@ucbalumnus I think your definition of bigotry assumes blatant and unapologetic displays/actions. I also don’t know where you get the idea said bigotry was “minimal”, but I don’t think that’s a good debate to have…
The fact that bigotry has been brought to the “forefront” due to the current state of affairs, doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening or existing before, it means certain people weren’t aware of it before.
SNL did a great skit on this last season where Dave Chapelle laughed while white people commented on how racist and messed up America is post-election.
Certain groups (the groups that actually have experienced and seen this bigotry firsthand all their lives) know it isn’t a recent phenomenon.
The idea that “racism (or homophobia or anything similar) wasn’t a big deal before [insert President 44 for the right or 45 for the left]” is generally said by people on both sides of the political spectrum that falsely believed that we live in a post-racial (or post-homophobic or anything similar) world.
Just because certain people are more emboldened now, does not erase the bigotry of the past (that either existed by law or by public action). Even as specific incidents of racism draw widespread attention, there is also a widespread number of people now disavowing and speaking out against these incidents. It cuts both ways.