Alan and I are a couple of privileged dudes, and we know it. Sure, we’ve had our brushes with hardship, but we are cis, straight, white guys of well above average intelligence from relatively affluent families. In the grand scheme of things, our lives have been pretty easy. When it comes to real suffering, we are dilettantes. We’ve dabbled with the concept, but have never tasted the real thing. I mean sure, the argument can always be made that suffering is individual, that everyone feels something different and everyone’s feelings are valid and that it is unfair to say that one person’s suffering is less than another, and that is a good and valid argument. But we also have to acknowledge that suffering while having a good job and a roof over one’s head is different from suffering while having no job and sleeping on the street, or while laboring under a system that views you as lesser due to the color of your skin, or what may or may not be in your pants.

So we do our best to make sure we use our privilege to create opportunities for everyone. This means making space for, and reaching out to, underprivileged groups especially. It means thinking about the fact that our Discord server is almost nothing but straight, white men, even though we have a lot of women working with $0$. It means considering the identity of the people we choose to work with, as well as their skills, and for a very good reason.

When two candidates look identical on paper, choosing the woman over the man means we get a completely different set of life experiences and perspectives. It means we get someone who is used to working under an unfair system, and thus is better equipped to fight one. It means that we give an opportunity to someone who might not otherwise get one because, in our world, men are considered the default. Same with people of color.

I hate doing this. Partially because I was raised in a Republican family where Affirmative Action was considered terrible, but also I hate doing it because the world makes it necessary. It would be nice to live in a world where everyone was actually equal and treated the same regardless of birth or genetics or choices. Where everyone had the same chances, and the same pay rates and protections under the law weren’t necessary. But we don’t live in that world, so I do the next best thing. I live in a way to make that world come about. I use my privilege to the advantage of those who don’t have it, to speak out for equality and equity. I hope you will too.