Be Wary of the Impulse to Victim Blame

IMPULSE BE WARY BE WARY IMPULSE VICTIM BLAME VICTIM BLAME of the of the to to By Gilles Cooke

The difference from a liberational and equality poses of equality, but due to the fact that memunderstanding of LGBT activism would appear bers of the community would frequently be uninitially to be somewhat semantic. Conflicts of able to join their partners in ambulances, or, the ‘00’s and ‘10’s such as marriage equality, or in instances of tragedy, be unable to inherit a contemporary conflicts such as the MSM blood partners assets after they died. It was not just ban do serve as examples of a clear crossover so they could enjoy the lifestyle of the prototypin these two doctrines, however it is as often a ical conventional family model. concept which obscures what LGBT activism is for. This misconception has resulted in the idea that “Equality”, as a metric to measure liberation, integration of the community into the normal is a concept linked abstractly to positive social functions of the existing way things are gone progress, but what anterior ideas are bundled about, that assimilation into cishet systems, into the concept of equality? For example, it is even systems which are otherwise oppressive all too easy to obfuscate a question regarding to disabled people, poor people, and ethnic mia settled issue like marriage on the grounds of norities, is the apex of all of what is fought for, equality, with a cynical trick statement, “But even in spite of large amounts of these groups you are equal, you have as much a right to maralso falling within the LGBT community. ry the same gender as I do, which is none! Each of us is equally free to marry someone of the Fundamentally, there is a difference between opposite gender!” Another example example, the various purported “end goals” of these two there is no more a right for a cis person to easiviews, wherein the assimilationist envisions ly access HRT and facilities to transition than a a mere ‘lack of conflict’, contrasting the libertrans person, however that does not mean that ationist, which understands that there must many trans people do not have a unique need be a deeper resolution in there being societal for it so that they can live authentically. Just justice anterior to an absence of tension, doing because there is “equality” does not mean there justice by vulnerable lesbians, gays, bisexuals, is justice. transgender people, asexuals, and other memThis same rhetorical grift can be extended as ut of people who society has dealt injustices. far as you like, however it is, for one purpose, the height of all that LGBT activism aims at the bers of the community, running the whole gamonly obfuscation, and obfuscation that is hardly Much of the assimilationist view holds heternew in form. Over one hundred years ago, Anaonormative dynamics in relationships, cisnortole France stated, with no shortage of flourish, mative forms of presentation, as ideal and aspithat “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rational, that our dynamics, our ways of loving the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridgand our ways of living should exist entirely es, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread.” downstream from heterosexual and cisgender Even looking at marriage, as an example, norms, adjusted only to accommodate differwas focused on not just for aesthetic purent partners than the historical norm. It is the

While this does have a logic, we did not earn It is in this sense that the fight must be for libthe rights we have by asking nicely. Pride, as is eration, rather than acceptance, as acceptance often repeated, was a riot, but there is another would only ever likely on the dictated terms of issue with this logic of trying to butter up and the norm setters, the heteronormative gatecourt favour with the traditional purveyors of keepers who are the final arbiters of what “polite “acceptable” behaviour. society” would accept, and, inevitably, portions bisexuals, and asexuals, only accepted if they gaze. The right to live comfortably is contingent on your existence not bothering the normative establishment. It is a disregarding of any individuality or personality at the alter of heteronormative traits, even if those traits one of the community that are more vulnerable will This can lead to competitiveness within the be left behind. For example, trans people who community, as members attempt to trod on do not have the means to transition, or do not those below others to try and appeal to the ciswant to pursue cisnormative standards, can be gender and heterosexual norm, feverishly tryleft behind by members of their own communiing to impress cishet society and display a front ties. Coming out as LGBT is supposed to mean of “Look at me! I’m one of the good ones! I’m not you are finally able to live as your true self, not like those nasty gross ones, I’m one of the good that you begin trying to perform the idealised ones, why can’t they be like me! I’m just as willconcept of “one of the good ones” that may bear ing as you to kick down at the ones who are still no relation to who you are as a person. This sort not socially accepted!”, kicking the ladder out of cultural assimilation could involve, rather behind them in a sort of performative cruelty than genuine justice being delivered on behalf to show that, if they are allowed into the fold of of the entire community, the community being power, they will not rock the boat significantly. brought into the fold of the oppressor class. It leads to pointing at unconforming members Can anyone look me in the face and claim that of the community and declaring that they, in it is empowering for LGBT people to take up the their nonconformity, are to blame for further levers of societal injustice, to have their turn as injustices, as they have failed to properly intethe garda dispersing marginalised gatherings, grate, the victim blaming a fellow victim for the as landlords tossing out vulnerable people from actions of another. their home, particularly in light of the reality It is a conditional acceptance, gays, lesbians, injustices at their hand? are heteronormative in their behaviour and It is a view of a world in which we can share presentation, transgender and nonbinary peowith the “historic” establishment the right to ple only accepted if there are cisnormative in oppress, the right to exploit, and the right to their behaviour and presentation. leverage property against the needs of others. This creates an environment where heteronorIt views these as aspirational endeavours, that mative social integration without fuss or tenhaving the power to engage in this behaviour sion is seen as the aspirational goal, where shows “how far we’ve come”, that we can have a members of our community are judged against gay landlord, a transgender police officer, or, as their ability to live and present in a way that the meme goes, a queer drone pilot. is seen by outsiders as acceptable, with all the LGBT liberation means justice for all withstipulations that acceptability, in a world orin the community, not just for the abled, the ganised and structured around cisgender hetwhite, and the wealthy. Those facing injustice erosexual people, entails, rather than being along multiple axes are every bit as lesbian, able to live as we authentically would, without gay, bisexual, ace, or trans, and are no less desuch an outside, judgemental, discriminating serving of a life that is vindicated and fulfilled. fitting in, becoming a replica of hand-me-down that it is often LGBT people that will be dealt adopts to fit in are themselves toxic or harmful