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Jessica Valenti
Identity Politics 2020
We need to talk about the radicalization of white men
When Bernie Sanders launched his 2020 presidential bid this week, a Vermont Public Radio interviewer asked him how his candidacy fit into a moment when the Democratic Party is looking more diverse than ever. Sanders responded, “We have got to look at candidates, you know, not by the color of their skin, not by their sexual orientation or their gender and not by their age. We have got to move towards a nondiscriminatory society.”
On the surface, Sanders’ comments seem reasonable enough; of course we want candidates — and all people, really — judged on their beliefs and actions over all else. But being “nondiscriminatory” isn’t about ignoring race and gender — it’s the opposite. Moving towards justice requires us to pay very close attention to the relationships these identities have to power and privilege.
After all, we didn’t get all male, all straight, and almost all white presidents by accident — presidential candidates have always been judged by their race, gender, and sexual orientation. Yet, it’s only when there are female or nonwhite candidates that voters are told that gender and race shouldn’t matter.
These kinds of distinctions and nuances are becoming increasingly understood on…
