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In the wake of recent conversations in the community, I recall a section from my first public essay. This essay, Alterhumanity in Color, discussed my relationship with race as a black alterhuman.

I was reminded of the following excerpts in particular:

“It’s not lost on me why some folks may separate themselves from race as a construct as they may feel it is too close to the human experience. Although that personal decision is not so much a problem to me on the matter of species, it is of my belief that the ability to do so is an act of privilege. This is not a privilege of any direct benefit within greater society; however, it is a privilege on account of social perception. Like a snake shedding its skin, some folks are able to slip out of this perception of themselves by deeming their race as another human trait that doesn’t need to be associated with their being. Separating oneself from race may come easier to those who are visibly white, given that the existence of racial marginalization and oppression is not present within their personal experience. That is, of course, unless they are white and a part of specific ethnic groups as well, such as individuals who may be both white and latine, white and indigenous, etc. Even so, those who are visibly people of color do not have this kind of leeway in my honest opinion. Many of us live within conditions in which we must be mindful of how we may be viewed, and at worst targeted, because of our race.”

“I reference the concept of privilege, or lack thereof in my case, because I want my peers to understand that not every perspective on species and its relation to how we are perceived outside of our community is universal. It is not possible for this to be an innate advantage within the societies around us, at least not in the way that white privilege is for example. Yet, it is a matter of privilege on a personal and communal level when the threat of racial discrimination is not applicable to oneself and the mindset one carries. If said institutions of oppression are not experienced by oneself, nor are they something that one must stay conscious of out of their own safety, then it is worth recognizing as a mindset that not many can afford to have. I understand that the concept of privilege has come to be a point of contention for some, often assuming that the mere mention of it implies that another group doesn’t have circumstances of their own that make them disadvantaged. In the same sense that one can have societal disadvantages in one way and have privileges in another, a visibly white alterhuman or nonhuman can still feel wrongfully perceived by orthohumans while having the privilege of not needing to take their perceived race into account when engaging with orthohumans and the societies they’ve built.”

There’s a handful of people who still have this mindset, that their alterhumanity is completely separated from any political scope. Though this context is specifically about community members who see race as completely irrelevant to or separate from their alterhumanity, the takes I’ve seen lately felt similar to that sort of apolitical approach.

Nowadays, folks tend to avoid analyzing their identities beyond the bridge of their nose. Unless it’s alternormal things like one’s presentation or shifting habits, finding anything more than that depends on the individual. I think these past couple of days have put something into perspective: an aversion that some folks have towards viewing their alterhumanity under social or political contexts.

To me, this aversion is supported by these three things:

1. The overall tone of the alterhuman community on Tumblr.

Nobody’s obligated to write mountains of things or approach their identity with lots of introspection. That would exclude a lot of people if so, which is why it’s good to have a mix of different approaches to alterhumanity like any other community.

That said, I think the favoritism towards low-effort posts and “I’m just a puppy!”-esque perspectives on alterhumanity contributes to this aversion people have with discussing alterhumanity under political and generally complex contexts. It’s treated less like an experience shared by a diverse array of people and more like an outlet for escapism. It’s fine if that’s what your alterhumanity entails, but it should never blindside you from having serious conversations, especially in regards to your peers’ experiences.

2. The fact that the majority of the community is bodily within the default (whiteness).

This bounces off of what I talked about in my essay. Whether it’s separating oneself from racial/ethnic identity, or not considering the harm in romanticizing police work and the institutions therein, these circumstances tend to root back to the same reality.

Since a lot of members in our community were raised in the default of their society (typically whiteness, regardless of where your upbringing politically stood), the issues that are cause for concern for a lot of alterhumans of color aren’t considered by our peers. Outside of alterhumanity, this is the way things tend to go in a lot of online communities for people of color. There’s always this song-and-dance of prioritizing feelings and sweeping statements (ex: “(X) is valid! If you think otherwise, you’re the worst and aren’t welcome here!”, “(X) isn’t valid! If you think otherwise, you’re the worst and aren’t welcome here!”) over having these discussions with us, even if all that comes at the cost of pushing down our voices in these communities.

That brings me to my next point, which is what frustrates me the most about all of this.

3. “Validity” is the height of people’s politics in the alterhuman community. Not much else is put into consideration.

That’s why a lot of people chopped up this past week’s issue to “Police dogs are valid!” and “Police dogs aren’t valid!”. Though we aren’t the first to do it, alterhumans tend to hold validity, an entirely online concept of social relevance, in higher regard or concern over the tangibility of an issue. It dilutes these conversations, and more importantly, ignores how said issue(s) affect people in and outside of our community. In this case, the reality that a lot of alterhumans of color face regarding police forces and their supporters. Additionally, there’s the reality of one’s experiences (in relation to the police or military) affecting your perception of them as you currently live— be it for better or for worse.

When given focus, “validity” overshadows more present realities in our communities, and that’s exactly why it shouldn’t be the end all, be all to our discussions. It’s been treated as the first step of progress by some and the height of discrimination by others in marginalized, if not non-normative communities online— especially by those who’re bodily white. There’s no shortage of posts that support and emphasize on one’s validity, but they lack substance in times like these.

Reassuring that something is “valid” shouldn’t be the pinnacle of one’s thoughts on a topic, yet it clearly was for a lot of people after this particular discourse. It adds nothing to these conversations. Ultimately, it’s an empty promise of acceptance that can only be made if you avoid diving deeper into experiences you aren’t familiar with, don’t relate to or find hard to navigate. Is it really an act of good faith or is it an act to placate people when things get serious?

Acknowledging how your alterhumanity affects your views of other people and society at large matters. If you only take things at face value, you’re not only denying yourself the opportunity to learn but you’re choosing to ignore the perspectives of those around you out of your own comfort. We face that day in and day out from white orthohumans. I really hope that the alterhuman community collectively pulls more out of this than just thoughtlessly slapping “Valid!” over everything and calling it a day. That’s not how a community grows.

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