When you read or hear a discussion being had by certain group of people about being oppressed and what they struggle with, stop and think before joining in.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by gay people & allies saying but poor straight people have to Deal with X.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by bi people & allies saying but poor gay people have to Deal with X.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by people of colour & allies saying but poor white people have to Deal with X.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by people with disabilities & allies saying but poor able people have to Deal with X.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by people struggling with poverty & allies saying but poor middle class people have to Deal with X
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by trans people & allies saying but poor cis people have to Deal with X.
Don’t disrupt a discussion being had by women & allies saying but poor men have to Deal with X.
Yes the capitalist patriarchy is shit for just about everyone, but you don’t get to disrupt the conversations people are having about how it is shit for them, with how it is also shit for the persons shitting on them.
People how are effected by a particular axis of oppression have to have space to talk about how it effects then, to find solidarity, to know they are not the only person this happens to and to find a way to talk about it amount themselves and then to be able to articulate it to others and then fight for the changes needed.
When someone is talking about something which happens to them which doesn’t happen to you, listen and learn, don’t jump in with #notall[insertgroupwithprivelge]. We to listen and learn to gain greater understanding and compassion.
Yes please do start a parallel conversation, or better yet bring up issues which do need to be addressed, but off your own bat not as a reaction to and disrupting a discussion which is already happening. It’s hard enough for folk to talk about what happens, with out having to defend having those discussions in the first place.
When any victim group speaks out, listen, don’t pick on semantics don’t tone police, listen. If it makes you uncomfortable good such thing should. If the generalisations piss you off and they should then be angry at the people who contribute to the crappy culture we are in, rather then target the hurt people struggling to express themselves.
