Ex-NAACP Leader Rachel Dolezal: ‘I Identify as Black’

So, since gender can be reassigned by choice (which I have no problem with), we've now got people choosing to be a race (as if we are all anything other than humans with minor differences in appearance) other than that they were born of.

NEW YORK—The woman who resigned as head of a NAACP chapter after her parents said she is white said Tuesday that she started identifying as black around age 5, when she drew self-portraits with a brown crayon, and “takes exception” to the contention that she tried to deceive people.

...

Asked by Matt Lauer if she is an “an African-American woman,” Ms. Dolezal said: “I identify as black.”

Wall Street Journal article

Does this allow me to identify as say, a bald eagle, and give me all of the various protections provided to those entities?

Would there be groups of ornithologists screaming about 'species appropriation? '

How many more wedges can we use to drive each other apart?

Discuss...

Then I'm brown and by Christmas I'll be pink . Is that OK??

a reply to: jadedANDcynical
Either this lady needs counseling and therapy, or she is getting a nice paycheck to take the heat.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Well, to be fair, this is what happens when society has to adapt to people with identity issues. I don't mean it in a bad way, but it's true. It's no different than when Oklahoma made it so they could put christian symbols in their courthouse. They then had to deal with a satanic statue being built there as well. You open the door for one, you open it for another.

This truly isn't going to stop here, either. Trans-gender people have been around for awhile, but it's Jenner's transformation that's put it in the limelight and is forcing people to be more accepting. It only makes sense that trans-racial was going to happen next, I just didn't think it would be so soon.

To be fair, too, even though you joke by identifying as an animal, there is a rather large community of people called furries. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if trans-species comes shortly after trans-racial.

What bothers me about this whole situation is the level of acceptance regarding it. Whenever I read articles, I always loved to read the comments. I like to hear people's actual opinions, not just what some writer thinks we should believe. Anyway, whenever I read any articles related to Dolezal, the most common question people ask is why is it not ok for her to identify as black, when it's ok for a person to identify as another gender??

Sometimes I hear stupid answers like gender is what you feel inside, but race is on the outside. Doesn't make any sense, because gender is also on the outside, with certain hormonal factors that are also in play based on physical components.

But the most common I hear is that people find it messed up that she wants to enjoy the aspects/culture of the identification without any of the baggage that comes along with it, such as the racism/harassment/assumptions/judgements/etc.....as a hispanic male who grew up in a very racist town, I can understand, even though I disagree.

What's funny/sad about this is that it's the complete opposite when it comes to trans-gender people. I have never once read a woman tell a man they can't be a woman, because they didn't go through the same stuff they did. They didn't deal with sexism, sexual harassment, fear of rape, lower pay, being passed over for promotions, etc.....nope, never once have I read this. In fact, most women seem to be very accepting with open arms.

So what's the difference?? Why is it ok for a man to become a woman, even though they didn't deal with all of the same social issues women deal with, but it's not ok for a woman to feel black on the inside, all because she didn't go through the same trials/tribulations??

I think a LOT more is going to come out about this lady and her delusions. I have a feeling a LOT of her past is a complete fabrication from the things I have read about her.

originally posted by: jadedANDcynical
So, since gender can be reassigned by choice (which I have no problem with), we've now got people choosing to be a race (as if we are all anything other than humans with minor differences in appearance) other than that they were born of.

NEW YORK—The woman who resigned as head of a NAACP chapter after her parents said she is white said Tuesday that she started identifying as black around age 5, when she drew self-portraits with a brown crayon, and “takes exception” to the contention that she tried to deceive people.

...

Asked by Matt Lauer if she is an “an African-American woman,” Ms. Dolezal said: “I identify as black.”

Wall Street Journal article

Does this allow me to identify as say, a bald eagle, and give me all of the various protections provided to those entities?

Would there be groups of ornithologists screaming about 'species appropriation? '

How many more wedges can we use to drive each other apart?

Discuss...

I identify as a mega-millions lottery winner.....can I sue for my money or what?

After which, I will identify as the POTUS, so all others can now drop out of the race.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I think a LOT more is going to come out about this lady and her delusions. I have a feeling a LOT of her past is a complete fabrication from the things I have read about her.

What I'm curious to see is how her parents and family eventually play into all of this.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

I think people wouldn't have really cared if she hadn't become a vocal activist and lied. She posed for pictures with a black man and identified him as her father. That was a lie. She made up stories about her childhood. Even then she probably could have gotten away with it if she hadn't sought out a position of power as head of a chapter of the NAACP. It isn't so much about her skin color as it is about her lying to get to a position of power, not only with the NAACP. She also applied for and received a position to serve as a member of the Citizen Police Ombudsman Commission. She could have lived in a community without lying and still been an activist for her chosen cause. The lies are what brought her down.

This thread would be well served by some sociological thoughts. Even basic things like group think or cliques can cause a person to identify themselves as something noone else would.

As a multiracial woman that is constantly mistaken as white, I identy ( I can't even type that without laughing) more as a mixed person than seperating the races.

I'll have to say, good ol' Rachel has given some break to doom and Russians and pool parties gone bad.

I just have to laugh every time I see her. And what's most hilarious if that she's gonna stick to her story till the bitter end.

L O L

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

After watching the interview I am more convinced than ever that she is mentally ill. Confusion, dissociation and a clear identity disturbance. Her reality testing is not great and she cannot consistently tell wrong from right. I think that she, overall, is genuinely a sympathetic being but her integrity gets tripped up.

From what I have seen of her parents, some of this is learned behavior. They have been very careful, (I mean nearly every word out of their mouths is a contrivance to this end), to make it look like they are taking the high road while they methodically and dramatically dismantle their daughter's career. I mean these people are out to destroy their own daughter. I don't think that these are nice people, they just put on a sophisticated show to seem that way. I believe her when she says there was abuse, although I do not believe many of the details that she puts out. I think the abuse was far more covert and subtle; harder to prove and explain, but just as devastating as more overt examples.

She lied and it was wrong. She should admit that and she's not, which is wrong. I do feel sorry for her though.

She was called "Trans Racial" thats a new one on me. I guess I'll go for that now thats its summer and I'm a man of color!!

She's batty as a loon.

originally posted by: klassified

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I think a LOT more is going to come out about this lady and her delusions. I have a feeling a LOT of her past is a complete fabrication from the things I have read about her.

What I'm curious to see is how her parents and family eventually play into all of this.

I think she is a pathological liar personally. Her entire family has come out stating she is a huge fake. Even her brother said she asked him not to blow her cover as a "black woman" and refuted her claims of growing up like a slave and living in a teepee and hunting food with bows and arrows....SERIOUSLY! She claims these things are true.

I would not be surprised if this became a Lifetime movie or something in the near future......

I identify as a manatee!

Though on a much more serious note I wonder why she started to identify as black at such a young age and continue to identify as such growing up? I grew up being mixed race and even though my mother raised me white I still have times where I identify myself as one of the other races or ethnicities that runs through my blood.
I can imagine she must have faced much reticule growing up for choosing to identify as black.

Many great points being made, and I think the main ones being glossed over by the NAACP office who still support her are the fact of deception being used to gain entry to and benefit from programs meant for specific groups; if it indeed it comes out that this is the case.

A clear lack of accountability or wanting to hold people to standards when unequivocal wrong is upheld as acceptable.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Yo yo yo whatz up my sistah, can I get a hollar back, I loves me some collared greens and black eye peas, holy mackerel, I indentisfies with my bruthas!

I identify with the rainbow! Me and rainbows have so much in common. We both love colors. We both are searching for gold. We both never end.

a reply to: WarriorKitten

She didn't start identifying as a black woman until in her 30's. She actually filed a lawsuit against Howard University for discriminating against her for being WHITE. The more that comes out about her the clearer it becomes. She did not grow up identifying as black. This started in her adult life. She faced no ridicule as a child for identifying as black because that never happened.

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: klassified

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I think a LOT more is going to come out about this lady and her delusions. I have a feeling a LOT of her past is a complete fabrication from the things I have read about her.

What I'm curious to see is how her parents and family eventually play into all of this.

I think she is a pathological liar personally. Her entire family has come out stating she is a huge fake. Even her brother said she asked him not to blow her cover as a "black woman" and refuted her claims of growing up like a slave and living in a teepee and hunting food with bows and arrows....SERIOUSLY! She claims these things are true.

I would not be surprised if this became a Lifetime movie or something in the near future......

The question then, becomes why? Why did she feel the need to identify as anything other than what she was?

originally posted by: Khaleesi
a reply to: WarriorKitten

She didn't start identifying as a black woman until in her 30's. She actually filed a lawsuit against Howard University for discriminating against her for being WHITE. The more that comes out about her the clearer it becomes. She did not grow up identifying as black. This started in her adult life. She faced no ridicule as a child for identifying as black because that never happened.

Thank you for clearing that up for me!

originally posted by: klassified

originally posted by: Vasa Croe

originally posted by: klassified

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
I think a LOT more is going to come out about this lady and her delusions. I have a feeling a LOT of her past is a complete fabrication from the things I have read about her.

What I'm curious to see is how her parents and family eventually play into all of this.

I think she is a pathological liar personally. Her entire family has come out stating she is a huge fake. Even her brother said she asked him not to blow her cover as a "black woman" and refuted her claims of growing up like a slave and living in a teepee and hunting food with bows and arrows....SERIOUSLY! She claims these things are true.

I would not be surprised if this became a Lifetime movie or something in the near future......

The question then, becomes why? Why did she feel the need to identify as anything other than what she was?

From the stories I have read this whole thing is really over her brother that she was trying to get put in jail for sex abuse or something. She claimed he abused someone years ago and the family believes she was doing it out of spite because she could not get custody of one of her other adopted black brothers whom she claimed was her own son.

I have no idea....the story gets stranger and stranger every day.