Hello and welcome to Color Outside the Lines, a weekly discussion space for people of color.
Thread Rules
- We ask that only those who identify as people of color participate in this discussion. White Avocados, while valued members of this community, should remain in ‘lurk’ mode.
- Shaming and hateful speech are unacceptable.
- Please keep potentially traumatic content safely behind spoiler tags.
- Nobody on this thread is more or less a person of color than anyone else. (We will not set clearly delineated boundaries on who qualifies as a ‘person of color.’ As a starting point, this thread uses the definition of ‘non-European heritage of sufficient prominence to affect one’s navigation of a society built on white normativity.’ However, we recognize that there are identities which skirt either side of the divide. If people feel that they meaningfully experience the identity of being a person of color, then they are welcome to participate.)
The Prompt
The week, it’s stereotype meets personal taste! Many people of color have assumptions lobbed at them on a continuous basis. This ain’t new. Sometimes our personal tastes can overlap with stereotype and oftentimes they doesn’t. Sometimes people actively avoid certain things specifically because they don’t want to give credence to stereotypes (something that can be incredibly painful and fraught). So let’s talk about it! Have you ever had to confront an overlap of personal taste and stereotype, particularly in front of white people. Have you ever found yourself avoiding something to distance yourself from stereotype? Please talk to your comfort level! You don’t have to expound on a specific stereotype if you feel uncomfortable or would rather not elaborate.