13:34 25 April 20154049
The wise ally asks: What can I do to support you and fight your oppression, without speaking over your members?
And to them, we say: Listen to our voices whenever you can, and make sure to call out wrongdoings not only with your community, but also within yourself.
The rash ally asks: Why should I even support you if all you want is to oppress us?
And to them, we say: Us expressing our anger is not even comparable to decades of systemic discrimination and violence. We want equality, yes, but right now, our goal is justice, and to do that, we must raise ourselves up, and lower you down a bit.
The simple ally asks: Why can't we just get along?
And to them, we say: As much as that seems like a good answer, right now there's a power imbalance. We need to fix that by taking away some of the power that the oppressors hold, as well as give that power to the oppressed.
And to the ally who does not know how to ask the right questions, we say: I am under no obligation to educate you or coddle you. The information is within your reach, and it is up to you to change, not for us to change you.