#check your privilege

[nostalgia-is-a-bitch-ah]

Some of you never realized most disabled people have to pay to be able to walk or move around. Like big money payments. The kind that makes people become poor or homeless.

[wordswithoutaworld]

Russian activism is much closer to what a large part of Western audiences are used to than Ukrainian activism or the genuinely heroic and compassionate actions Ukrainians take. That's because Russian activism often shares the same element of privilege that much of Western activism does.

The recent example of the Russian couple holding up an no war sign during a marriage proposal on top of a tower is probably the clearest example of this. It's the kind of thing that easily fits booktok aesthetics and inspires edits where people imagine themselves in that moment, while completely ignoring the fact that it didn't actually help anyone or change anything. In terms of real impact, it's on the same level as posting a black square on Instagram.

There was no attempt to raise money for actual aid or direct people toward organizations that are genuinely helping.

It's simply a nice gesture — an activist version of "let them eat cake", where having a beautiful, symbolic moment matters more than creating real change.

It's a form of privileged activism where actually changing the situation isn't the important part.

The actions of Ukrainians during a genocidal war are the complete opposite. They're focused on actually saving lives, which makes the contrast even more obvious by showing what genuinely helps and what doesn't. For people who are invested in this kind of activism, acknowledging that difference would require rethinking their own beliefs, so it's often easier to simply ignore those actions instead.

Another reason for this is that these Russians are living peacefully in other countries, in circumstances much closer to the everyday lives of Western audiences. They're simply easier for them to relate to than Ukrainians living through war.

I've also often heard Ukrainian activists say that they have to think very carefully about how to communicate with this part of the Western audience. For many of them, almost everything is considered "outside of politics" and the war is reduced to "two presidents having a conflict". Because of that, even lectures about Russia's cultural genocide against Ukraine have to be framed in ways that won't upset people who insist on separating Russian culture from politics, even when that framing directly contradicts the reality of Russia's actions against other nations.

Honestly, it reminds me of how many of these same activists reacted to the protests in Iran.

People whose lives are in danger don't have the luxury of focusing on big beautiful gestures. For them, activism is about survival, not about creating aesthetically powerful moments.

[stefisgirlnow]

Trans men passing easier and cheaper isn't really true. Unless you're speaking from stats. But most of trans men I've seen online are fairly clocky even after 4 years of t and they get clocked and misgendered in the comments as well. i personally don't even have the financial stability or support system to start transitioning and probably won't for years and its getting a bit late for me to start transitioning. im glad you can see successful trans men, but many aren't. its kind of weird to be struggling and to be told everything about my transness and potential transition is actually easypeasy mode in every aspect. because then i guess i and any other trans man struggling are just weak, and stupid, and exaggerating, and have no actual reason for any 'struggle' we have.

sorry, I was going by stats, yeah.

men:

top surgery $3k - $10k

Phallo $6k - $150k+

women:

top surgery: $6k-$12k

bottom surgery: $20k-$60k+

Laser/electrolysis: $3k - $10k

ffs: $20k - $120k+

A woman transitioning spending as little as possible spends minimum 3x a man doing the same. If she skips facial surgery.

Plus, like, pink tax, makeup, hair products, etc are all things that cost money.

Nobody is saying that being trans is easy. It isn't. We are oppressed in a material sense. Existing as a trans person is struggle. Actualizing ourselves is struggle. Surviving is struggle. Not just struggle, but resistance.

I truely hope that you find yourself with those supports sooner rather than later. It's never too late to start, but the sooner you start, the better. And starting might actually be a lot easier than you think.

But, recognizing that the world is harder to navigate as a woman, and that extends to trans people, should not make you feel stupid or weak. I would even say those feelings indicate that you might hold a bit of unconscious misogyny or transmisogyny to unpack.

[crazycatsiren]

I'm over here like, how the fuck is someone privileged for having a wheelchair, if without one they are completely immobile.

How the fuck is someone privileged for having a full time caregiver, if they could die without the help.

How the fuck is someone privileged for having a school aid, if without one they're not able to be in school at all.

Maybe you're the privileged one, because you're able to live a life without requiring a wheelchair, a full time caregiver, a school aid, ever thought about that?

[pondermoniums]

Everyone complaining about Hudson's lack of nudity is

a) disrespectful. If you talked like that about a woman you'd be stoned in the internet streets

b) ignorant. Every celebrity's look has to be approved by the Gala first. Nothing is a surprise to them.

c) dumb. Hudson has a team of women around him. They're not steering him into objectification HELL that is the Met Gala.

[spacedocmom]

15/04/2026 Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom Incoming Transmission…

One of the trickiest parts of my job is to convince health-privileged people that the things they imagine as "healthy living" and are thus "keeping them healthy" are more steeped in that privilege than in actual health science. Correlation is not causation. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked, spoon

[profoundpactpower]

[jasmine-butterfly]

do these financially privileged people even realize how insanely spoiled they sound when complaining about having to choose between one of two international trips?! the level of out of touch is insane. like girl I’m choosing between hanging out with my friends and affording for gas. check yourself before you start complaining to someone you barely know plz