So I sat parallel to a girl. She was black, but I didn't think that was
important. People are people, y'know? There just happened to be an empty
space there.
But she gave me a look when I sat. Like, a scanning look. I didn't think
much of it.
I looked to the door because I thought I saw a friend enter. As the door
was in her general direction she looked into my eyes, seeming slightly
concerned. I sort of looked back at her trying to understand what she was
doing.
She got up and asked me what the hell I was trying. I just sort of stared,
confused, then she said I had no chance.
Being a complete idiot, I didn't say anything. She said she saw me look up
her skirt, and that she wasn't going to let a "freaky white guy" take
advantage of her. I responded with "What?" and tried to explain that I had
no interest in her sexually. She turned this around to mean I wouldn't
date someone with a different skin tone. Being in a public building,
people were staring at me now. I was fucking horrified.
She continued on about how "people like you" think of nothing but sex and
how as a "racial and sexual minority" she had to be constantly watching
for any shady activity from my kind. I wasn't even entirely sure she was
serious until another guy came up and asked her if she needed help. He was
significantly larger than me. I was seriously convinced I was about to get
beaten, at the very least.
I feel it likely would've happened if she hadn't yelled at him for
thinking that she couldn't stand up for herself as a woman. At that point
he must've caught on that she was being outrageous and tried helping me
rationalize.
More people came to the girl's aid. Some decided she was being
unreasonable, others stuck beside her. Everyone in the room was taking
sides.

Eventually someone got a bloody nose and the mess started breaking up, but
I started wondering what would've happened if people hadn't smartened
about the whole thing.
Being all depressing and such, I also started wondering what it would've
been like if she had accepted the guy's help and I had been left on one
side. I've had experience with similar situations before, so I didn't have
a very difficult time imagining.
I am a middle-class caucasian male with an average-sized body.
I have no prejudice against any race or skin colour. In fact, I'm taking a
University class on the American Civil War and the impact of slavery and
dicrimination at the time.
I don't think of girls as inferior in the slightest. Honestly, I somewhat
resent the fact that I was born male (Another Tale for Another Time).
Basically: I think people are people.
Yet, at times I feel like I have absolutely no voice BECAUSE of these
things. When I say what I think, others interpret it as me exercising my
power and social status due to my sex, skin, body, etc. Hell, I was
recently also accused of being racist when I told someone I didn't really
have separate skin tone headcanons for Homestuck chracters.
I understand that there are terrible people on Earth, and people who think
they can take advantage of others. I also understand that said terrible
people are commonly recorded as having qualities similar to my own. But
that doesn't mean we are all allowed to turn our heads away from the abuse
of people with these qualities. It doesn't matter what you are; when you
feel like you're not allowed to have an opinion, sit in the same general
area as someone, or even look at them because of factors like these
outside of your control, that's a goddamn problem.
I'm not saying people shouldn't be cautious of others, or try to fight for
what others may see as setbacks. I'm saying we all need to remember
something: Even if it's less discussed, racism against white people is
still racism. Sexism against males is still sexism. Hurting a thin person
because of their body is still hurtful. Prejudice against straight people
is still prejudice (Heterophobia?).
Please. Strive to live in a world with equal rights for everybody. Help
free those who are oppressed. Look scornfully on the oppressors.
But remember that both sides of oppression can be experienced by anyone.