What with the sudden increased exposure that comes with gaining unique little twitter picture, a lot of people seem to be confused about what the MilkTeaAlliance is. Here's a solid primer: https://twitter.com/theatlantic/status/1380218173698551813

But for two quick questions:
1) why is the name so "quirky"?
Aside from the symbolic value of milk tea given colonial legacy, it's also because the alliance is born from memes and activists who were very online. They have a sense of humour.

2) why is <insert country> not part of it?
Because activists from that country didn't join. It's an organic process of building solidarity, inspiring each other, sharing tactics &stories &art. It's not an arbitrary list. No single person Decided From On High who is & isn't in.

Finally, the list is fluid. It's an organic movement. A hashtag. I've seen art that includes many other variants of milk tea embodying other struggles of other places, which can be seen as the artist offering solidarity. But they may or may not "stick" depending on who responds.

And of course I'm just some random human on the internet. It certainly doesn't to me and I don't get to define it. I'm just telling you what I've seen. And I raise my mug of over brewed 鴛鴦 to the Alliance.

Here is a quick thread history of how the milk tea alliance was formed (memes and shitposts, basically) https://twitter.com/niaocollective/status/1320631230845640706?s=21

It feels like an age ago, revisiting some of these old memes and old art. Some of it feels even innocent. But it's only really been a year......