anagramofbrat: (and the goddamn batman)
I've been trying to think of a good way to explain exactly why I raged all over FB last week regarding the sea of red equal signs. What was it about that particular phenomenon that tipped me over from my usual practiced political apathy (or at least silence) into snarly Fuck y'alls?

The closest analogy I can come up with for what I was feeling at the time is a high school student council election, wherein the front running candidate happens to agree on a lot of the important issues with you... except this person and their friends likes to jump you and maybe one or two of your friends after school for whatever reason. All right, easy enough, don't vote for them, right? Except... you then have to sit through the entire election period watching people you know and respect and like voting for someone you KNOW is a fuckbucket. Even worse, having said people be all like "Well, yes, this person is a fuckbucket and has a history of hurting you/people like you, however the broader issue is more important." Or even worse, get angry with you for having legitimate issues with this person, and accuse you of being divisive when you bring them up. Or get pissy with you for pointing out that standing behind this person is some obvious way means you're also tacitly standing behind this person's ickier aspects as well. In the end, you end up just shutting up and wishing you hadn't said anything, but seeing posters for this kid's campaign everywhere, rather than filling me with warm fuzzies, just feels like the kid punching me all over again.

Considering the HRC's history of ignoring or censoring certain viewpoints from its narrative in order to further its agenda (google HRC Transphobia for some funtime reading), the above paragraph is kinda how I felt upon seeing the widespread icon campaign. I identify as a queer woman of color, and also refer to myself as bi/pansexual. Both identities have been repeatedly marginalized by the HRC. There are people near and dear to my heart who are transgender... and, well, while the internet was changing their icons, someone within their organization asked a transgender activist to remove their flag because "marriage equality is not a transgender issue." (They have since apologized, but... ugh, seriously?)

To be fair, it's not just them. There are many organizations/charities that happen to be the "face" of whatever cause they are championing that have been revealed to either employ problematic methodology to achieve their ends or exploit/steamroll the people they supposedly represent. Autism Speaks, the Komen Foundation and the Occupy movement come to mind. It sucks because these particular orgs all represent ideas/causes that on the surface I could wholeheartedly get behind. (As the saying goes, "I'd stand with you if I could stand you.") I get the idea of uniting behind a single goal/message. However once an organization gets big enough, there tends to be an "any means necessary" attitude toward acheiving that goal or getting that message out there, and some heavy glossing over the less savory things done in the name of x cause. That glossing often includes undermining, silencing or ignoring any voice that questions the agenda at hand or doesn't quite fit with how the organization wants to present its message.

Most of what riled up people on my facebook list was the accusation that "share/change your icons/reblog" campaigns were "about the laziest way you can support a cause." I threw that in there mostly because I knew it would upset people and I kinda actually wanted that effect since I was upset myself. Bitch move, and I am sorry for that. I've since gotten many reactions to the initial statement which I find... troubling:

  • "But... solidarity is the important thing here!" I invite you to reread my second paragraph. Said solidarity uses the iconography of an organization that has all but said "we represent everyone. Except you. And you. And you." Some solidarity.

  • "I can't really do anything else due to lack of time/money! the most I can do is pass along the word!" At most, you're going to end up both preaching to the choir and alienating those who disagree with you. The other thing to consider is that regardless of message and intent, you've participated in what boils down to a calculated manipulation by a marketing department. So you've essentially helped reduce marriage equality to the same level as, oh, the so called Harlem Shake.

  • "The intent, of x is..." Stop. No one's questioning the goodness of your intentions. The problem is so much gets excused with "I didn't intend for what I did to have this impact." Look, I'm clumsy, and I knock stuff over a lot, and sometimes things get broken. Every so often things get broken that don't belong to me. Do I mean to break things? No. But just saying "I didn't mean to (x negative effect)" doesn't fix a problem.


If after all that you still think the overarching message is still the important thing, despite what it costs and who gets stepped on... I'm actually okay with that. I may not agree with the outcome, but all I really ask is that people think about what they're supporting, and I feel that too often, in this environment where the share button is the biggest and most powerful marketing tactic out there right now, people just... don't.

And THAT'S why I got so fucking pissy last week. I'm not sure I've really expressed myself any better here and now and I'm quite sure I'm just pissing everyone off again, but I did say I would try.

And now... gotta go make some chicken fried rice.

Date: 2013-04-02 11:02 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] rhipowered.livejournal.com
ext_7899: the tenth doctor stands alone (all-in: save the world for Georgia Mason)
Not pissing one person off. You're exactly spot-the-fuck-on.

Date: 2013-04-03 03:15 am (UTC)From: [personal profile] kshandra
kshandra: A cross-stitch sampler in a gilt frame, plainly stating "FUCK CANCER" (Feed)
Nice icon. ;-)

Date: 2013-04-04 07:11 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] rhipowered.livejournal.com
ext_7899: the tenth doctor stands alone (Default)
Likewise!

Date: 2013-04-02 11:03 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] firinel.livejournal.com
very well written, hon. Also, I agree entirely.

Date: 2013-04-02 11:16 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] ggirl.livejournal.com
In all honesty, I had no idea what HRC was/is. I saw someone post the flag thingie as a message to support marriage equality. Not knowing what the heck organization was behind it, I just thought it was another random FB "good cause" icon. I didn't turn it into my own icon because I generally think that's dumb, but I did share it on my page. Now that I know what HRC stands for, I guess I regret the support of it. But the main purpose, as I saw it, was a cry of support for gay marriage. If that meant posting a picture of a red equal sign, I was in favor of that.

Date: 2013-04-02 11:26 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] breakableheart.livejournal.com
I didn't know all that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I also didn't change my icon, not because I don't support marriage rights but because I don't use fb to tout political stances I may have. I do support marriage (and other) equality and I want every citizen to have the access to all the benefits and responsibilities it confers on them.

Date: 2013-04-03 09:09 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] innostrantsa.livejournal.com
Well said, and very well expressed. Intent doesn't mean a damn if it's a) unclear and b) damaging by folks who, amazingly enough, aren't mind-readers.

Date: 2013-04-03 07:42 pm (UTC)From: [personal profile] northernwalker
northernwalker: (Default)
Huh, I did not know that about HRC. Thank you for spreading the word.

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