Internalized Hate KILLS Beautiful People

Under Trump — A Sharp Increase in Self-Hatred

The suicide rate in the United States has increased nearly 30% over the last 15 years. That’s nearly 50,000 people a year who kill themselves! In the last three years since Trump took office, these rates are increasing faster than EVER BEFORE. Of these suicides, the vast majority are America’s youth and racial and sexual minorities. For transgendered youth in particular, approximately 30% have attempted suicide at least once in their lives! So, why do America’s racial and sexual minorities hate themselves? Why are they killing themselves in such large numbers?

Internalized Hate

The answer is internalized hate, which is an internalization of oppression. With racial minorities, it’s called internalized racism. With sexual minorities, it can be a combination of internalized racism and internalized homophobia.

When a person internalizes hate, they are consciously or unconsciously internalizing a hierarchy of oppression. In this hierarchy of oppression, they accept that others are better than themselves. A person who internalizes hate is also likely to believe in negative stereotypes about who they are, and they have also adapted to cultural standards that support that status quo.

For the black person experiencing internalized racism, they have accepted the white power system that oppresses them. They are more likely to have bought into white religion, accept the white version of history, vote for white politicians, prefer white entertainers, and buy from white businesses. If they don’t get a job, are denied a loan application, or face any other set back in life, they are more like blame themselves and NOT the white power system that is responsible.

This internalized racism also affects the family life of America’s racial minorities. It changes how they act toward their significant others, their family, and even their children. It may be unconscious, but a black parent may hold resentment or anger toward their own children. They may objectify or criticize their significant other’s appearance. They may also project their anger onto their spouses or significant others and their children.

Internalized racism also affects how they see themselves. They may be overly concerned with their appearance and may only value themselves based on accomplishment or material objects that they possess. They may experience anxiety and/or bouts of depression. They may never feel satisfied with any endeavor in their lives.

People who score high for having internalized racism have a higher propensity toward violence and are more likely to be sick.

Internalized Homophobia

Internalized homophobia is similar to internalized homophobia. With internalized homophobia, a GLBTQ person has also accepted, either consciously or unconsciously, the hierarchy where other forms of sexuality and expression are higher than their own. With this acceptance, they are much more likely to experience depression, substance abuse and addiction, and act out violently toward themselves and others. GLBTQ youth are much more likely to cut themselves or engage in other acts of self-harm.

The hate that they are experiencing isn’t just internalized either. Violence against GLBTQ youth and racial (and religious) minorities is also on the rise. There has been a 45% increase in murders against transgendered youth in the last year! For other groups, bomb threats against Muslim and Jewish mosques and temples are at an all time high. White nationalism is also on the rise with idiot groups like The Proud Boys marching in cities like Portland. Meanwhile Trump is busy rolling back protections for both racial and sexual minorities, making it harder for them to get jobs, to file discrimination lawsuits, and to get into college.

Other Groups Experiencing Internalized Hate

Native Americans also experience high levels of internalized hate. In the white power system, Native Americans are at a huge economic disadvantage. They have also experienced a huge loss of culture because of the white man and have been big targets for abuse from white people including taking their native lands and even shipping their children off to boarding schools.

Because of internalized hate and the disadvantages that Native Americans experience, they are victims to some of the highest levels of alcohol and drug abuse in the world.

But it’s not just Native Americans, GLBTQ youth, and racial minorities that are suffering under the white power system. Women, even white women, can also suffer. Women still only make about 70% of what their male counterparts make. They still face gross stereotypes and harassment. Women are also susceptible to buying into the white male power system and as a result experiencing internalized hate.

Shifting the Paradigm

As a society, we cannot continue to allow these suicide rates to continue climbing. We have to change our culture. In this capitalistic, white male power system success and power and accumulation are valued above heart, health, and community.

So, to improve the suicide rates, we have to destroy capitalism, white nationalism, and create an entirely better version of society.

Yes, I said it.

This internalized hate, violence and self-harm are the direct result of a heartless, broken system. In this system, feelings and self-expression are constantly under attack while defeating your competition and accumulating more are celebrated.

How can the individual find solace among all this violence? The pressure is to conform. To act you’re white, to work white jobs, to worship white Gods and find your place in the white system. But this doesn’t work for anyone unless they are a white male!!!

We can’t wait for politicians to solve these problems. For starters, as a community, we need to seek out and embrace these people. We need to create community organizations that offer assistance to these communities. We need to create counseling services to help people sort through these feelings of internalized hate.

But ultimately, we need to destroy the white power system. That means we need to boycott the banks and the corporations and the politicians that are all part of it. It’s certainly not a simple solution, but if we truly care about those who are hurting to the point or taking their own lives, we have got to act now!  Every 30 seconds someone else dies of suicide!