,” so who cares what they think? Men are more interesting, are higher in status, and worthy of boys attention.” - Kristin J. Anderson (Modern Misogyny: Anti-feminism in a Post-feminist Era)

“Homophobia and heterosexism are everyone’s problem, if for no other reason, heterosexuals should worry about it because if they step out of the rigid gender roles our society has in place, they face being gay-baited themselves…If your son goes to preschool with polish on his fingernails, he can be a target of anti-gay discrimination. Homophobia and heterosexism keep everyone in their narrowly defined place.” - Kristin J. Anderson (Modern Misogyny: Anti-feminism in a Post-feminist Era)

“Most people in the United States think of feminism, or the more commonly used term “women’s lib,” as a movement that aims to make women the social equals of men. This broad definition, popularized by the media and mainstream segments of the movement, raises problematic questions. Since men are not equals in a white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want to be equal to? Do women share a common vision of what equality means? Implicit in this simplistic definition of women’s liberation is a dismissal of race and class as factors that, in conjunction with sexism, determine the extent to which an individual will be discriminated against, exploited, or oppressed.” - bell hooks (Feminist Theory from Margin to Center)