Have you ever been the subject of discrimination or bigotry?

[Everlong]

If so, how did you handle it? What was the situation?

[ShaneOfan]

Sort of. Funny story actually. Few weeks ago we went to Longwood Gardens. One of my favorite places to be. Absolutely beautiful. Any way I walked in with @babes and I get stared down by these two dudes. They look at the top of my head then look upset. Then it hit me. They were Jewish men looking for my Kippah. When my hair gets long I get a "jewfro" it comes from my mother's side. Also when I grow my beard in, I keep it thick but short and maintained which is a common style for Jewish men. I thought it was pretty funny that they thought I was being a bad Jew.

Also I used to get picked last in sports. It's not because I'm white, it's because I suck.

[CavingSiberian]

I currently live in the South. It's full of bible-thumpers that can be pretty cruel. I could tell dozens of stories of being discriminated against because I wasn't Christian but there is one that stands out in my mind the most.

I was in Wal-Mart, in the toilet paper aisle of all places, and this elderly gentlemen holds out a religious flyer to me and asks if I know where I am going when I die. I smile, say yes, and take the paper he has extended out of courtesy and try to continue on my way. Instead he holds out his arm and stops me, tells me I have to read it. I'm annoyed, but I look down at the paper, briefly read it, and then start to go back on my way. He stops me again and physically refuses to let me leave the aisle until I say the prayer out-loud.

I was quite irritated as I was trying to be nice and there he was pushing his beliefs on me. Unfortunately in the South the majority agrees with what he was doing so I got no sympathy. Even my family/relatives that live elsewhere reacted badly when I put the story on FB about how appalled I was that it was still ok to do this sort of stuff. To physically restrain me until I say a prayer. My family actually DEFENDS him, and says he didn't do anything wrong. WTF? I now filter my FB newsfeed so that anything about my "religious views" are not visible to certain people with closed minds.

[PorkChop]

As a straight white male in a Western country, obviously instances of discrimination against me are rather few and far between.

The only time I can think of is when I was looking for a student house to rent, I found an amazing deal (four bedrooms, £60 per week, all bills included, nice house) on a student letting website. I phoned the landlady and mentioned I saw the deal, and that myself and three other friends were interested in booking a viewing. She immediately shut me down and said he didn't rent out property to men, it was strictly women only. I asked why and she refused to elaborate, told me that as I'm a man I was wasting her time, and hung up.

We ended up getting a decent enough place but the rent was £100 a week, without bills. It still annoys me to this day that I was refused to rent that house because I had a dick between my legs. It was really infuriating, so I can only imagine how many women feel in instances like this, when they're not given opportunities because of their sex.

[SKS]

I feel like the bowling alley I worked at was discriminatory against men, as the only male on the entire staff of about 12 was the janitor. I was the only guy at the desk, and I was fired after 6 weeks due to "not being outgoing enough". I talked to every single customer that walked through the door, and would always check on lanes to see if anyone needed help. Did what I was told to do. Was told I had three 15 minute breaks per shift so I decided to take one late into the shift when no one was bowling and I was on a 7 hour shift (this place got empty around midnight). The assistant manager decided to show up out of nowhere and yelled at me for sitting down and told me she was going to punch me out (the time cards) since I wasn't doing anything. Meanwhile no one was even there wanting shoes or anything. Fired the next day by voicemail saying I wasn't outgoing enough. Load of bullocks.

[SortaCreative]

I never really thought about it until you mentioned it.

Growing up I went to a school in a predominately white area. My mum didn't want me to go to the local school because it was shit. During my time at school I was bullied, beaten up, teased, harassed etc. for being brown. I was one of three brown kids at the school. Towards the end it decreased because I turned into quite a big guy and ended up knocking one of the lads out (total fluke).

Countless times someones shouted Paki at me from across the street or whatever. I'm not Pakistani either.

Two main incidents are probably when once a group of white lads followed me out of town and basically kicked seven shades of shit out of me. Broke my rib. And another when this guy, older than me by about 15 years started on me in a bar. I actually kicked several shades of shit out of him and eventually managed to convince the police it was self defense and he was taken in on misconduct and hate charges etc.

A "funny" one was when I went to visit York University. During a tour of the dorm rooms one of the fathers there asked the student taking us around "what was to stop someone like me (pointing to me) from getting into his daughters room". I told him i'd made sure to send him a picture if she ever invited me into her room.

So yeah... quite abit.

Glad i've not been turned down for a flat though!!

[PorkChop]

I never really thought about it until you mentioned it.

Growing up I went to a school in a predominately white area. My mum didn't want me to go to the local school because it was shit. During my time at school I was bullied, beaten up, teased, harassed etc. for being brown. I was one of three brown kids at the school. Towards the end it decreased because I turned into quite a big guy and ended up knocking one of the lads out (total fluke).

Countless times someones shouted Paki at me from across the street or whatever. I'm not Pakistani either.

Two main incidents are probably when once a group of white lads followed me out of town and basically kicked seven shades of shit out of me. Broke my rib. And another when this guy, older than me by about 15 years started on me in a bar. I actually kicked several shades of shit out of him and eventually managed to convince the police it was self defense and he was taken in on misconduct and hate charges etc.

A "funny" one was when I went to visit York University. During a tour of the dorm rooms one of the fathers there asked the student taking us around "what was to stop someone like me (pointing to me) from getting into his daughters room". I told him i'd made sure to send him a picture if she ever invited me into her room.

So yeah... quite abit.

Glad i've not been turned down for a flat though!!

It depresses me knowing that England is like this.

You've clearly had it easy though, my example was far worse

[AkydefGoldberg]

I never really thought about it until you mentioned it.

Growing up I went to a school in a predominately white area. My mum didn't want me to go to the local school because it was shit. During my time at school I was bullied, beaten up, teased, harassed etc. for being brown. I was one of three brown kids at the school. Towards the end it decreased because I turned into quite a big guy and ended up knocking one of the lads out (total fluke).

Countless times someones shouted Paki at me from across the street or whatever. I'm not Pakistani either.

Two main incidents are probably when once a group of white lads followed me out of town and basically kicked seven shades of shit out of me. Broke my rib. And another when this guy, older than me by about 15 years started on me in a bar. I actually kicked several shades of shit out of him and eventually managed to convince the police it was self defense and he was taken in on misconduct and hate charges etc.

A "funny" one was when I went to visit York University. During a tour of the dorm rooms one of the fathers there asked the student taking us around "what was to stop someone like me (pointing to me) from getting into his daughters room". I told him i'd made sure to send him a picture if she ever invited me into her room.

So yeah... quite abit.

Glad i've not been turned down for a flat though!!

Damn, I'm Pakistani and I ain't even had it that bad!

I went to a predominantly white school but never had any trouble. Unless you count the white kid at primary when I wanted to hang out with him and he said no, because you're brown. I pointed to my palm and said "Look! Here! It's white!" (we ended up being friends after this early set-back you'll be 'happy' to know)

Only recent thing I remember that might be classed in this area is when I was working in a call centre and this mate, who was abit of a doofus but not overly nasty, said as I made my way home through pretty much an empty office, "Don't bomb anyone!". I walked out. Lad got a severe bollocking from HR and he pulled me aside to apologise, which I appreciated and that was the end of that.

Had the few Paki shouts but luckily not on Taj's scale of a beat-down luckily.

[Irin]

Since I live/hang out in a mostly white part of Chicago, I get subtle glances from people -- with the most being white women clutching their purses tightly when I walk past them. By the way, Chicago is pretty much segregated by design -- with most of the African-American population living on the West and South sides.

My mom gets called the n-word by non-whites sometimes. I personally never experienced that but if they did call me one, they must have done it behind my back.

[SortaCreative]

Since I live/hang out in a mostly white part of Chicago, I get subtle glances from people -- with the most being white women clutching their purses tightly when I walk past them.

I've noticed this happen when i'm walking around too. But i've never really been in a position to figure out if it's cos i'm a different colour or just a big dude (who when wearing a hoodie looks like i'm gonna mug you).