#microaggressions

Do you expect me to partake in the mockery?

I had gotten this at the store the other day and this morning decided to drink it. After I opened it and had a couple sips I looked more at the can, and does this look kind of fucked up and weird and racist to anyone else?? From what I know, Voodoo is an African polytheistic religion that has a lot of roots in west Africa, Haiti, and the Caribbean. The majority of people who practice voodoo are black. There is also a very strong and long running stereotype of black people loving grape soda because cheap fruit drinks were heavily marketed to lower income areas of the south where a lot of black Americans had to live due to economic marginalization. Calling an energy drink “Voodoo Grape” is genuinely odd

Ok, for the sake of privacy, I won't disclose any specific race, nationality, or name of anyone involved.

Context: Me and my family are on vacation rn.

So yesterday my family was being driven by a taxi to our house(we couldn't use bus, car, or just walking) and when we came inside, the first thing the taxi driver said to us was "India. You came from India?"

We aren't Indian, we told him we're from the USA.(I planned to keep that private on this blog but then I realized I already put anti ICE stuff here so yeah). What he says to us is, "but from Indian descent?" and we politely tell him no. thankfully he accepts that and doesn't mention race or nationality for the rest of the time. but that just wasn't pleasent.

Like if we were White Americans, no one would mention a follow up question, "you're Americans? Oh well you're of British descent?"

If he thought we weren't from the country(context: it's a place with a lot of tourists), he could've said, "I don't recognize you, are you tourists?"

im so sick of having to bite my tongue to not be retaliated against because some old arse cishet people think its ok to say things like "i GET why we need pride month BUT..." "i know you like your long hair BUT..." "as a woman, if anyone EVER calls me pregnant person..." "ill never date a bisexual person again because..." and other phrases such as "real man" and "gay" (as an insult) and general misgendering (if not of me, ESPECIALLY not bothering to use they/them pronouns for somebody)

what sucks is that some of them have genuine questions and are genuinely trying their hardest and i see that and i appreciate it so much. but im also so sick of having these people talk down to me in ways they dont even know theyre doing.

and yes yes, whatever, "you can always challenge them" "you should report it" etc etc..

and what happens if i do that? these people take EVERYTHING personally and one slip of the tongue could cost me hours and shifts and i just cant afford to rock the boat

i cant wait to be out of there.

its so insidious. they have so much plausible deniability and because theres only one other queer person (who is newer than me), no one would ever understand why i might be uncomfortable.

i can handle being torn down day after day but what i cant handle is the guilt that i should speak up for the next lgbt+ person that might walk in and the anger that they can just so easily get away with it, because im letting them