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performative allyship and why it’s harmful to minorities:
what’s performative allyship?
performative allyship is when someone uses minorities for clout, only being an ally for one day/week/month out of 365 days because it’s “trendy”, always shouting on how good of an ally they are but never does anything other than bragging about it.
performative allyship is when someone uses minorities for clout, only being an ally for one day/week/month out of 365 days because it’s “trendy”, always shouting on how good of an ally they are but never does anything other than bragging about it.
performative allyship is also a person/people from a non marginalized group expecting praise from a minority for being an ally and centering their allyship rather than using their privilege to help a marginalized minority.
performative allyship is when companies use a minority for their own benefit without any plans on supporting said minority.
examples of performative allyship:
“omg can my fellow cishets/yt ppl/any non marginalized group just stop? i hate them at this point and i’m part of that group!”
when someone says something like that, they’re centering the fact that they’re not marginalized
“omg can my fellow cishets/yt ppl/any non marginalized group just stop? i hate them at this point and i’m part of that group!”
when someone says something like that, they’re centering the fact that they’re not marginalized
and is most likely looking for validation from the minority to prove that they’re Not Like Other People of the Majority while complaining about what’s wrong about marginalization but actually doesn’t do anything to help. being a pick me about your allyship doesn’t benefit anyone.
it’s also VERY easy to see that these “allies” are trying to distance themselves from the oppressive group so that they don’t feel bad or don’t have to do anything more than being a pick me and hoping it makes you look good. it doesn’t.
“[slur] IS NOT OUR WORD!! PEOPLE, ITS NOT OUR WORD TO USE AND RECLAIM!!” while still saying the slur. you KNOW it’s not your word to use then why are you still saying it? it’s good that you’re bringing awareness but you’re still saying the slur. stop that.
“omg this minority is so strong because of the violence against them!! i’m such an activist for calling them strong!!”
ok so help us change the systems so that our whole existence won’t be about being strong anymore. we also have other qualities other than being strong.
ok so help us change the systems so that our whole existence won’t be about being strong anymore. we also have other qualities other than being strong.
“i support minorities but-“
no, no buts. there’s no need for a ‘but’ if you actually support us. you either support us or you don’t. we do what we do for a reason, and it’s to have the same rights as the oppressors and destigmatize marginalized communities.
no, no buts. there’s no need for a ‘but’ if you actually support us. you either support us or you don’t. we do what we do for a reason, and it’s to have the same rights as the oppressors and destigmatize marginalized communities.
only calling out people who do/say something insensitive to a certain kind of group but only when there’s a person of said group. you have to call out people too, even if people from marginalized groups aren’t there to praise and pat you otherwise you’re just helping normalize
insensitive actions against minorities. nothing’s going to change if you’re only an ally for Ally Points
. if your allyship is only public and you don’t support minorities privately too, it’s also performative.
. if your allyship is only public and you don’t support minorities privately too, it’s also performative.
supporting, say Indigenous peoples, in public but support companies who actively hurts us, or are racist. how are you going to support us if you support companies who actively hurts us? doesn’t make sense.
there’s so many other examples but these are the ones i see the most. although performative allyship may help bring awareness, it’s not enough to dismantle the systems and it’s centered around the ally and not the minority.
so, what’s the difference between allyship and performative allyship?
an ally won’t center themselves and listen to the minorities and understands that to make change, they have to use their privilege to amplify the voices of marginalized groups instead of trying to talk for
an ally won’t center themselves and listen to the minorities and understands that to make change, they have to use their privilege to amplify the voices of marginalized groups instead of trying to talk for
and about them.
and performative allies center themselves in movements and communities they’re not a part of.
and performative allies center themselves in movements and communities they’re not a part of.
so, how is it harmful?
the most obvious harm is centering allies instead of the movements and/or marginalized groups. if someone’s centering themselves it’s likely they’ll speak FOR the minority instead of letting minorities have their own voices and that’s where the talk
the most obvious harm is centering allies instead of the movements and/or marginalized groups. if someone’s centering themselves it’s likely they’ll speak FOR the minority instead of letting minorities have their own voices and that’s where the talk
about misrepresentation and rumors and stereotypes starts. minorities knows what’s best for themselves and know themselves and their own circumstances more than an outsider ever could. it’s better to let minorities talk about what they need instead of talking for & about them.
and instead of any action taken about minorities’ fights and battles, the ally gets praised for being good. the focus is now on the ally and not the minority’s battles for rights and the marginalized group now has to work harder to get recognition and acknowledgement.
also, if you’re only an ally on social media but never tell people that what they’re doing is wrong (like saying a slur) in real life even though you DO know it’s a slur you’re also normalizing saying the slur. only being an ally on social media is also performative.
if you want to know how to support minorities, ask them directly. different minorities needs different kinds of support, but one thing that’s universal support is donating. whether it be money, clothes, food, teddy bears for kids etc. otherwise just ask directly :)
before i end the thread i will emphasize that we’re all different. different minorities have different battles and therefore may need different kinds of support. it’s important to listen to what they need rather than assuming what they need :)
so it’s better to ask the minority/minorities you’re supporting on what kind of support they need, and remember that because circumstances change, the need for different kinds of support WILL change, not just once!
