# Do you experience discrimination based on a group of which you are a member? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736 "2017-10-24T17:17:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/1 "2017-10-24T17:17:07Z")
In your life today (not in the past), do you face discrimination or discriminatory behavior based only on an identifiable group of which you are a member? This can be ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or something else. For the purposes of the poll, I am dividing Dopers between American (U.S.) and other nations. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/2 "2017-10-24T17:35:54Z")
No. I’m a gender-typical, straight, white, Christian male in the US. I have yet to see any discriminatory behavior towards me based on any of those factors. Nor do I expect to see any. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/3 "2017-10-24T17:44:49Z")
My white privilege protects me from knowing. I probably don’t get some clients because my name sounds “Jewish.” 4 out of the 5 top law schools didn’t accept me, perhaps because I am a white male. Nonetheless, I’m blissfully unaware of any discrimination against me, and feel quite privileged in my daily existence. If people knew I was an atheist, perhaps there would be some blow-back, but I don’t wear the T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/4 "2017-10-24T17:46:53Z")
I’m a gender-typical, straight, white, atheist male in a conservative part of the US. I have experienced only mild discrimination due to my atheism - mostly manifesting in the fact that it seems to eliminate the possibility of meeting a compatible romantic partner. (As in, my relationships to date have all been abruptly terminated when the woman eventually decided to get more religious - the woman suddenly declares I’m the literal devil, and that’s that. It’s happened twice!) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/5 "2017-10-24T17:49:37Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > … the woman suddenly declares I’m the literal devil, and that’s that. It’s happened twice!) One more time and you’ll vanish in a puff of sulfur smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/6 "2017-10-24T17:52:25Z")
Using either definition of “discriminatory”: 1. as being neutral (either positive or negative) but differentiated from other groups 2. limiting the definition of “discriminatory” to only negative treatment Then yes, as a middle-aged straight white male, I feel I have experienced positive outcomes based on my membership in that group, as well as negative outcomes based on my membership in that group. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/7 "2017-10-24T17:52:52Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > If people knew I was an atheist, perhaps there would be some blow-back, but I don’t wear the T-shirt. I never even _got_ my T-shirt. Probably because I’m a woman! ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/8 "2017-10-24T17:58:58Z")
I answered “No” but should append that to “Not in any meaningful way”. By which I mean systematic or major discrimination and not “I think maybe that black guy at the store was rude to me because I’m white” or “Once a woman said my opinions on abortion don’t count because I’m a guy”. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/9 "2017-10-24T18:00:40Z")
I’m a woman, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/10 "2017-10-24T18:08:51Z")
Affirmative action counts, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/11 "2017-10-24T18:12:38Z")
does being disabled count? I cant get a job unless they can use me as a tax write off among other things ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/12 "2017-10-24T18:28:09Z")
I have encountered examples of Antisemitism my entire life, including the recent past. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/13 "2017-10-24T18:58:14Z")
Woman in a male dominated field - so yes ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/14 "2017-10-24T19:00:16Z")
Where I live, it’s very common for gay white males to have some sort of “no blacks,” “no Asians,” etc. restriction on their dating / hook-up profiles. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/15 "2017-10-24T20:16:00Z")
No, but I do know from what others say that it still exists. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/16 "2017-10-24T20:30:56Z")
I am black, Hispanic, fat and female. Guess what I voted. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/17 "2017-10-24T20:33:42Z")
Yes, as a white male, hetrosexual cissexual able bodied Brit who was born here I am the only group it is still possible to discriminate against. ---
**Author:** ![RunSilent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RunSilent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RunSilent)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/18 "2017-10-24T20:53:47Z")
I have faced unintentional discrimination here and there my whole life because I am left handed. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/19 "2017-10-24T21:04:05Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Yes, as a white male, hetrosexual cissexual able bodied Brit who was born here I am the only group it is still possible to discriminate against. Mister Shine, him diamond. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736/20 "2017-10-24T21:08:50Z")
Not an American, but i live in the US, so i checked American. Straight, white, well-educated man. While it’s impossible to state definitively that no-one has ever discriminated against me for any of my identifiable characteristics, i’ve never felt not been aware of any such discrimination, so i put “No.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-experience-discrimination-based-on-a-group-of-which-you-are-a-member/799736.md?page=2)