Liberations are as intertwined as oppressions.

 Oppressions work together by pitting us against each other. 

"Don’t participate in the walkout because the demonstration venue isn't disability-friendly. Donate to this GoFundMe that won’t even reach cities under attack because of blockades!"


"Mutual aid isn’t a financially accessible way for low-income people to help others. Volunteer for our culturally insensitive program instead!"


"Gender-affirming care reinforces negative stereotypes about women. Just ignore the plight of trans and nonbinary people because you fit into current gender norms!"


Liberation and revolution are not built for exclusivity. White feminism is not revolutionary liberation. Neither are performative anti-racism, restricted disability accommodations, capitalist environmentalism, or any number of other exclusive forms of “justice.”  


When we remain in the realities of dominant systems of oppression, we move with compassion by acknowledging and working around the barriers that make revolution difficult. If we exit those systems, we find those same “obstacles” becoming the fuel for our revolution. 


The financial barrier of being unable to leave work for a protest now pushes us to fight for higher wages and greater worker privileges.  

Sexism within the environmental tech industry now pushes us to create our own spaces in which the environment’s benefit is not a woman’s loss. 

The social backlash that comes with supporting reparations now pushes us to share our stories, grief, and love beyond our limited echo chamber. 


The limits of activism are constructed, not inherent. Some resources to challenge yourself: 

  • Ismatu Gwendolyn (a former therapist turned activist “radicalizing in real time”): https://ismatu.substack.com/

  • Sunn m'Cheaux (an artist, activist, and linguist decolonizing English and more): https://www.sunnmcheaux.com/

  • Kama La Mackarel (a multilingual, multidisciplinary queer activist and performer): https://lamackerel.net

  • Schuyler Bailar (1st trans D1 NCAA men's athlete and an incredible human being): https://www.pinkmantaray.com/resources/links

  • Aditi Gangrade ("telling stories of kind revolution"): https://instagram.com/aditigangrade_?igshid=MWo5bG5xc2txcHIzeQ==


*As with so much of activism, these ideas are not new. I've just expressed them in a condensed way, informed by other voices whom you should also seek out. Some of my favorites are linked above. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Love the sinner, hate the sin" is not what we think it is.

*I try not to use academic citation and link everything to keep things accessible, but citation is particularly important here. If you're not familiar, anything in parentheses at the end of a sentence is the last name of the author I'm referencing and/or the page number within that book/article. The links are included, and I've made sure that everything I cite is publicly accessible for free.  While it's so widely used that it's considered common experience rather than an actual quote to cite, "love the sinner, hate the sin" is not what we think it is (Newswander 1).  St. Augustine wrote [a version of] it in Letter 211 to a community of nuns in his diocese who secluded themselves from the world (Teske 19). As he distinguishes their past lives "in the world" from "this present life," these were not your everyday Christians interacting on Sundays (Teske 23). Each and every one of these women had left their lives in wealth or poverty to l...
Read more