Thanks, Jeremy. I’d never suggest your response is a microaggression. No, you’ve expertly demonstrated how micro-invalidations, left unchecked, evolve into gaslighting and micro-threats.

Micro-invalidation:

Me: This is my experience as a person of color.
Response: I don’t believe it. I’ve never done/said/witnessed that so it never happened. (It’s not my reality, therefore it doesn’t exist, as my reality is the only one that counts.)

Gaslighting:

Me: You’re denying my experience of racism.
Response: Your logic and reasoning are substandard. You must have known that person you mention was racist. (I question your intelligence. You should have known better. You’re the one at fault.) You have some ulterior motive. (White people are the true victims.)

Micro-threat:

Me: I’m sharing my story of what has happened to me and other black women.
Response: This would not be tolerated if you said this to white people. You better keep that in mind. (Watch what you say if you know what’s good for you.)