Being a "Community" Ally

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Metropolis

How can we be a better one?

Last this threads subject is how we can be better community allies, and not a place to defend why you defend your "home" group... it's meant to be about bettering the atmosphere for us all. How we can better speak up for (or be allies to) our home groups without stepping on others. It's not personal, don't take it personally, over the years I've seen dozens of people/ or examples of the situations above, including myself.

Well all I can do is hope I've expressed this in the good spirit it is intended, but if not, just know I bite when overly poked or provoked.

*** By "group/s" I'm speaking of any ID be them butch, femme, transpersons, male, female etc. etc. etc.

So much good stuff in your opening post, but, this part is the one that always feels awful to me.

For me, personally, I have found that taking extra time to point out both sides in a thread discussion helps in getting across that I am not only looking at what fits for me. Whenever I have not done this and have also been pissed, the end result is just plain negative and probably only contributes to existing wedges. These wedges just plain hurt.

I know that when someone states understanding of a variable I may deal with as a FIB along with what their experience is (i.e., maybe a Transman responding to a post of mine), I feel that community-based sense of alliance. So, it seems that I ought to do the same thing.

Although I have learned so very much from this community via the site (and old one), doing research on my own helps me understand much more and be able to contribute to a discussion from a more informed place. In building community, I feel that I need to take sources that touch someone else seriously.

Yup, it gets hard sometimes because there are a lot of sensitive discussions here. We are human and can get frustrated. But, when I get away from responding personally in a negative manner (have not always been good at this), I end up feeling like I am part of a larger community and can be an ally to differing home groups in a meaningful and authentic way.

Thanks, Met! This feels like a good way to bring us together.