“I’m really sorry to be unable to resist this …”

Clearly not? :D

Thank you for teaching me how it feels when I do it to other people, though.

Also, extra mortification points for not taking care of it the first time I wrote it on The Rotund’s blog. Would you ask her to fix it for me, please? *kthx*

As for ethnic clothing/jewelry, I love it! But, I do make an effort to not wear, say, a wedding outfit just because of the shinypretty. But perhaps this is down to me being a bellydancer (amateur) and choosing to enlighten myself as to the various cultures and what is and isn’t appropriate in dress, manner, and style of dance. The funny thing is, once you start down the road of enlightenment, it’s damned hard to stop. ;)

Having said that, I do have to agree with some of the other posters – until I read Tara’s post, I had no idea some people felt excluded from the FAM because of race. Of course, like the majority of those same posters, I do have a priviligded life (I know that’s an sp, I just don’t have the time to look it up at the moment) although I did not grow up that way (let’s just say there’s a huge difference between choosing to go off the grid and not being able to get on the grid in the first place). As a person of mixed race, I acknowledge another person’s skin color/cultural background, but I’m going to treat you the way I want to be treated regardless, that is to say, with respect and non-judgement (unless you’re an ass).

Yet, I’m still guilty of putting on my asshat, thankfully much less often these days. I have no idea what I’m trying to say anymore, so I’ll leave off with how brilliant ‘make fewer statements, ask more questions’ is, and add one bit – then listen to the answers.

“Make FEWER statements. Ask more questions.”

Thank you. I will try to find a ten-step program for ex-editors.

Also, for ***ism, given the fact that we’re talking about intersectionality, feel free to insert your favorite ***ism.

Then I’m going to repeat myself.

cope best by having low expectations of others’ ability to consider anything or anyone outside of their own experiences and perspectives in a balanced way. That works for right now because I’m rarely surprised by insensitivity or negativity regarding race but one day I will need to find a proper balance with this…

MAKE LESS STATEMENTS.

ASK MORE QUESTIONS.

It took me a few months to really understand the language of shapely prose.

OK, I promise I am going somewhere with this!

My main point is that within certain groups certain things are just assumed to be true and because they are assumed to be true, no one questions them or wonders if they are true for other groups of people.

It always is good to adress these concerns! Activism is more powerful when it is inclusive. We can’t adress everything but it is possible that some core assumptions are not true for every group of people.

Wow, I hope that made sense.