in light of recruitment season coming up soon and in the spirit of true transparency, here's what’s wrong w texas blazers, a thread.

(disclaimer: this experience is my own and i speak on that alone. this is not meant to speak on the experiences of other marginalized folx.)

for context, blazers is a ut honorary org w tenets of service, leadership, and spirit. but what we don’t talk abt is that is all abt respectability, and there is a particular type of person that usually gets entry to this space, talked more on here: https://twitter.com/saxybd0/status/1275555089588117504?s=21

advice i was given for my interview was to not seem too radical and that i should conform to fit their mold, as any radical thought could be misconstrued as “difficult to work with”. neoliberalism masked as diversity and inclusion. got it.

blazers as a space has harmed marginalized folx, and needs to recognize that. efforts to make the space more inclusive (degendering lang, getting rid of gpa req, etc), were met with blatant homophobia, racism, classism, and elitism directly in the faces of marginalized members.

there are so many examples to pull from the discussion to make the space more inclusive for enby folx alone: people saying they’re against it because of tradition, the way they were raised, and negative implications for the “future” of the org.

“allies” made little effort to step in, saying that every perspective should be treated with respect, even the ones that antagonized the very livelihoods of marginalized members. in a dire moment where i expected queer solidarity, even the white gays were against this change too.

as a qtpoc in that space, i never felt more alone, humiliated, and dehumanized. here i was having grown men deciding whether or not they will take on a change that had no bearing on themselves at all – my experience was a mere academic exercise to them. debate practice.

service spaces should not be gatekept by cishet structures shrouded in respectability - service and leadership arise in a myriad of different ways and avenues, yet it is so clear that not all are appreciated equitably.

i say all this not because i hate blazers, but because i expect it to do better. i expect it to be truly and constantly accountable. recently, in spite of the dissent, the degendering amendment passed. change is on the horizon, and i stay to see it through.

prior recruitment cycles have hidden the reality of blazers, which i was a part of, and i sincerely apologize for the serious harm that caused. as the upcoming recruitment director, there will be an intentional focus on transparency and equity throughout the entire process.

if you are a (qt)bipoc, i would absolutely understand why you would not want to apply to a space like this, and this is why i want to be transparent about potential harms. there’s no denying the history of the org, and it’d be valid to avoid it entirely.

but if you are still thinking of applying and want to help reimagine what service and community should /really/ look like in these spaces, please feel free to reach out to me for an honest conversation and support.

open to any and all messages. i am excited to meet you, love you, and build with you. this table belongs to US!