Lori Ero: Virtue Signaling and Moral Licensing.

I thought I would wade through the labyrinth of definitions and put on my scholarly cap to define virtue signaling and moral licensing, but these days people blame us for speaking at a university level for people who understand at what grade level; I don't know. So I will make it easy.

As you read each line, repeat the subtitle of this post, "Lori Ero," from that popular video on love in Nigeria that reminds us of the difference between fantasy and fact, love and infatuation.

You have heard, read, or said along different lines,

I have Black friends and voted for Barack Obama, so I am not a racist.

I have four daughters, and all my family members are women. We don’t have men in our lineage, so I can’t harass a woman.

I won the award for the most sensitive, gender-friendly governor, president, and CEO, so you can’t accuse me of hating women.

I am a scholar of gender, women, and sexuality, so I can’t be complicit in what I study and teach. I told my student if you hear me "unconsciously" say something homophobic, stop me right there in class or drop me an anonymous note at the end of class. That I teach a course on queerness as a cis woman means I am not error-proof no matter how much I have been researching or teaching it. It will take a lifetime to undo or unlearn some of the biases in the English language.

I am an Africanist, so I don’t hate Africa. In fact, let me prove my depth of knowledge: Africa is not a country.

I am a responsible married man. I love my wife and my children. I am not in anyone's DM.

I am a male gynecologist who pursues this profession to serve women, so I can’t be raping them.

I give to charity in Africa and mentor early-career scholars in Africa, so I can’t hate African Americans.

We are an Africanist organization focused on Africa, so we don’t hate Africanist scholars.

I am a pastor/imam, and I can't be patronizing sex workers.

I sent my wife to do her master's and PhD in the United States or Canada or the United Kingdom, so I am gender-sensitive and progressive.

I have mentored more female students and colleagues, so I can’t be a misogynist.

I am a woman, and all my children are females, so I understand women supporting women.

Given my profound affection for my dogs, how is it possible for me to harbor animosity toward humans or individuals of color?

I employ people of color, so I am not racist.

I am a vegetarian, so I am a good human because I am not cruel to animals; I cannot be cruel to people.

He/she/they is a philanthropist; he cant be a rice smuggler

I go to the gym every day so I can eat cake everyday

He is my helper; he can't be harming others.

Senator Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan, you won!

The ghost of this moment and event will haunt and taunt their career and their children's children.

History will be kind to you.