If we’re learning from history we should remember that any strictly nonviolent movement will always get construed as violent anyways, and that shouldn’t stop you from using violence to protect yourself.
Nonviolence will get you labeled violent and violence will get you killed. We need to be willing to use both where necessary though. And I should clarify that violence should always be defensive
I completely agree- it’s important to defend yourself, and to be able to defend your actions in the long term.
sorry to keep harping but this also annoyed me:
Historical Precedents from the Fight for Gay Rights
The gay rights movement provides additional insights into how marginalized communities can achieve progress through a combination of activism, advocacy, and strategic legal battles. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 marked a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history. Sparked by a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, the riots were a spontaneous uprising against systemic harassment and discrimination.
This whole paragraph seems to be excluding the presence and participation of trans people in this exact event. Like it was a mob bar that was paying off the cops and would only let in a certain number of drag queens/trans people- a minority, but in the end they started it. The “activism and advocacy” included being joined by the Black Panthers, antiwar protestors, and the women’s liberation movement more broadly.
The takeaway I would see isn’t in nonviolence or assimilation, it’s in standing your ground and building a coalition of people willing to do the same.
Stonewall was a riot and it was violent.
