Social Stigma as Hate
Witnessing a brutal attack on a homeless (hippy) veteran as a child as well as growing up in a
home with a father who had a malignant brain tumor and a poor child in a rich neighborhood that
was bussed to a low-income neighborhood school. Great big F**k YOUR FEELINGS stickers
emblazoned on pickup trucks with maga flags brought that feeling right back recently. I know
who they are targeted at, we all do and they serve their purpose., for some reason a whole
political party has been stigmatized I don’t know how to broach that as a topic. but I do know
about the consequences of stigmas expressed via hateful actions. I have seen hate expressed via
stigmas too many times and too many places to count. Stigmas include having physical
disfigurements, mental health diagnoses, addiction, a lifestyle or personality that is outside the
mainstream of the main culture, just being “different” in any way. Stigma is defined by Erving
Goffman as “” the process by which the reaction of others spoils normal identity”.
While stigma doesn’t always lead to hate crime, a hate crime is always preceded by a
stigma.Social stigmas often lead to highly visible hate crimes that we all see, but the majority of
those go unreported. Social stigmas prevent addicts and the mentally ill from seeking care which
and not only leads to exceptionally high numbers of suicides and overdoses but causes incredible
stress on family, friends, employers and society at large. Social stigma expressed as hate is
incredibly prevalent in our current society and leads to victimization of the most vulnerable of
our population Social stigmas can be addressed and reduced the use of through education,
exposure and empathy.