Social Justice Warrior?

[rowyn]

grrm has been writing about the Hugos lately, and one of his side issues has been that he finds the term "SJW" very offensive, and wants "his side" to be called "liberals" or "progressives" instead.

I am fascinated by this, for a couple of reasons. One: I rather like the term "Social Justice Warrior". I prefer "social justice cleric" for myself, but I'm fine with SJW. I find it a convenient term for distinguishing those with a keen interest in social justice and tolerance of diversity in many and varied forms. I know SJW was originally a conservative jab at us, but I thought it had been reclaimed, like "gay" or "queer". The other is that I think of myself as an SJW, but not a liberal or a progressive. So the substitution doesn't work for me. I suppose SJWs could claim "egalitarian" instead, but who would claim to be anti-egalitarian?

Then again, who wants to come out as antisocial injustice pacifists? As insults go, SJW has never had a lot of sting. n_n

EDIT: I've locked comments to this entry, 'cause I'm not enjoying some of the conversation the topic is generating. Y'all feel free to carry on in your own journals if you've more to say. :)

Comments

[rowyn]

You know me, sir: always bagging on conservatives and Republicans! :)

In seriousness, the human tendency towards hyperbole, to attribute negative qualities to members of other groups (whether it's racial or political or by sports team or hobby or WHATEVER) is pretty much at the root of the problem. And we can't say "never do that" because some views actually do merit condemnation. But it'd be nice if people would keep some perspective. A difference of opinion on health care policy is not as serious as one on whether or not gay sex should be punishable by death. x_x

[level-head.livejournal.com]

"In seriousness, the human tendency towards hyperbole ... whether or not gay sex should be punishable by death."

*chuckle*

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[rowyn]

...

I am pretty sure you missed the point of my comment entirely. Which is that virtually no one in America is advocating my extreme example (taken the distant past) and so shouldn't be treated as if they are.