I like to think I’m an ally to anyone who isn’t a terrible person.
and if I post or imply something that makes it look like I’m not, here’s my request.
CALL ME OUT
Tell me why, tell me how to do better, because I want to be better.
When I was young, I was right wing, unintentionally racist, and close minded.
I’ve learned a LOT over the 50 years I’ve been here.
I’ve met people with disabilities who were extraordinary human beings.
I’ve had friends who are 2LQTBQ+ of all varieties
I’ve had friends, associates, and co-workers from all over the world, all different skin tones, first languages, religious beliefs.
My personal philosophy was that I treat people as they treat me, but that doesn’t always work, I’m a large white middle aged person (with an invisible disability) from one of the most backwards racist provinces in Canada. Some people have treated me badly, or with skepticism because I’m in a group of people that’s historically awful to people not like me.
So I had to shift my perspective – I don’t have to be a bad person for people to treat me like I might be a bad person, because people like me are frequently bad people. The onus is on me to break that cycle, and try to be good. I need to EARN trust, and make an effort to maintain it, to deserve it.
I think I’ve managed to undo most of the shit programming that was done to me.
But sometimes things are reflexive, habit, ingrained… and if I’m not aware, I can’t easily notice and change – but if I know, if people share, I can, and I will change. I have changed, a lot, and I don’t want to harbour or hold on to negativity towards anyone.
My current way of approaching trust is I trust you, until you give me a reason not to – if I find a reason not to, I’ll discuss it, find out why – because if the reason is that I am what I am, and I’m not worthy of trust because of that? That’s justified based on history, even some of my own history.
Just don’t ask me to be nice to fascists or nazis. I can’t, and won’t do it.
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