diversity

as i am creating this space i am trying to be intentional about making it an inclusive space for all people. i want black people, people with disabilities, asian people, muslims, latinx people, people struggling with substance use, women, jews, neurodivergent people, buddhists, fat people, sex workers, hindus, people with chronic illness(es), and queers to feel safe reading here. I don't want to add to the trauma, stigmatization, erasure, and violence these groups face to be replicated or added to on this site. i will talk about difficult subjects at times and will do my best to provide ample content warnings. i will fuck this up. i ask for your grace and patience as i learn and grow.

i think it is important when talking about diversity to understand one’s own position. i am a (mostly) white, transgender bisexual neurodivergent (adhd, major depressive disorder - recurrent, social anxiety disorder), able-bodied, average-weight woman who was raised christian, though does not currently identify with any religion. i have never engaged in sex-work nor have i had serious issues with addiction. my confluence of identities contains both privileged statuses (white-passing, christian, never been addicted, never been involved in sex-work, able-bodied) and marginalized identities (neurodivergent, bisexual, transgender).

i can say with certainty that some of my ancestors stole land from native americans (and not just in the ‘all americans live on stolen lands’ way, but in the ‘they were pioneers during the westward expansion of canada’ way). on the other side of my family, we trace our roots back to lebanon, a country which has been repeatedly colonized. after my family fled french occupation and settled in pennsylvania they were forced out of town by the kkk. despite this history, i am able to live my life as white, except in a few circumstances.b

i live on stolen duwamish land, and have for my entire life, which was never ceded to the united states. despite the seattle being named after a duwamish chief, the tribe is not federally recognized.

these beliefs and practices will extend to any community spaces including comments, live chats, and social media groups. i am not the government and i reserve the right to remove content i believe harms any marginalized group (including any i failed to mention in my prior list). in the words of bill s. preston, esquire "be excellent to each other."