Hard to imagine where gay and lesbian people would be today if we attacked every ally who made an ignorant remark which could be mistaken as homophobic. Iβve extended so much grace throughout my life to people who once only knew the worst parts about our communities.
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt thru an opportunity to educate. And people need a place to learn without getting screamed at when theyβre βdoing it wrongβ. You canβt be an ally if you arenβt willing to learn either.
If the truth is that the system normalizes bigoted beliefs, then why is everyone so shocked to see normalized bigoted beliefs? The goal is to un-normalize those beliefs, not to condemn every fellow victim of that system that carries those beliefs.
I'm straight-white-guy. No, I haven't always been woke (I was born into the same RW evangelical system as everyone else). It's taken self reflection, and patience from the left. If I'd been screamed at every time I said something I didn't know was stupid, I probably would have doubled down too.
Thank you. It's friends and acquaintances who, like you, forgave my youth, which was groomed in bigotry, so that I can be the happier full ally I am today.
That right there ππ»ππ»ππ»
Cough cough, Barack Obama, cough cough.