The Convenient Weakness in Standpoint Theory

Who's required to "Sit down and shut up"

“Sit down and shut up.”

If you've ever seen this command issued to some “cis white straight male” (or combination thereof) with an admonition to “listen” and a tone of righteous indignation, you've seen an appeal to standpoint theory.

Derived from feminism and postmodernism, standpoint theory argues that “authority is rooted in individuals' personal knowledge and perspective” and especially that “the perspectives of marginalized and/or oppressed individuals can help to create more objective accounts of the world.”

At least on paper. In practice, whose perspectives are valued, even within a recognized minority, is a matter of private consensus among those actually in authority.

If you've read my book, you know I've had significant relationships with both women and men, one of whom identified as transgender. If you believe in more than two genders, that means I've dated at least three! I believe the kids call that “pansexual.” I've dabbled in polyamory, too.

Since I'm not attracted to everyone I see, I'm demisexual, and because I find intelligence sexy, I'm also sapiosexual. As a gender non-conforming, childfree woman working in STEM and partnered with a woman, I'm without a doubt non-binary too.

The difference between me and those identifying as queer or transgender, then, is not a difference in experience. The difference lies in my relationship with language.