I think, when you’re not a bigot, and you’re not the target of bigotry, it is very very difficult to really get a sense of how perniciously powerful bigotry is,

I think, when you’re not a bigot, and you’re not the target of bigotry, it is very very difficult to really get a sense of how perniciously powerful bigotry is, precisely because it makes no sense - bigots can’t really believe what they claim, can they? They won’t really go so far as to act on those beliefs, will they? And even when they do, if they don’t do it to you, or do it while you’re watching, you find yourself incredulous that someone would really go and do such a thing. Anyway. This is the sort of situation that births subreddits with titles like “are the straights okay?”