A Guide to Social Etiquette When Interacting with My DID System

A frequent request we’ve encountered is to create a guide to interacting with DID systems. We’re offering a list of our own preferences around social interactions and a list of questions to help you get to know the specific preferences of the system(s) you know.

The Practice of Allyship

This blog post was originally published as a subscriber-only article entitled “Yopp’s Guide to Being an Awesome Ally,” at the beginning of January 2020. I decided to share it more widely because it was such valuable information and I also updated it as my opinions and understanding of allyship had shifted over the years. 

Everything You Need to Know About Boundaries

Boundaries are magic.  They are protective and allow us to navigate our life as empowered and autonomous individuals.  Most of us come to learn our boundaries through trial and error, and may not get good support around forming or establishing boundaries in relationships.  As we approach a season of gatherings, including those with family we don’t have good relationships with, taking intentional time to reflect on who we’re connected to and how we want those connections to look can be valuable.

Hiding Behind “Good Intentions”: Why Good Intent Does Not Erase Oppressive Impact

For every blatantly malicious bigot, there are 10 people who “meant well” or “didn’t mean it like that” or “had good intentions” when they said or did something that actually had a harmful effect on a member of an oppressed group. This excuse is used so frequently that it’s hard to see a single online argument about social justice without someone having to explain that good intentions does not negate or remedy impact. 

The Unique Power of Digital Organizing

Because of the limitations of my chronic illness, I am so grateful that the genre of digital organizing enables remote forms of activism through mediums like text messages, social media, and email campaigns. Ingrid Cruz is here to break down this collection of strategies for us.

The Problem with Misrepresenting Oppression as Just Part of Life

When we undermine someone’s life-altering issue by framing it as something that everyone deals with, we dismiss the magnitude of the societal problems that contextualize bigotry, we disrespect marginalized people’s ability to assess their own problems, we discourage the pursuit of solutions for widespread unearned suffering, and we sign off on allowing that suffering to continue.

The Problem with Slurs

What is a slur? What’s the difference between a slur and an insult? Why shouldn’t we use them? Why do marginalized people get to use slurs that describe them and we don’t? These are just some of the questions addressed in this article about slurs.

Power Dynamics Part 2: Privilege and Power

In Power Dynamics Part 1, I looked at the traits and patterns that can be used to identify uneven power dynamics in interpersonal relationships. In Part 2, I explore how these patterns manifest themselves between marginalized and privileged groups in society.