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The Power of Our Words:
Reflecting on Identity and Acceptance with Bisi Alimi
Language shapes our identities and perceptions, acting as a mirror to society's values and biases. It can empower, but also marginalize. Today, I'm drawn into reflection by a friend's self-description as "sapphic," a term that echoes the complexity of identity and the nuances of language's power.
This reflection led me to explore the terms we use to describe our identities, like "achillean" for male or gay identities, particularly within African cultures. My journey brought me to the story of Bisi Alimi, a figure of courage and a beacon for change. Alimi bravely became the first Nigerian gay man to come out on national television. Facing threats for his openness, Alimi's story is a testament to the struggle for acceptance and the right to be oneself.
Bisi Alimi's activism goes beyond personal courage; it challenges us to confront the power dynamics in society and the role language plays in these battles. His life reminds us that change often comes from those who refuse to silence their truths, echoing Martin Luther King's words that "a riot is the language of the unheard." Around the world, LGBT protests and movements against unjust policies highlight the ongoing fight for rights and recognition.
Yet, our use of language in discussing these issues often falls short. "Tolerance" implies a begrudging acceptance, hiding behind phrases like "I love you but not your lifestyle" or "How's your little friend?" It's a language that distances, that refuses to see the full humanity of others.
In contrast, justice speaks a different language. It says, "My fiancé is doing well, and I hope one day you get to meet my husband." It challenges prejudice with the simple but revolutionary act of living openly and lovingly. It says to those unwilling to see, "Then poke your own eyes out and be blind."
As we reflect on the power of our words, we must ask ourselves: Are we contributing to a world of tolerance, or are we paving the way for true justice? Our language can build bridges or walls. Let's choose our words with the intention to understand, to accept, and to love.
In honoring figures like Bisi Alimi, let's commit to using our language as a tool for change. Let this be a call to action, to use our words to fight for a world where love is celebrated in all its forms, and where every identity is recognized and respected. How will you use your words?
By examining our language and its impact, we can contribute to a more just and inclusive society. Let's be inspired by activists like Alimi and join in the broader movements for social justice, understanding that our fight against inequity is interconnected and global. In the end, the power of our words lies in their ability to connect us, to challenge us, and to change the world.
#nigeria#politics#lgbt#activism#language#achillean#sapphic#lesbian#gay#africa#africanlgbt#human rights#global rights#Westernized failures#Eastern traditional negligence
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Disrespect can close doors that apologies cannot reopen.
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Jade, Maracas Beach.
Photographed by Brianna Blank.
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ditto
tumblr is for the romantics, the artists, the sluts, and the weirdos. i’m all the above lol love it here
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"Close your eyes", Paruyr Sevak (translated by metamorphesque)
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from Women Are Tired of the Ways Men Bleed // Judy Grahn
ONE
“I know it’s irrational,” he said
“but after the Loma Prieta earthquake
I sat up in bed with my pistol
loaded and cocked.”
imagine a war
of “shoot the sea—
prevent tsunamis”
imagine if war were seen
as dysfunctional behavior
like child abuse or the many problems
in families, and say, if we wouldn’t shoot
our mothers and fathers
even when they terrify or mortally wound us
why would we drop bombs upon
the possibly not even dysfunctional strangers?
imagine if war were seen as just as
vengeful as any vengeful practices,
like, say, after the hurricane we lock up
everything that flies for having brought
the bad wind.
or we blow up the houses of those related
to those supportive of those who live with the drivers
who cause automotive accidents
imagine it’s ok
to know humanity
as we might know our dopey, dangerous, loveable
amazingly adaptable and talented family
even those whose love we continue seeking
even those we have tortured or neglected
even those who have hurt us, who oppose us
even those mysterious as water
imagine it’s ok
to know the earth
exactly as a person.
imagine Armageddon
already happened
now we’re into
reconstruction.
imagine a god named
it’s ok.
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Purple Kisses
Exotic mixtures of incense & spliff hitting
Lip biting & lip licking
Sucking in smoke
Coast a little, then blow
Relaxed inhibitions
Set the mood for a bigger picture
Out my head,
Anxiety let go
See the inside, tap the dark side
Strike the light
Master both to ignite deeper insight
So sensual, meh senses heightened at night
So plentiful, darkness the unseen light
My antennas tingling, messenger melanin
Channeling the divine.
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We Broke Heaven
We broke Heaven walking on this rocky foundation of Earth with bulletholes upon our skin,
flesh burning from truths told and secrets unfolded thereafter causing an earthquake,
mountain range long critiques of each other's self-worth bent us inwards like a river roaring against the heart rocks,
and as we stared at ourselves in the mirror we saw shards of glass where we forced love from people who had no ability to even give it to themselves,
there seems to be only a certain point that people come to when they realize that the path they've been on needs a hard detour,
one of which allows a refocusing of self and a chance to dream beyond turmoil of the current,
when people are entrenched outwards the innerself suffers, when people in a relationship are so entrenched outwards the innerrelationship suffers.
© Aug '22, Santos Rodriguez
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For the Lonely Ones in Love
Love doesn’t care who its target is
Just as long as it has a place to land its arrow with mixed emotions created by social drinkers who found an escape and meaning at the bottom of a red wine glass and decided to download tinder
these vine grapes squish into wine for the lonely ones in love
Can you imagine feeling it all then being able to drink it away
not a semblance of pain - a furious euphoria
I walked around a lake today - passed beautiful birds and beautiful couples young and old and all shades of the melanin spectrum, I strolled with a beautiful man at my side. how cute was I. how lonely was I. how in love was I.
© Mar '20, Santos Rodriguez
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