whoosh

karnythia:

So like a lot of my followers I read this post & laughed at the wonderful take down of some incredibly racist and stupid questions. But it made me wonder (and not for the first time) about the people who read the blogs of marginalized people.  I often wonder, if when we blog about political issues & interests whether or not all the people reading are aware that our marginalization doesn’t remove our humanity. I spent this weekend tending to my husband after he had his wisdom teeth removed along with an abscessed tooth. I cooked soft things for him & encouraged our kids to occupy themselves in ways that didn’t involve bouncing on his head, or fighting with each other. I wrote some fiction, cracked some jokes on Twitter, bought new living room furniture (I am ridiculously excited by the idea of a new couch which I think indicates that I am in fact getting old), & watched Barney Miller in the quiet spaces between doing things.

There has been bathing & grocery shopping & napping & loving because that’s life & that’s what marginalized people are living. Yes, even in the face of bigotry. No, that doesn’t make us magical. No, we are not here to hold your hand, teach you to be better people, or be credits to our race, or examples for the world, or whatever. We’re living our lives & doing our thing & fighting for our rights through it all. Don’t like how we’re doing any of that? Chances are excellent we don’t give a hot fuck about what you like. We’re people, not props & I am incredibly tired of people pretending they have no idea that we’re humans. I have a hard time believing the “I was just curious” excuse, since some things are none of people’s cotdamned business & any kind of home training would limit the urge to ask intrusive questions just on the basis of good manners. If you find yourself whether other people have basic human needs? You’re the problem, not the people who are different from you.