flexibeast.space - gemlog - 2023-06-22
Exclusivity in leftist activist circles
Let's talk about exclusivity in leftist activist circles.
i've been doing leftist activism for roughly three decades, but have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for most of that, around 25 years.
i've also been living with unrecognised / unacknowledged autism and adhd for most of my life, only getting diagnosed only a couple of years ago.
Over the years, i've continued to try to do activist work where i could - often educational stuff, sometimes organisational and infrastructure stuff, but all too regularly dealing with things like transphobia, biphobia, whorephobia etc. from other leftists.
You would think, then, that i might have some useful experience, knowledge and skills to offer leftist groups and campaigns. Yet my ongoing experience is of actively reaching out, via various communication channels, only to regularly be ignored, even after following up.
There are various possible ‘explanations’ for this. For example: it might ‘merely’ be a case of “out of sight, out of mind” - if i'm not turning up physically to things, because my disabilities and neurodivergence and general life circumstances limit my ability to do so, i don't exist.
But i'm not aware of any such ‘explanation’ that's appropriate for any leftism that claims to be challenging discrimination and marginalisation, or working towards a world in which diversity is supported and celebrated.
What sort of leftism is it if one has to be the ‘right’ type of person in order to become a part of it?
☙