âpassing privilegeâ is not a real thing.
the term âpassingâ was, iirc, used to describe african americans whose skin and facial features were light enough that they could escape from slavery to somewhere else and live in a state of constant fear of being found out.
people who could âpassâ did not have any sort of privilege; they simply lived out their oppression in different ways. they still suffered at the hands of the system that had been built to subjugate them.
arguing that anyone who is oppressed has âpassing privilegeâ is fundamentally misunderstanding what passing is and how dangerous it is.
a trans woman who âpassesâ for a cis woman is in as much danger of being a victim of violence, of being murdered, as her non-passing sisters, especially if a cis man feels âtrickedâ into finding a âmanâ attractive.
a bisexual man who âpassesâ for heterosexual is more likely to be abused by hetero and homosexual partners, who will then blame his sexuality for dissatisfaction in the relationship.
a âhigh functioningâ neurodivergent person will suffer the same lack of accommodations as a âlower functioningâ person with the same disability, but will be expected to achieve more because they arenât âreallyâ affected by it.
passing means having your struggles erased or considered âlesserâ because thereâs a chance that you could be seen as ânormalâ in the eyes of passersby.
this is not a privilege. itâs living your life in terror of being found out. itâs being denied access to the community and services that claim to support you.
itâs oppression in its most insidious form; it pretends that you have gained something positive through the way you experience oppression.
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
