Yeah, some people want to be seen as different to stand out from the crowd, but if you identify someone as being different it can be considered “othering”.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Othering
I don’t have a good idea where the line is.
I think it doesnt matter so much where the line is, because people who want to be offended by that kind of thing will find something to be offended about.
I don’t see anything wrong with those examples in that article. I see it as like a giant game of “Guess Who” when I’m trying to talk about a specific member of the group to someone who doesnt know who’s who. Nothing wrong with saying Mitch is “the Asian classmate” if he’s the only one.
I’ve seen people desperately trying not to say “the black guy” when there’s only one black guy and they’re trying to narrow it down. “He’s sort of tall and has glasses and a beard but not like a full beard and I think he was wearing a tie and” its interminable.
Using “othering” aggressively, implying that the differences matter, is a problem. Using it as an identifiable feature is only a problem to PC Principal.
“Wanting to be offended” is a myth perpetuated by people who want to be offensive. Nobody “wants” to be offended. Offence is a genuine emotional reaction, is automatic, and is unpleasant. Cut that bullshit out.
Well played
Thanks I guess?