Debating topics without lived experience can be harmful #shorts #socialjustice #debate

Can some debates be harmful? Hannah, who coordinates a Reconciliation Action Plan to advance First Nations relationships for a Sydney-based hospital, thinks so. “Anytime we talk about a population that people maybe aren’t engaging with in their own personal life ... has potential to be hugely harmful to the human beings that are behind the debate.” She says that public discourse surrounding certain topics, such as trans rights, the 2017 marriage equality plebiscite or the Voice referendum, can encourage debate from many people who don't have relevant experience. To explore a range of views around what should and shouldn’t be debated, watch SBS Insight episode Death of Debate? on SBS On Demand.