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Classist justice
Far too often, I’ve heard radical queers and feminists, in their hipster garb, talking their academic jargon about checking one’s privilege and being accountable, and in the same breath mocking poor people. It’s not always explicit. Actually, in social justice circles, it hardly ever is. Many of you know not to say words like ghetto or white trash, or at least I hope you do, because of its classist and racist implications, but that seems to be where the anti-classist work stops. So, let me help you.
- Every time you push your vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian diet on people, remember that your diet is a privilege that doesn’t make you superior or more of an environmentalist, food justice champion, animal lover or good human. I know you know about food deserts. Well, you don’t have to live in one to not be able to afford to have a restrictive diet.
- Furthermore, poor folks went green along ass time ago. I don’t get why you feel so special about your mason jars and bicycles. Oh good for you for taking the bus when you could’ve driven. Do you want a vegan gluten-free cookie?
- Yes, Wal-Mart is evil. So, is Urban Outfitters. Get over yourself. The only reason why Wal-Mart is singled out is because poor people shop there and it is easier to distance yourself from the problem. So, stop judging poor consumers who are just trying to feed and clothe their families, and start working to dismantle capitalism, or at least organize for workers’ rights (preferably in a non savior complex kinda way).
- Your shitty college dorm room, apartment or shared house, does not make you poor, neither does shopping at Good Will.
- There is a difference between being broke and poor, much like the difference between acute and chronic pain. Learn the difference.
- For those of you who do work with poor folks, you are not special, and you are not a savior. Like I said before, drop the savior routine. It makes a big difference when you take the cues from the communities you are serving. And, just because someone isn’t a college educated career activist, doesn’t mean they don’t know what is best for them and their communities. So, don’t be a condescending ass when people don’t talk like you, and practice some real nonjudgmental allyship.
- Pro tip: classy, trashy, hood, ghetto, dangerous/sketchy/seedy (in reference to poor PoC neighborhoods), white trash, etc are all really classist terms and hella racist too. Think about it, why do we specify that the trash is white? Because all other trash must be brown, right? If you don’t have a claim to these words, don’t use them.
Anyway, the examples could go on, and if anyone wants to add onto this, please do. I just don’t understand how a community that prides itself on fighting body-shaming and slut-shaming, could be so unequivocally class-shaming. In your own words, you better check your privilege.
Oh god this is so relevant
I don’t talk enough about classism in my blog.
(via positiveconnotation)
U.K. takes gay sex off criminal records
In what seems like a long overdue move, the United Kingdom has passed a law allowing convictions for consensual gay sex to be stricken from the records of “guilty” parties.
The U.K.’s antisodomy laws banned gay sex for years, with some of these laws not being repealed until 2003. But now, finally, men who were convicted of having consensual gay sex can have this particular offense removed from their records.
“It’s estimated that over the last century in the region of 100,000 men in the U.K. were convicted of consenting same-sex offences that were not crimes between heterosexual men and women,” activist Peter Tatchell told Pink News. “Many had their lives ruined, including serving prison sentences, losing their jobs and suffering rejection by their families.
I suppose this is good news, but I’m still kind of shocked this has to be news at all. I mean, really? It took this long?
BREAKING: Court refuses to make Prop 8 trial videos public
Today a federal appeals court ruled that videos of the Prop 8 trial will not be released to the public. The trial judge promised defenders that the videos would only be used for internal court purposes, and so the videos cannot ethically be released.
This ruling overturned a lower court ruling that the videos be released. Gay rights groups and Prop 8 opponents favored the release of the videos because they would show the evidence behind Judge Vaughn Walker’s ruling, especially after claims arose that he was biased because he’s gay. In addition, the judge is not allowed to keep copies of the recordings.
A very important couple of words in the LA Times article:
The same panel is weighing the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that ended a brief period in California when same-sex marriage was legal. A decision on that is expected any day. (emphasis added)
“Any day” could mean as early as tomorrow or the sarcastic colloquialism “any day now.” Check back regularly to find out which it is - hopefully it’s sooner than later.
Federal appeals court will rule on Prop 8 videos today
A federal appeals court will decide today whether the videos of California’s Prop 8 trial should be released to the public, though the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on the measure itself.
The appeals court is reviewing an appeal of Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision that Prop 8 is unconstitutional and must be overturned. Video from the trials could be used by lawyers in the case, but Prop 8 supporters are adamantly opposed to releasing the videos. (Curious?)
Stay tuned for updates on this. It’s about time we get the ball rolling on Prop 8; it’s been way too long.
Lesbian couple suing Hawaii for right to marry
A lesbian couple from Honolulu are suing Hawaii for the right to get married after the state health department denied them the opportunity to apply for a marriage license.
On Wednesday, Natasha N. Jackson and Janin Kleid filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court saying their rights to due process and equal protection were violated. Hawaii will begin allowing civil unions for gay couples in January and has had a law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples since 1998.
Guys, this is pretty much how New York’s marriage equality law started. This could mean something big. Stay tuned for updates.
Transgender woman sues Khloe Kardashian (TW: transphobia, insensitivity))
A transgender woman is suing Khloe Kardashian for allegedly beating her up outside a Hollywood nightclub.
The (quite insensitive) TMZ article above reports that Chantal Spears told Khloe’s husband Lamar he was too young to get married, after which Khloe hit the woman and caused her “serious injuries.” The incident occurred in December 2009 and no one was arrested at the time, but Spears is suing for unspecified damages.
Quoi? Why hadn’t we heard about this before?
Mother sues school for son's bullying-related suicide
The mother of a 14-year-old high school freshman who committed suicide in October says bullies were responsible, and she’s suing his school as a result.
Jamarcus Bell of Hamilton Southeastern High School in Indiana was targeted because of his race, emotional disability and his perceived sexual orientation, the lawsuit says. His mother says the school district didn’t react appropriately, and the superintendent denies the legitimacy of the lawsuit.
“Our teachers and administrators took multiple steps to assist the student and his family,” insisted superintendent Brian Smith in a statement to the Star today. “We will not discuss the details of our actions in the media, but we believe there are factors that are very different from the ones alleged in the lawsuit and portrayed in the media. We are prepared to present these matters to the court, which is the proper forum for this discussion.”
Oh boy. Let’s see how this one turns out. Nothing could possibly make up for this loss, but hopefully justice can be served.
