...intersectional, or it will be nothing

[trinker]

"Finally, it’s crucial to listen. Creating an anti-oppressive space means that people belonging to less privileged groups will critique your efforts, and it’s essential that you listen to these criticisms and respond to them in a constructive manner rather than becoming defensive or aggressive. As the open letter to Occupy Glasgow shows, if someone criticises an occupation for allowing or enabling systematic oppression, she can be insulted, bullied and accused of trying to shut the occupation down from within. This is unacceptable behaviour - it silences the activists who did complain, it allows sexists a free pass, and it stops people making other criticisms. It can be difficult to hear criticism, but ultimately criticism coming from activists who are sympathetic to the movement comes from a place of caring and wanting the movement to be as inclusive as possible."

(Lots of good links at that page, incidentally.)

Also here:
http://sistersofresistance.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/a-letter-to-male-activists/

This entry is cross-posted at http://trinker.dreamwidth.org/353462.html for the convenience of DW users. There are slightly different conversations happening at each. Currently
comments at DW.