To be an ally

Wake, now, my conscience,
with justice thy guide;
join with all people
whose rights are denied;
take not for granted
a privileged place;
God's love embraces
the whole human race.

- Thomas J.S. Mikelson, "Wake Now My Senses"

This verse of a hymn struck me this morning as a rather beautiful verbalization of what I believe about allies. By that, of course, I do not mean the winners of the world wars or the nations who formed NATO, but those who use their privilege to help those who are dis-privileged.

Allies are important and what they do is hard. When you stand with those on the painful side of structural violence prejudice tends to reflect onto you. Those who are being repressed tend to be rather suspicious of outsiders. It's not always clear what the "right thing" to do is, and there's sure to be disagreements between those working for change. Trust is a tricky thing, and understanding... well, who can really understand what anyone else goes through?

Maybe this is part of the reason why I love the Marcos view of things. No one should be shamed or prosecuted for being different, and all those who find themselves otherized should stand together. This Zapatista view means we can be allies for each other- after all, we're all different somehow, right? So as a white person I act as an ally with those who face structural violence because of the color of their skin or their national origin. As someone whose gender identity matches the legal gender status she was born into in an fairly uncomplicated way I recognize my privilege in relation to those whose gender expression or identity may be more subject to prejudice (of course I am still a relatively feminine woman in a sexist world, and that sometimes bites). As someone with a degree of economic freedom I must be aware of the issues of poverty. As someone who identifies as queer, I am wholly aware of the need for straight allies, even as I reject that whole repressive gay/straight polarization.

Did that read as messy? Well, my thinking on this gets pretty messy when I start thinking about questions of identity. I could write books about that, and I doubt you'd want to read so much just now.

In a memo stating the Zapatista's solidarity with LGBTQ peoples, Marcos said, "Let those who persecute the different be ashamed!"

I guess I would add to that the idea that those who truly believe in equality must be willing to exchange privilige for rights. Allies are those who see that what should be rights for all have become privileges, and that they are reaping the benefits of those privileges to the disadvantage of others. That's not an easy thing. This line of thought requires something that may be called guilt, and certainly requires a willingness to take responsibility.

Take responsibility. Be an ally. Be an agent for hope, not a part of the prosecution, part of the system that's oppressing some to the benefits of others. By remaining passive, by NOT taking responsibility, you are supporting oppression. I know that's true, however self-righteous and unhelpful it may sound.

And to support this, I'll throw in a poem. Glenn Beck be darned.

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

- Martin Niemoller

Oh yeah, here's that link to the memo from Marcos.