On Allies

[happiestsadist]

Allies. The term is thrown around all over the lefty corners of the internet, as well as meatspace activism, and there an awful lot of varying perspectives on what exactly it means. Who's a good ally? Who's Doing It Wrong

Comments

[kankurette]

And don't forget people who claim to be anti-ableism / disabled allies, yet turn around and tell disabled people to shut the fuck up and stop whining and making it all about them *cough* Feministe *cough*
I guess I am an ally. I just don't make a big point of saying I am one.

[happiestsadist]

Ugh, yes. Them too.

I guess I am an ally. I just don't make a big point of saying I am one.
In my opinion, that would definitely be Doing It Right. If you're not a little kid, you shouldn't be loudly proclaiming you're "helping" to all in earshot. (No directed at you, just general musing.)

[ginasketch]

Or the holier than thou white people who wag their fingers at POC without even realizing the people they're talking to on the net ARE POC.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

Well, of course, everybody is white on the internet until proven otherwise. And male. Etc.

[ginasketch]

This post is so awesome I had to gank it and write about it:

http://ginasketch.livejournal.com/608753.html

[the_xtina]

Someone somewhere (curse my memory) preferred to use "ally" as a verb, not a noun, because using it as a noun had a tendency to imply that the person was done.  "I'm a [thing] ally!"  And that's it.  Kind of like the flip of saying "I'm not a racist!", even though the actions belie that.

[happiestsadist]

That's also a good way of putting it.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

Someone somewhere (curse my memory) preferred to use "ally" as a verb, not a noun...

morphine said that in the ontd_p post somewhere.

I guess "ally" is like "parent," then.

[onesteptwo]

I was just thinking about that word the other day. While I think it's great to have "allies" (after all, the minority IS the smaller side so just them voting won't always work), I think the word is kind of silly. Like you're trying to glorify yourself and what you're doing.

What's wrong with the word supporter? I know it's longer, but it does make it sound like you stand behind someone, not that you're part of the lime light, too.

[happiestsadist]

I like supporter a lot, now that you mention. It does carry the meaning a lot better, and is nice and short and commonly used/understood.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

The ones I really love are the ones who get butthurt, then tell you that if you're not nicer to them, they won't support your cause anymore, and you really really need them, because most of society doesn't support you and THEY totally do!

LOL. Buh-bye, and please let the screen door hit your ass so hard on the way out that any future children you may have utter prolonged rusty squeaks upon exiting the womb.

[happiestsadist]

Haha, yes! They're awful. Nobody wants to have to babysit and coddle their supposed supporters while handing their own problems.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

I got one of those on dK after I posted the macro "THE MENS. What about them?" in response to his WATM whinging. I didn't bother to reply because I didn't have a snappy retort like that one to hand.

[ginasketch]

"you won't get taken seriously if you swear."

Yes, because you are totally taking my argument seriously now you condescending fuckwit.