Regarding Respectability Politics

CN: white supremacy, colonialism, elitism, ableism, classism.

When I say "eloquence" what I mean is the following, though not limited to:

• requiring people to use "proper" grammar and/or spelling;

• requiring people to use full or lengthy explanations;

• requiring people to use what may be considered "more advanced" language;

• requiring people to academically inclined;

• requiring that people not use expletives;

• tone policing;

• respectability politics;

• requiring that people not be emotional.

That's what I mean.

A stock photo of a woman of color with dark hair and red lipstick, on the left side, yelling. There are bushes in the background, blurry and out of focus, on the right.

So when I say the oppressed are not obligated to be eloquent, I mean we are not obligated to do any of the above things at all times. We are not obligated to be educational at all times. We are allowed to make generalized statements about our oppressors and/or oppressor classes in outrage. We are allowed to curse and swear - doing such does not invalidate or remove the merit of our words.

Much of what I listed above, demanding or requiring or expecting so, would be classist, ableist, and is based on structures of white supremacy and colonialism.

So when, for example (speaking from my experiences), a trans person curses or speaks with passion (ie. rage, anger, hurt, outrage, etc), what we say is still valid. A cis person centering their feelings in such is undermining and takes from the real oppression and hurt we as trans people experience and are trying to explain.