Carrie, Portland, Ore.

 
        “ I am a gay Asian American. The intersectionality has always been an issue in my life ever since I realized I was gay. Being a lesbian, I have always had to navigate that around being Chinese, especially around my very Chinese family. That has always been the forefront of my life. Even being in the healthcare industry most of the discrimination and microaggression has been from a place of homophobia. This past year however, everything flipped around. I have never felt so Chinese, I haven't had my Asian identity more prominent than my gayness ever since I was a child. Even in my own office, my patients were constantly making racist comments or jokes, some even question my ability to do my job. I had a white woman tell me to stop complaining about racism, and if I was angry about it, just "own it".
    I would like the world to know. I would like the white folks to know. I am not any less than a doctor because of the color of my skin. Do not tell me or any person of color to stop complaining about racism. You cannot tell us how to react and how to process what is happening. It is not as simple as "owning it".  It is a multi-step process to get over this trauma. This is another example of white privilege. “