February 28, 2011 - 11:39pm
The Complete Spectrum: Discussing “justice" and “just us.”
BY CHRIS DYER
In a scant 12 days, the University of Michigan will become the honored host of this year's Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference. Thankfully, if you're planning on going, you won't have to memorize the acronym, just the theme that this year's conference espouses- “Justice or Just Us?”
This theme is meant to examine, according to the MBLGTACC 2011 online mission statement, “the interplay between diverse generations, identities, and the intersectional experience within our movement.”
Overall, “the conference will encourage students to engage the LGBT experience as part of our common struggle against oppression of all kinds. Students will explore the complexity and critical necessity of unity through diversity.”
Predictable words, yes, but their core message is totally on the mark in my opinion. All too often leaders and supporters of anti-oppression movements, including those of race, gender and sexual orientation involvement, turn a blind eye to the problems and struggles of others. With this somewhat selfish version of apathy, we cannot possibly hope to put a permanent end to needless injustice.
But alas, as has been professed in their defense time and again, LGBT people are human as well, and that means they are capable of the same prejudices as everyone else. There are those of us who discriminate and disregard others by one's race, gender, and sometimes even orientation. In that sense, the oppressed can easily turn into the oppressor. This is why events like MBLGTACC are needed: in order to reevaluate our problems as they relate to others.
If you'd like to be a part of the conversation, just stay on campus from February 25th to the 27th. You don't have to be a LGBT person to come, that's why they put the “A” in that crazy acronym.
