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MMMMonday: World Day of Social Justice
Feb. 17th, 2014 09:15 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Each Monday, we bring you special, maintainer-curated content intended to enrich your VP experience. Please note that you can find past MMMMonday posts using the mmmmonday tag.
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The UN declared February 20th the World Day of Social Justice. Their site tells us, "Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability."
To celebrate WDSJ, we asked some folks to tell us a little bit about a social justice issue that's important to them.
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kaberettI am active with social justice issues, but at times, I am made an example of without my consent. Oh god, have you been in an accident, my lecturer asked me, Friday morning. "Er," I said. "No." Where by "my lecturer", I mean "the professor I was demonstrating/TAing a practical for". Of questions to be asked in front of my undergraduate students, that one is not on the list of my favourites: it's intrusive, it's undermining, and it's just thoughtless. Because: my wheelchair is very obviously not a Standard NHS Chair. Because: the last thing I want when I'm supposed to be teaching undergrads about geochemistry is to find myself teaching lecturers about disability. Because: the power dynamic is such that I can't tell them how rude they're being, I can't look offended, and I just have to smile sweetly and pretend I'm fine to answer their questions about my complex, variable medical conditions, and hope like hell that my supervisor having my back about my ability to do my work is enough.
The visibility of my disability means that I have little space for the intersection of my gender identity; this is why I'm not even trying to get work colleagues to use the correct pronouns for me.
- Charlie S. / @charlosjackson
Something that's important to me, as a person of color in the USA, is really looking at the structural and institutional instances of racism. It's really easy to point out interpersonal racism, but when you look at things like Hurricane Katrina, or which school districts get more funding, you end up seeing that there are very real structural problems that contribute to the oppression of certain people. As a healthcare worker in a free clinic, I see how much more we have to do with less resources, and our patients are mostly people of color and are lower income, and they don't have access to a shiny private practice doctor who can spend a ton of time with them whenever they need it. I believe in the doctors that I work with, and I believe that they provide good care, but there are certain things that are just limited because of our limited funding and resources. A person shouldn't have to wait for several hours just because they don't have the access to a private doctor. For example, our clinic is located on the Upper East Side of New York City, which is a very high-income, very white area, but most of our patients come from East Harlem, which is the opposite. This disparity is basically structural racism in action.
mangofandangoI always wonder if the waiter at our restaurant will think that we are just picky eaters. Food service folks, waiters and restaurant owners alike, are often doubtful of the legitimacy of motivation behind the questions we ask about ingredients, and one local restaurant owner even told a local paper that he "plays a game" where he guesses the "real motivation" behind customer's stated dietary needs. My daughter has severe food allergies. I really need for people like that restaurant owner to hear that, and answer my questions truthfully and completely, without second guessing...because her life is potentially at stake if he decides maybe she just doesn't like eggs and it's not a big deal. He may feel justified, because he says he's had experiences with folks who overstate or lie about their allergies. But to operate as if most people are probably liars harms everyone. People with disabilities and chronic illness don't always "look" like they have those things, just as, for example, those who've suffered trauma don't always wear it on their sleeves. A foundation of social justice is believing people when they talk about their bodies, experiences, abilities, and limits. Failing to do so erodes consent, empathy, and safety for those who often need it most.
- Eva Sweeney
One of the awesome things about the LGBTQ movement is that it brings together people from all walks of life. We all work toward a common goal and that unites us. However, in my personal experience, disability and queerness are not talked about. Queer people with disabilities often don't have the opportunity to meet and talk to their peers because they are isolated at home, or because queer events are not accessible for them. Sadly, the disabled community tries to silence its queer members. When I was trying to find information on LGBTQ and disability, I called many disability organizations and was either denied or hung up on. The queer community was more friendly, but still had little information for disabled people. There are few spaces where queer people with disabilities can meet and share stories. One such place is a group on Facebook called Queerability. Over the last 15 years since I have come out, more and more resources for disabled queers have been popping up, and that's awesome! But we still have a lot of work to do to get both the disabled community and the queer community to recognize the intersection that exists, and that we are vital parts of both.
- Milly Allen (One of our new SSMs!)
Voter suppression is one of the most terrible social injustices, because it prevents the correction of other social injustices. It’s used to influence an election by discouraging people to vote. Usually manifest in tricksy-yet-legal action, my (least) favorite suppression techniques include: repressive registration and absentee ballot laws, and strict voter ID laws.
How does this influence elections? You can only vote if you’re registered. If you’re registered, you can only vote if you can get to the polls. If you’re registered and can get to the polls, you can only vote if you can wait in line. If you’re registered and can get to the polls and wait in line, you can only vote if you have the proper ID.
This disenfranchises too many people, including the senior, minority, student, low income, and disabled brackets -- people who may not have cars or maintain driver’s licenses, or have jobs that allow them to get to the polls and wait there. These people are students who should have a say in the cost of state tuition. They are low-income folk who cannot afford to have the incumbent unseated, because their food stamps and Head Start programs would get cut.
Google “voter registration [your state/country/province/alien planet]” to find out how you and your friends can register -- absentee ballots, if you’re eligible, make it much easier. Then vote!
Social justice is a crucial part of VP. Sometimes, people ask us why we highlight a certain social justice issue, saying that a particular issue like racism or disability doesn't have anything to do with VP's usual topics of sexual & reproductive health. Even in these short blurbs, we see how different areas of oppression intersect and affect each other. People who experience oppression often have a harder time accessing healthcare, or they might not be able to find a provider who is sensitive to their needs. These intersections of oppression make it harder to access resources, find community, or advocate for yourself. Knowing more about these intersections helps us all make VP a safer space where we can support each other through a broader understanding of social justice.
Superstars, what social justice issues are important to you? What do you think of the connection between Safe Space and social justice?
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