Probably the Least Important Aspect of this Debate, but...

[steepholm]

My eyes rather glazed over before I reached the comments of this New Statesman article on privilege checking. I've ridden this particular carousel more than a few times right here on LJ, and seen more interesting views too.

But it reminded me that I've always had a strange linguistic niggle about the phrase "check your privilege". Does it mean "check" as in "check your pulse", or "check" as in "check your coat"? In other words, is it "Be aware of your privilege", or "Leave your privilege at the door"? I suspect the former, but I can never quite cast off the ghostly presence of the latter sense. How do you read it?

[Poll #1885786]

Comments

[aerodrome1.livejournal.com]

It's presented as meaning "check" as in "check your coat", but of course it's used to mean "shut up--- you have no right to an opinion". It's a moraliser's way of imposing silence. And as someone who is all the usual descriptors for evil (male, white, over 30, cis and cis-presenting, hetero, middle class, educated, born in the First World), it's taken as a given that I'm not allowed to have an opinion.