http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/13/new-feminism-defying-shame
Read that before you proceed with this. Don't worry, I'm patient - I'll wait.
Do you know what this means, ladies and gents and everyone in between? It means that we are not unnoticeable. People who want to change the world are getting up and DOING! This time last year, I would not have formally backed vigilantism. Now? There are things that are necessary and it all comes in levels. Whether it is the Gulabi Gang in India, beating men who beat women with sticks while dressed in pink saree, or one cosplayer at one con going "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER BEFORE I REMOVE THEM FOR YOU!" I do not advocate violence, when violence can be avoided, because violence tends to beget the same. However, it is now the time for us to do what we have to do to make oppression, fringe status, and marginalization stop.
I am a fan of musical theater, in case you didn't figure out by now. I have cosplayed Elphaba, the main character of Ozian fan-fiction-turned-musical Wicked multiple times. Everyone's favorite/the most well-known song from that musical seems to be "Defying Gravity." Take that song in a new context - Elphaba is doing the same thing as these women in this article. She is standing up and defying wrongdoing and shame. We all, nerds especially, have a responsibility to do this in our own lives. Those of us within the nerd community have had too much done to us over the years to let wrongdoing go unnoticed. Laurie Penny writes in the article linked above, "Sexism often functions as a pressure-release valve in times of social unrest – and when it does, it takes different forms, depending on local values."
The entire world, from what I gather, is in a time of social unrest, and it has been for a very long time. A good part of that social unrest is those who have been marginalized and oppressed standing up and saying "Fuck you, we're not taking your shit anymore!" Think about all the movements against bullying, whether they're comprehensive or specific to a particular fringe group. That is a terrific example of "Eff you and your bigoted bullcrap." I'm all about that. I keep saying, and I'll say it over and over and over, as long as I need to: Change starts with US - with YOU and ME.
This kind of in-your-face radicalism is certainly not for everyone, and radical actions can be dangerous. I'm not saying for a second that everyone should drop what they're doing and be radical in their daily actions. Try exploring radical thoughts, though. How about we all take a second to examine why some thoughts ARE considered radical. Take a moment and think of why it is considered a radical notion to say "Sex is good for you" or "Gender has no bearing on your worth as a person." It is, frankly, frightening that those notions can be considered radical. Take the "zero sum" mentality when it comes to the entitlement of rights: i.e. the notion that for one group to "gain" rights, the group in power must "lose" some of theirs.
Pick up these radical thoughts and play with them. That, I will advocate every day of my life. Take thoughts of extreme equality and tolerance and see what they feel like. Give an honest effort at shedding preconceptions, even to the point of your concept of "sin" or "goodness." To change the world, minds must change.
Keep in mind, in no way am I expressing a desire to homogenize the world. No. There will always be someone who has something that you don't have. To make everyone in this world the exact same would be tragic. How about, though, instead of marginalizing, demeaning, and suppressing difference, we celebrate it! Celebrate how beautiful someone is, no matter what ethnicity, social group, fandom, or religion they belong to! Learn about someone who is different from you! I'm going to tell you the same thing my mom taught me: you don't have to like everybody, but you do have to be respectful to them. Nothing gets solved with hate.
I really don't have a neat resolution to today's entry. Trust me, if I had a neat resolution to this entire issue, this blog wouldn't NEED more than one entry! And if somebody had neat solutions to all these things, I'm sure they would have done it a long time ago. All I can say to wrap things up is an encouragement to keep fighting. Fight bigotry and meanness where you see it. Yell at the top of your lungs when you see something not right, and don't shut up. It is entirely beneficial to the oppressive system when we're scared and quiet and acquiescent. Don't let them have it that easy. We are nerds. We are not convenient. We get things done.
Marigold, singing the song of angry men, wishing you all an honorable fight.
Read that before you proceed with this. Don't worry, I'm patient - I'll wait.
Do you know what this means, ladies and gents and everyone in between? It means that we are not unnoticeable. People who want to change the world are getting up and DOING! This time last year, I would not have formally backed vigilantism. Now? There are things that are necessary and it all comes in levels. Whether it is the Gulabi Gang in India, beating men who beat women with sticks while dressed in pink saree, or one cosplayer at one con going "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER BEFORE I REMOVE THEM FOR YOU!" I do not advocate violence, when violence can be avoided, because violence tends to beget the same. However, it is now the time for us to do what we have to do to make oppression, fringe status, and marginalization stop.
I am a fan of musical theater, in case you didn't figure out by now. I have cosplayed Elphaba, the main character of Ozian fan-fiction-turned-musical Wicked multiple times. Everyone's favorite/the most well-known song from that musical seems to be "Defying Gravity." Take that song in a new context - Elphaba is doing the same thing as these women in this article. She is standing up and defying wrongdoing and shame. We all, nerds especially, have a responsibility to do this in our own lives. Those of us within the nerd community have had too much done to us over the years to let wrongdoing go unnoticed. Laurie Penny writes in the article linked above, "Sexism often functions as a pressure-release valve in times of social unrest – and when it does, it takes different forms, depending on local values."
The entire world, from what I gather, is in a time of social unrest, and it has been for a very long time. A good part of that social unrest is those who have been marginalized and oppressed standing up and saying "Fuck you, we're not taking your shit anymore!" Think about all the movements against bullying, whether they're comprehensive or specific to a particular fringe group. That is a terrific example of "Eff you and your bigoted bullcrap." I'm all about that. I keep saying, and I'll say it over and over and over, as long as I need to: Change starts with US - with YOU and ME.
This kind of in-your-face radicalism is certainly not for everyone, and radical actions can be dangerous. I'm not saying for a second that everyone should drop what they're doing and be radical in their daily actions. Try exploring radical thoughts, though. How about we all take a second to examine why some thoughts ARE considered radical. Take a moment and think of why it is considered a radical notion to say "Sex is good for you" or "Gender has no bearing on your worth as a person." It is, frankly, frightening that those notions can be considered radical. Take the "zero sum" mentality when it comes to the entitlement of rights: i.e. the notion that for one group to "gain" rights, the group in power must "lose" some of theirs.
Pick up these radical thoughts and play with them. That, I will advocate every day of my life. Take thoughts of extreme equality and tolerance and see what they feel like. Give an honest effort at shedding preconceptions, even to the point of your concept of "sin" or "goodness." To change the world, minds must change.
Keep in mind, in no way am I expressing a desire to homogenize the world. No. There will always be someone who has something that you don't have. To make everyone in this world the exact same would be tragic. How about, though, instead of marginalizing, demeaning, and suppressing difference, we celebrate it! Celebrate how beautiful someone is, no matter what ethnicity, social group, fandom, or religion they belong to! Learn about someone who is different from you! I'm going to tell you the same thing my mom taught me: you don't have to like everybody, but you do have to be respectful to them. Nothing gets solved with hate.
I really don't have a neat resolution to today's entry. Trust me, if I had a neat resolution to this entire issue, this blog wouldn't NEED more than one entry! And if somebody had neat solutions to all these things, I'm sure they would have done it a long time ago. All I can say to wrap things up is an encouragement to keep fighting. Fight bigotry and meanness where you see it. Yell at the top of your lungs when you see something not right, and don't shut up. It is entirely beneficial to the oppressive system when we're scared and quiet and acquiescent. Don't let them have it that easy. We are nerds. We are not convenient. We get things done.
Marigold, singing the song of angry men, wishing you all an honorable fight.
No comments:
Post a Comment