As long as you’re talking about “allies,” have you ever considered this?

Today, on the left, “allies” means approved supporters of some intersectional darling, such as blacks or queers, who do not themselves belong to the darling group.
Here’s how all allies are supposed to behave, according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Action Network:

“It is never an ally’s place to speak for an oppressed group, but rather to amplify the voices of the oppressed.
Ideally, [the ally] would have asked us what we thought, or let us speak first.
As a cisgender heterosexual he has never experienced oppression based on his sexuality or gender identity/expression, and therefore can not define what oppression is.
His role as an ally is to use his privilege to raise our voices…
…[A]ll allies… must take a step back and realize that in discussions about queer issues, they must speak with us and not for us.”

To paraphrase:
Allies work for us.
They never speak for us unless we call on them first.
They don’t decide what our goals are, we tell them and they must follow what we say.
Their job is strictly to use their abilities and assets to promote and benefit a group to which none of them belong.

Now, replace the word “ally” with the word “slave.” Those rules precisely fit what was expected of black slaves by their owners.

Reember this next time someone asks you to be an “ally.”

REPLY