But those who have answered these questions, who have responded to the substance of every objection, who have satisfied every protest, are never allowed to move on. They have met the burden of proof, time and time and time again, yet they are forever being asked to continue carrying that burden.
This is unjust, and a bit silly. But it happens because the perennial controversies aren’t really controversies at all. They are not about questions in need of answers, objections in need of response or assertions in need of support. They are about power. Those who have it do not wish to share it, cede it, grant it or allow it for anyone else. Instead, since they have the power to do so, they just keep asking the same questions over and over, pretending they haven’t been answered, burdening the powerless with an inescapable and permanent burden of proof.
That is the cycle in which we’re stuck — an endless repetition of the perennial controversies.
This wonderful post by Fred Clark of Slacktivist, shows something very important to remember, when we feel that we are answering the same questions about our identities, over and over again, and not getting anywhere.
It's not coincidence. It is a tactic.
It's really worth reading this whole post. I agree with all of it except the end, which feels a little bit like, "if they won't accept us at the big table, we'll go somewhere else and make our own small, private communities". That's a nice idea, but also, it's important to remember that if we're not at the big table, we are missing out on discussions about how the world is run.
What we need to do, is, not just separate from the mainstream communities, but work on building our own big tables, with our own rules, that get noticed as much as the White Guys In Power. That means, not just going to our own small places, but reaching out to other people who are sympathetic. It means joining up with other minority groups so that the White Guys In Power table is not the only table with a lot of voices behind it. It means making a world where our view of the world has as much power as theirs does.
