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red_eft

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Listening and linking.

[Mar. 11th, 2009|10:46 am]

[	Tags	\|	race	]
[	Current Mood	\|	thoughful	]

For people who are not caught up on what has been dubbed RaceFail 09, Anne Somerville has an excellent and clear summary. (Claire, remember that thing I e-mailed you about awhile ago? It's still going.)

It's kind of surprising for me to realize that I *haven't* posted a lot on this subject. It's been occupying so much of my brainspace recently, I assume surely, everyone who knows me must know my thoughts on this. Plus, I didn't know that I could contribute anything to the discussion. But then I read Some thoughts on listening while white, especially this: I know: A good listener, online, is someone who writes. Writing is how we listen.

I want to write something about what I've learned, and my reactions, but- it's kind of coming out all jumbled now. I may post later. (I am home from work as there are moar potential cat problems oh god).

But- more importantly, I wanted to link to the posts that have really hit me, the ones that prove that this is *not* just another internet fight. Probably the only people on my flist who haven't read these are the three people who know me in person (*waves*), but in case you haven't:

deepad:
I Didn't Dream of Dragons
White people, it's not all about you but for this post it is
(especially:

When you imply that POC are disallowing you from writing something, what you are really saying is their their disapproval affects you to a degree that you are willing to pretend that they have the power to alter your choices. This is disenginous.

Reappropriating my man

ciderpress
ven ve voke up, ve had zese wodies

However, in the intense and almost singular focus on clueless white people in this discussion and the often repeated statement that this was an opportunity to dialogue, that there is solace in the fact that it has been worth all the pain and difficulty, that they are somehow *glad*, the underlying assumption is that:

PoCs have emotional/intellectual catharsis after such discussions.

PoC's pain being part of an educational moment for clueless white people is worth it to PoCs because it's worth it to white people.

Anti-racism matters the same amount, in the same way to clueless white people, allies and PoC.

bossymarmalade
sees fire (in response to Elizabeth Bear's Cease fire.)

You see, I couldn't just decide not to have a conversation about race anymore, because it follows me home. My race issues ARE my home.

Also:

verb_noire, a new POC-focused genre press
Fundraising for Fans of Color to go to WisCon

and via

sparkymonster, I can fix it! A ten step guide to fix racism.

Link

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[politics/glbt]

[Nov. 7th, 2008|07:10 pm]

[

Tags

glbt, politics, race

]

I am so, so fucking angry. I didn't cry over prop 8 passing, but I am close to this crying over this bullshit about how it's the fault of Black voters that it did. (Have also seen some lovely comments along the lines of "No, don't blame black people- it was probably Latinos, what with the Catholicism." Fuck. You.) I'm not surprised to see it from the likes of Andrew Sullivan; Obama supporter or not Sullivan is a fucking racist and I have no patience for him. But that this seems to be a meme that's getting a wide audience... fuck. This shit needs to be nipped in the bud.

I think there's enough overlap of my flist that most people have seen these links, but on the off chance you haven't:
from

darkrosetiger
Blame the Brown People = Recipe for Failure
Hearts and Minds
Black Voters and Prop 8: My Last Words

Facts Belie the Scapegoating of Black People for Proposition 8
warning: don't read the comments if you are not already in a state of rage.

from

ladyjax
Something told me this was going to happen

Hearing about the negligence of the Prop 8 campaign... god. God.
I hated the No on Proposition 8 ads. "It denies fundamental rights!" Right. Fundamental rights for gay people. They *know* that. They don't think we deserve those rights, or that they are rights, and... dancing around the subject, not saying what it's really about... it made it feel like there was something to be ashamed of. And now, hearing the lack of outreach to PoC makes me even more furious. God. I feel like kicking myself for not having done more- and god, what hubris, eh, to think that if I had only gotten involved, I would have been able to fix something, when I still had to have the lack of PoC in the commercials pointed out to me. But. Damn. Damn. I want to do *something*. I don't know where to start, other than my impotent ranting here.

ETA: I just got this e-mail from the prop 8 campaign:

In working to defeat Prop 8, a profound coalition banded together to fight for equality. Faith leaders, labor, teachers, civil rights leaders and communities of color, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, public officials, local school boards and city councils, parents, corporate law firms and bar associations, businesses, and people from all walks of life joined together to stand up against discrimination. We must build on this coalition in order to achieve equal rights for all Californians.

We achieve nothing if we isolate the people who did not stand with us in this fight. We only further divide our state if we attempt to blame people of faith, African American voters, rural communities and others for this loss. We know people of all faiths, races and backgrounds stand with us in our fight to end discrimination, and will continue to do so. Now more than ever it is critical that we work together and respect our differences that make us a diverse and unique society. Only with that understanding will we achieve justice and equality for all.

I'm glad they said something- I was going to e-mail them to ask if they could, actually, and I still want to e-mail them about the campaign- but it rings a little hollow, having heard how little effort was put into that 'coalition'.

Link