Movements that are not what they appear to be

[JellySlice]

Interesting article in the Times today. Makes me think of how the TRA movement seems to be more about destabilising society than about helping the people it claims to centre.

Only me, then.

I would say TRA actions damage a lot of people they claim to be in support of including questioning young people, lesbians, gays and transexuals.
It must be so galling for trans women who have used female toilets for years with no questions to now be facing potential exclusion or challenge of their rights because the aggression from TRAs has forced women to draw a harder line.

its an interesting read. I dont know if Id describe BLM as a movement with a strategy. It doesnt feel that organised to me which is why its toppling statues as soemthing obvious and achievable and more importantly a quick win compared to the decades it will take to eradicate the inequality of opportunity for black children from poor backgrounds

whereas the report from Dentons shows that TRA have been playing a very long game with a very cleary strategy

BLM has wider political aims I disagree with, but I'm not in agreement with that article.

Chicago is not the most violent city in the States per capita killed - not even close. That's always a dogwhistle, to me. I can't comment on the other stats because I am unfamiliar with them, but I do remember stop and search, in London and in NY, found that black kids are way more likely to be stopped, yet less likely to be in possession of anything. That's not a stat that supports his argument, so it's ignored.

I'm afraid I have reached a point where I mistrust almost anything I read, from anyone - all perspectives - unless I've looked into the source materials myself. That applies to GC women as much as it does to racists. Everyone bends data to prove a point, sadly - or interprets it in the most supportive way, at least.

Oh it absolutely is a movement with a strategy. They set it out on their website

I've copied the underneath from blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/.

Every day, we recommit to healing ourselves and each other, and to co-creating alongside comrades, allies, and family a culture where each person feels seen, heard, and supported.

We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities.

We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people.

We intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.

We are unapologetically Black in our positioning. In affirming that Black Lives Matter, we need not qualify our position. To love and desire freedom and justice for ourselves is a prerequisite for wanting the same for others.

We see ourselves as part of the global Black family, and we are aware of the different ways we are impacted or privileged as Black people who exist in different parts of the world.

So far, so what you'd expect. From this point on though, is where I think there's been a bit of entryism to BLM, with the entering SJWs tacking on their agendas.

We are guided by the fact that all Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location.
Identity politics

We make space for transgender brothers and sisters to participate and lead.
Trans politics

We are self-reflexive and do the work required to dismantle cisgender privilege and uplift Black trans folk, especially Black trans women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by trans-antagonistic violence.
trans politics again, TW are the most oppressed yadda yadda

We build a space that affirms Black women and is free from sexism, misogyny, and environments in which men are centered.
Ooh, they finally get around to black women, but only after transwomen

We practice empathy. We engage comrades with the intent to learn about and connect with their contexts.
wooly and meaningless

We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work “double shifts” so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.
Sounds good,but ...

We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and “villages” that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.
... that sounds - not so good

We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).
Oh FFS!

We cultivate an intergenerational and communal network free from ageism. We believe that all people, regardless of age, show up with the capacity to lead and learn.
More fine words

We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.
Morefine words

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That's an agenda I don't think most of toshe joining the marches, chanting the chant and toppling the statues are necessarily aware of.