#WhiteWomanPrivilege: Evolution of a Twitter Controversy

And there you have it, the tweet that launched 3.5 thousand other tweets in just three hours on Tuesday, flapping in the breeze like a little white flag—before quickly being hijacked, though not completely, by racist trolls and clueless braggers alike.

The #WhiteWomanPrivilege hashtag, which had been used before, sporadically, without catching on with such lightning speed, was kicked off this time by @Auragasmic, whose intention, it seems, was to make a statement about being self-aware about the privileged race she belongs to. Her profile says that she’s an “Aspie. INTJ. Feminist. Purveyor of the Socialist agenda & #ProChoice Propaganda. Mouthy Tech Guru. Greyhat. Foreseer of great things.” But even she admits, in a later tweet, that she didn’t foresee the devolving of the #WhiteWomanPrivilege hashtag.

Its fast explosion is not surprising (can you say “hot button,” everyone?). I’m reluctant to even write a word about it, in fact, being a white woman of privilege myself. But I’ll go out on a limb and say that the breakdown in conversation is also not a shocker, but that it’s damn disappointing.

It took just three hours for one woman’s honest observation to be turned into a debate, a parody, a dividing line and a succulent morsel of privilege porn. Why? Because it’s inherent to the topic. When privileged and non-privileged folks discuss said privilege, neither side is going to see it the same way. So it’s going to eventually get heated. And troublesome. And hurtful. And embarrassing.

To wit:

And yet… plenty of women of all colors waded into the muck with honest, illuminating thoughts, in spite of what was inevitable.

All of which makes me realize… That maybe it was worth it after all. Because if it makes you think, it makes it worth it, minefield of haters to negotiate or not. So thanks for that, ladies.