allies are always decided by the opressed group, not the person themselves, otherwise they can make it too much a part of their ego and start arguing with individuals or part of the opressed group when called out or in for harmful shit they are doing because they are “an ally” so how could they possibly getting it wrong!?
I 100% agree with this, but the burden should not be placed on the oppressed. Men must dismantle patriarchy too. They don’t get to sit around and do jack shit.
Obviously you don’t want the privileged to steal the cause and speak for the oppressed and marginalized, and this has always been an issue. But it’s not because of ‘men’ but because of capitalism and patriarchy that declaws any effective challenge to oppression. There are similar examples to this like green washing and the environmentalist movement.
But it is men, what you’re saying is the equivalent of passive voice when employers say that someone lost their jobs, it ignores that men do do this and tries to blame a system, which yes, is to blame but the individual men also have to take responsibility for themselves and other men too.
yes i definitely agree with your point here, systems don’t just live in the abstract, but are carried out by people who carry on fucked up prejudices, and all that.
Absolutely, kind internet stranger - I don’t want it any other way, I also appreciate your kind comments to me and willing to engage with my viewpoint, however imperfect they can be (no one is perfect, except for cats, of course).
I try my best to signal my intentions, and that any disagreements or points I make are in good faith and it is in the struggle against all forms of oppression, like sexism, ableism, racism, classism, and all sorts of hierarchies we experience in the workplace, public or private spaces, etc. that are well known, or also not well known, unwritten and novel.
or, you know, men who don’t cat call and consider themselves feminists and allies? This is not hard.
allies are always decided by the opressed group, not the person themselves, otherwise they can make it too much a part of their ego and start arguing with individuals or part of the opressed group when called out or in for harmful shit they are doing because they are “an ally” so how could they possibly getting it wrong!?
I 100% agree with this, but the burden should not be placed on the oppressed. Men must dismantle patriarchy too. They don’t get to sit around and do jack shit.
Obviously you don’t want the privileged to steal the cause and speak for the oppressed and marginalized, and this has always been an issue. But it’s not because of ‘men’ but because of capitalism and patriarchy that declaws any effective challenge to oppression. There are similar examples to this like green washing and the environmentalist movement.
But it is men, what you’re saying is the equivalent of passive voice when employers say that someone lost their jobs, it ignores that men do do this and tries to blame a system, which yes, is to blame but the individual men also have to take responsibility for themselves and other men too.
yes i definitely agree with your point here, systems don’t just live in the abstract, but are carried out by people who carry on fucked up prejudices, and all that.
Thanks for discussing things in good faith, a rare occurrence, we have not often encountered here. We really appreciate it!
Absolutely, kind internet stranger - I don’t want it any other way, I also appreciate your kind comments to me and willing to engage with my viewpoint, however imperfect they can be (no one is perfect, except for cats, of course).
I try my best to signal my intentions, and that any disagreements or points I make are in good faith and it is in the struggle against all forms of oppression, like sexism, ableism, racism, classism, and all sorts of hierarchies we experience in the workplace, public or private spaces, etc. that are well known, or also not well known, unwritten and novel.