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sparkindarknessThere are, sadly due to our very very broken societies, many groups that face prejudice, hate and other miscellaneous badness. It is depressing that the badness is so very bad and it is equally depressing that so many different groups face it.
It is a long and difficult struggle to try and turn the tide of hate, to try and fight for justice and equality but increasingly I’m banging my head against a brick wall - a horrible brick wall of infighting.
In some ways I think I’m attaching unnecessary expectations. I mean, is a gay racist any more repellent than a straight racist? Is a black anti-semite any more objectionable than a white anti-semite? Is a female homophobe more reprehensible than a male homophobe? I don’t know, probably not. BUT I do tend to think that they’re perhaps sillier than their empowered and privileged counterparts - because in the end I thin k we’re all fighting the same fight. We all want security, justice and respect. We all want freedom, safety and acceptance. And fighting among ourselves? Does not help.
So, some overgeneralised and likely over-simplistic generalisations.
1) Just because you belong to a disempowered group doesn’t mean you can’t be a bigoted arsehole. A homosexual can still be a disgusting racist. A woman can still be a repellent homophobe etc etc. Don’t assume that facing shit yourself gives you a free pass to throw shit at others.
2) Don’t assume everyone’s issues are the same. While we’re fighting for the same things and all face the generalised problems of bigotry the devil is in the details - and we’ve all faced different problems. Just because you're black doesn’t mean you understand homophobia. Just because you're gay doesn’t mean you understand sexism, etc.
3) At the same time, just because we’ve all faced different types of crap doesn’t mean we have to play the “whose crap is worse” game. Bitching at each other about what kind of bigotry is the worst and who is the most oppressed is not going to help anyone. Belittling the pain of others - well that sucks no matter who you are, y’know?
4) While our experiences are different, it is a good reference for you to be able to edit your own words and actions. Think about what you’re going to say - if the same thing said about homosexuals, PoC, women, etc would cause you to go into Howler Monkey Rage then MAYBE, just MAYBE you might want to reconsider saying it.
5) I know we have legitimate issues - but occasionally you’ve got to let someone else have the stage. We all know how annoying it is when the privileged (and oppressing) group makes any debate all about them - well, it doesn’t get much less annoying if another disadvantaged group turns it into all about them either. Everyone needs their space and for their issues to be heard.
6) The people who give us shit should NOT be emulated. Seriously. If you use the language of oppression - the language of OUR oppressors - against another disempowered groups them I will personally haddock you because you should KNOW FUCKING BETTER! Seriously, I don’t ever want to gouge my eyes out because I read an article by lesbian using the freaking SLIPPERY SLOPE argument to slam transsexuals. Don’t play “good minority/bad minority” games. Don’t look for your own scapegoats to demonise. I just have no words for how WRONG this crap is. And I say this doubly to my G&L brothers and sisters - it’s GBLT and it SHOULD be GBLT, what the hell are you doing giving crap to our B&T fellows? Damn we should be better than that.
On the whole we are allies or at very least we should be. So lets stop the infighting and concentrate the rage on those who are trying to deny us, oppress us and destroy us. Different issues, different paths - but one goal. Justice, fairness, equality, peace, love and all that utopian hippieness :). Probably won't happen in my lifetime, but we're not going to get anywhere if we fight each other. Let's focus on what is important. Oh, and bitch slapping every middle aged, heterosexual, white, Christian man who claims to be oppressed. Because, srsly, that shit annoys.
It is a long and difficult struggle to try and turn the tide of hate, to try and fight for justice and equality but increasingly I’m banging my head against a brick wall - a horrible brick wall of infighting.
In some ways I think I’m attaching unnecessary expectations. I mean, is a gay racist any more repellent than a straight racist? Is a black anti-semite any more objectionable than a white anti-semite? Is a female homophobe more reprehensible than a male homophobe? I don’t know, probably not. BUT I do tend to think that they’re perhaps sillier than their empowered and privileged counterparts - because in the end I thin k we’re all fighting the same fight. We all want security, justice and respect. We all want freedom, safety and acceptance. And fighting among ourselves? Does not help.
So, some overgeneralised and likely over-simplistic generalisations.
1) Just because you belong to a disempowered group doesn’t mean you can’t be a bigoted arsehole. A homosexual can still be a disgusting racist. A woman can still be a repellent homophobe etc etc. Don’t assume that facing shit yourself gives you a free pass to throw shit at others.
2) Don’t assume everyone’s issues are the same. While we’re fighting for the same things and all face the generalised problems of bigotry the devil is in the details - and we’ve all faced different problems. Just because you're black doesn’t mean you understand homophobia. Just because you're gay doesn’t mean you understand sexism, etc.
3) At the same time, just because we’ve all faced different types of crap doesn’t mean we have to play the “whose crap is worse” game. Bitching at each other about what kind of bigotry is the worst and who is the most oppressed is not going to help anyone. Belittling the pain of others - well that sucks no matter who you are, y’know?
4) While our experiences are different, it is a good reference for you to be able to edit your own words and actions. Think about what you’re going to say - if the same thing said about homosexuals, PoC, women, etc would cause you to go into Howler Monkey Rage then MAYBE, just MAYBE you might want to reconsider saying it.
5) I know we have legitimate issues - but occasionally you’ve got to let someone else have the stage. We all know how annoying it is when the privileged (and oppressing) group makes any debate all about them - well, it doesn’t get much less annoying if another disadvantaged group turns it into all about them either. Everyone needs their space and for their issues to be heard.
6) The people who give us shit should NOT be emulated. Seriously. If you use the language of oppression - the language of OUR oppressors - against another disempowered groups them I will personally haddock you because you should KNOW FUCKING BETTER! Seriously, I don’t ever want to gouge my eyes out because I read an article by lesbian using the freaking SLIPPERY SLOPE argument to slam transsexuals. Don’t play “good minority/bad minority” games. Don’t look for your own scapegoats to demonise. I just have no words for how WRONG this crap is. And I say this doubly to my G&L brothers and sisters - it’s GBLT and it SHOULD be GBLT, what the hell are you doing giving crap to our B&T fellows? Damn we should be better than that.
On the whole we are allies or at very least we should be. So lets stop the infighting and concentrate the rage on those who are trying to deny us, oppress us and destroy us. Different issues, different paths - but one goal. Justice, fairness, equality, peace, love and all that utopian hippieness :). Probably won't happen in my lifetime, but we're not going to get anywhere if we fight each other. Let's focus on what is important. Oh, and bitch slapping every middle aged, heterosexual, white, Christian man who claims to be oppressed. Because, srsly, that shit annoys.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-06 04:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-06 07:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-03-06 07:12 pm (UTC)