For those who stay

No one wants to be talked at instead of spoken with and to...and yet, it happens ALL the time.

Sometimes it’s done despite the best of intentions, other times it’s done out of ignorance and fear (often easily turned to anger and hatred), and on some occasions it’s seemingly done for no particular reason.

Regardless of why, it is likely that whoever it is who is not being addressed will break away from the people, movements, institutions, etc. failing to talk to them. It only makes sense. Why stay somewhere where you are at best overlooked and invisible, and at worse devalued and ignored?

The histories of feminism and queer theory are full of such stories of subgroups of people not being addressed by others in their own community. Thank goodness, though, that while many have indeed broken away never to return, some have stayed to fight and to make their voices heard and agitate for change from within. Some can’t understand why anyone would willingly stay in such hostile environments. For certain, staying is not something that all can do. Sometimes we need to get out, and doing so must be understood not as a sign of weakness, but rather as one among many strategies for survival. Sometimes, however, some do stay.

My thanks go out to each of these warriors, who have helped to make the way a little easier for those of us following...