Disposability in the progressive left

We will never be free if we cannot struggle in solidarity

von reyes
4 min readMar 20, 2024
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

I’ve been an organizer since 2012. The longer I’ve been doing the work, the uglier it has become. And as more and more well-meaning allies and “co-conspirators” wake up to injustice, the more destructive they become.

One of the core principles of organizing is being able to be in community with and fight alongside people who may not share your values. Collective liberation requires unification, and many of us have had to learn how to adjust our behaviors in order to build rapport.

This is especially true for those of us with intersectionally marginalized identities. We can’t be burning with righteous rage, lest we have doors slammed in our faces (in the best case scenario). Well-meaning white people deciding they have had enough of injustice as it begins to impact them personally seem to have been learning the resistance from reactionary infographics online.

This results in the silencing and disposal of folks in these movements who have long since learned these hard lessons. How many times must we churn through this cycle before we begin walking the same path?

Fascists are incredibly unified, locked arm and arm marching toward the common goal of oppression. They lobby in solidarity…

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