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Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane

Perhaps I used the wrong word, or wrong example. This isn't my first language, nor am I familiar with United States of today or or yesteryear (which I'm assuming you're contextualing my message to).

What I tried to say is that pushing new ideas as an activist involves being a caricature for various reasons: to draw attention, to set an example, to not be pushed aside when others ask you to take it down a notch for their convenience etc.

9 comments
Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane
2/2

In any case, this compelling to purity is something I've both seen and experienced, and have heard others mention.

In the spirit of trying to be constructive I'll add that there might be some other mechanisms for why vanguardianism (for lack or better word) so often tends to rise when pushing changes in society.

I've heard shouts* "if no one gets upset nothing's going to change" and people don't get upset by vegans who leave the steak on the plate..
_
* In 🇫🇮

@fifilamoura @kissane
2/2

In any case, this compelling to purity is something I've both seen and experienced, and have heard others mention.

In the spirit of trying to be constructive I'll add that there might be some other mechanisms for why vanguardianism (for lack or better word) so often tends to rise when pushing changes in society.

Fifi Lamoura

@iju Yeah but upsetting or shocking people into paying attention has nothing to do with "purity tests". Maybe you're misunderstanding what a purity test is? It's basically being a fundamentalist for whatever ideology it is you've decided is more important than actual people. @kissane

Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane

Would an example of purity test to be like animal rights activist being barred from taking part "in the scene" for saying that they consider hunted meat to be ethical? Because I've been speaking in this context.

This happened to a friend of mine.

Edit: After reviewing the conversation: Or being pushed to eat meat because it's "not that bad" and "you don't want to make a scene"? In this case you either fold or make yourself a caricature.

Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane

I'm not a historian of homosexual rights, and I feel a bit uncomfortable in speaking of these things in detail, but I understand that big part of gay rights was having it been accepted that being gay is normal.

And that in turn required mentioning you've being gay even when you could avoid doing so, thus breaking the idea of what's normal. This is what I meant when I said flamboyant. It might have been the wrong word, of which I apologize.

Fifi Lamoura replied to Juho

@iju I'm not here to educate you about the history of Gay and queer activism, there's plenty of documentation out there. I've shared my lived experience and yet you keep making claims based on your vague distant impressions of activists of all kinds so we're pretty much at an impasse. @kissane

Juho Mäntysalo replied to Fifi

@fifilamoura @kissane

You note that my argument wasn't about gays, but about activism and its costs.

Also that I repeatedly apologized of initially speaking of gays for various reasons, NOR did I want to argue about things where your lived experience and my limited book knowledge were from different continents and cultures.

I've tried to steer toward the basic hypothesis, but also wanted to create space for comparing our cultural differences as I wanted to hear your thoughts.

Fifi Lamoura

@iju I'm contextualizing to Canada and I assume you're talking about ACT UP and AIDS activism and activism against police brutality. And, no, pushing new ideas doesn't involve being a caricature. We were all busy being our queer selves and then we had to do activism because circumstances demanded it (and a lot of us worked in the arts, lots of straight acting Gay men were still in the closet in the 1980s so you didn't see them as much and so on). But, also, activism isn't just being out on the streets, it's also fighting things in court and creating supportive organizations and there are all kinds of people you don't see doing that work. Sure shock tactics were used to force the media and public to pay attention, that was a tactic among many tactics. I take it you haven't been engaged in much activism over your lifetime? @kissane

@iju I'm contextualizing to Canada and I assume you're talking about ACT UP and AIDS activism and activism against police brutality. And, no, pushing new ideas doesn't involve being a caricature. We were all busy being our queer selves and then we had to do activism because circumstances demanded it (and a lot of us worked in the arts, lots of straight acting Gay men were still in the closet in the 1980s so you didn't see them as much and so on). But, also, activism isn't just being out on the streets,...

Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane

Afaik, ACT UP wasn't a thing hereabouts. AIDS was more or less seen as a problem for the public health care system, and that's how it was adressed. (This based on articles I've read -- I'm a bit too young to have lived this).

But as I said, using gays in this context might have been a mistake.

I've done activism.

Never been in the "vanguard", though. I do know people who I'd say are. But I don't keep my ideals close to chest in hope of normalisation.

Juho Mäntysalo

@fifilamoura @kissane

But speaking of gays and gay rights of 1980s, these are the photos that are popular here to memorise the time. I'd say it has some carnevalisation in there, wouldn't you? At least it's hard to do this in closet. And that's hard in a society like mine which was very homogenous.

They were intentionally breaking the law (by being seen and themselves), and thus making them open for jail.

And today Pride is all about carnevalisation, of course.

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