Solidarity by Network

A realization I’ve been having over and over again since mid-November is this: No matter how much “solidarity” you think you have, your oppression always appears to be the most important. I don’t think we can eliminate that; I think we have to use it.

Take me, for example. I am a cis, het, white man and have a well-paying job but do not have time to pursue my hopes and ambitions. This means I’m likely to think long about oppressions like biopower, medical injustices, labor issues.

 As an adult, I discovered that I am neurodivergent and have neurodivergent kids, so ableism is a little easier to see now. Because my partner is a woman, and I have a queer child, it’s relatively easy for me to think about the patriarchy and queerphobia.

While I very much support fighting other forms of oppression, that has only come through contact with people experiencing those oppressions.

It might make sense, when we’re trying to convince people to oppose the rise of various fascisms, to make individual efforts not just to “meet them where they are”, but also to help people understand that they love people who are oppressed in ways that are different from theirs.