Living life as a radical act
Sara Robinson, paraphrased recast:
My draconity doesn't depend on meeting the criteria on somebody else's personal checklist. Muriel Rukeyser once said, long ago, that if one dragon told the truth about her life, the world would split open. Modern draconity began with the deep insight that the personal is political -- that every act a dragon performs as a free dragon has the power to transform the culture. Draconity, to me, is not about how well one can parrot high-flown academic theories. Rather, its most radical and transformative expression lies in how we choose to exist in the world every day.
And so I speak my truth right out loud in the blogsphere -- and then I go about the radical business of living my life. And in my world, that makes me Otherkin, regardless of whether or not those who think they hold the current patent on the word agree. ... I now realize that attitude, too, is a radical act of self-liberation.
I'm not repeating this because there has been a dispute over "authentic" draconity. I'm repeating it because it resonates with a key quality of my own identity politics lately.
We can talk about identity draconity, or other elective avenues of identity*** until we're blue in the face*. And there's some use to it -- discussion is a good way for people to more accurately define themselves and realize what's important to them. But beyond a certain point, when enough words have been contributed to the discussion, the best thing that elders can contribute is a good example.
Can draconity be a positive force in people's lives? Well, sure, look at this guy over here.**
The plural of anecdote is not data, but this isn't about statistics, it's about Story. It's about a life making more sense inside a narrative strange by conventional standards, and reassurance to others on the fringe that there's a place for them too.
--
* Except for the blue dragons, who, I suppose, turn purple or something.
** Note to self: This is worth further discussion. Starting with that thought I had the other day, about having a foot in both worlds, and thereby learning to recognize the value of stillness.
*** EDITED TO ADD: Just to be clear, I'm going off on a tangent with the remainder of my post that's not applicable across the full spectrum of identity politics. Those suffering from institutionalized discrimination -- primarily women and minorities -- don't need good examples, they need change.
My draconity doesn't depend on meeting the criteria on somebody else's personal checklist. Muriel Rukeyser once said, long ago, that if one dragon told the truth about her life, the world would split open. Modern draconity began with the deep insight that the personal is political -- that every act a dragon performs as a free dragon has the power to transform the culture. Draconity, to me, is not about how well one can parrot high-flown academic theories. Rather, its most radical and transformative expression lies in how we choose to exist in the world every day.
And so I speak my truth right out loud in the blogsphere -- and then I go about the radical business of living my life. And in my world, that makes me Otherkin, regardless of whether or not those who think they hold the current patent on the word agree. ... I now realize that attitude, too, is a radical act of self-liberation.
I'm not repeating this because there has been a dispute over "authentic" draconity. I'm repeating it because it resonates with a key quality of my own identity politics lately.
We can talk about identity draconity, or other elective avenues of identity*** until we're blue in the face*. And there's some use to it -- discussion is a good way for people to more accurately define themselves and realize what's important to them. But beyond a certain point, when enough words have been contributed to the discussion, the best thing that elders can contribute is a good example.
Can draconity be a positive force in people's lives? Well, sure, look at this guy over here.**
The plural of anecdote is not data, but this isn't about statistics, it's about Story. It's about a life making more sense inside a narrative strange by conventional standards, and reassurance to others on the fringe that there's a place for them too.
--
* Except for the blue dragons, who, I suppose, turn purple or something.
** Note to self: This is worth further discussion. Starting with that thought I had the other day, about having a foot in both worlds, and thereby learning to recognize the value of stillness.
*** EDITED TO ADD: Just to be clear, I'm going off on a tangent with the remainder of my post that's not applicable across the full spectrum of identity politics. Those suffering from institutionalized discrimination -- primarily women and minorities -- don't need good examples, they need change.