i appreciate this post. the sentiment is beautiful. since you say you've learned a lot from speaking to random people, here is my 2¢—
as a formerly unhoused and disabled person, this post writes like it was not written for disabled or unhoused people to read. it addresses disabled and unhoused people as an assumed "other", which is alienating and aggravating and annoying, to say the least. it assumes your audience is non-disabled and housed, ironically centering the most privileged people as the readers.
and as someone who was in many, many "mutual aid" groups — i have never been in a non-disabled-founded on-the-ground "mutual aid" group that has made me feel welcome or accepted or comfortable. i have never been in one that was truly accessible or welcoming to disabled people. that so-called "mutual aid" group that someone quit in 2021 (although i definitely do encourage people to go out and give more, and create more community) might actually be filled with people doing harmful bullshit. many of them actively refuse to wear face masks or care about disabled people, *especially* after being asked.
when i saw the "exhibitions about care" meme in this post, i felt relieved because that is my experience of *MOST* "leftist" "organizers", and ALL non-disabled-founded so-called "mutual aid" groups i have been in... but then i read the ending of your post. these people may give food to certain people, they may "organize for" certain people, but they often exclude others socially, and exclude disabled people from even being a part of organizing.
i've also found that groups that were founded after the 2020 uprising are lacking in deeper analysis and praxis to the point of being absolutely harmful (and "anti-racist, anti-capitalist" groups even being racist, classist, etc.) to people, *including* the people whom they supposedly "help".
i hope you appreciate the time and risk i took in writing this. i try to let things go and not comment on things as much anymore because it angers me and aggravates me and it usually starts a hostile fight that i do not want.
hi - I so appreciate all the time & energy you put into this. I write mostly for my small circle of friends / colleagues who are signed up who do happen to be housed, able bodied, privileged people and this was not written with the intention for it to be for a wider audience- more so to be pointed at the people who I know so you are right that it reads that way, and I do apologize that it does alienate disabled and unhoused people. perhaps I could’ve written it differently with people in mind since this is technically public. I am sorry for upsetting you in your reading of it, and it’s true that it reads w the assumption that people are not disabled and unhoused. I hear you entirely on the lack of accessibility in mutual aid groups and other organizing spaces -- it’s something I feel as well and have left an organization for as I’ve become severely ill. I also agree that there are so many new groups that don’t strive for more, and are either hostile towards disabled, unhoused, otherwise marginalized people or don’t display the values of leftist people at all. I do appreciate your comment ! I mean it !
of course :) i don't remember how i found this post, but like i said, i do appreciate the sentiment in it. i think it's fair to maybe specify that that is the kind of person that you're addressing in the beginning. i meant nothing personal and i hope you recognize that :)
hi,
i appreciate this post. the sentiment is beautiful. since you say you've learned a lot from speaking to random people, here is my 2¢—
as a formerly unhoused and disabled person, this post writes like it was not written for disabled or unhoused people to read. it addresses disabled and unhoused people as an assumed "other", which is alienating and aggravating and annoying, to say the least. it assumes your audience is non-disabled and housed, ironically centering the most privileged people as the readers.
and as someone who was in many, many "mutual aid" groups — i have never been in a non-disabled-founded on-the-ground "mutual aid" group that has made me feel welcome or accepted or comfortable. i have never been in one that was truly accessible or welcoming to disabled people. that so-called "mutual aid" group that someone quit in 2021 (although i definitely do encourage people to go out and give more, and create more community) might actually be filled with people doing harmful bullshit. many of them actively refuse to wear face masks or care about disabled people, *especially* after being asked.
when i saw the "exhibitions about care" meme in this post, i felt relieved because that is my experience of *MOST* "leftist" "organizers", and ALL non-disabled-founded so-called "mutual aid" groups i have been in... but then i read the ending of your post. these people may give food to certain people, they may "organize for" certain people, but they often exclude others socially, and exclude disabled people from even being a part of organizing.
i've also found that groups that were founded after the 2020 uprising are lacking in deeper analysis and praxis to the point of being absolutely harmful (and "anti-racist, anti-capitalist" groups even being racist, classist, etc.) to people, *including* the people whom they supposedly "help".
i hope you appreciate the time and risk i took in writing this. i try to let things go and not comment on things as much anymore because it angers me and aggravates me and it usually starts a hostile fight that i do not want.
hi - I so appreciate all the time & energy you put into this. I write mostly for my small circle of friends / colleagues who are signed up who do happen to be housed, able bodied, privileged people and this was not written with the intention for it to be for a wider audience- more so to be pointed at the people who I know so you are right that it reads that way, and I do apologize that it does alienate disabled and unhoused people. perhaps I could’ve written it differently with people in mind since this is technically public. I am sorry for upsetting you in your reading of it, and it’s true that it reads w the assumption that people are not disabled and unhoused. I hear you entirely on the lack of accessibility in mutual aid groups and other organizing spaces -- it’s something I feel as well and have left an organization for as I’ve become severely ill. I also agree that there are so many new groups that don’t strive for more, and are either hostile towards disabled, unhoused, otherwise marginalized people or don’t display the values of leftist people at all. I do appreciate your comment ! I mean it !
of course :) i don't remember how i found this post, but like i said, i do appreciate the sentiment in it. i think it's fair to maybe specify that that is the kind of person that you're addressing in the beginning. i meant nothing personal and i hope you recognize that :)