electro mag Mar 26 (4) - Flipbook - Page 8
I remember being a 14 year old trying to figure
out myself by taking countless quizzes about
my identity. Suddenly having language to
communicate who I am made me feel
significantly less alone. Understanding myself
and being able to discuss that with others put
me in a position of power I never experienced
before. Understanding my own complexities
provided me a lens to try to understand
others. Joining online communities though, I
was not met with the same empathy.
Something I’ve noticed over the years in both
online and offline spaces is that identity labels
aren’t only a tool of language to people but in
fact, defining categories. Within communities,
the safety people find in their labels can evolve
into a protectiveness of them. When this
protectiveness meets people whose identities
stretch and play with definitions or live in the
margins, it can bring about immediate hostility.
It can seem threatening to this space of safety
and many often react to that concern. This
kind of rejection has always been the hardest
to swallow. Feeling like you don’t belong in a
place of inclusivity is truly harrowing.
Identity labels do something slightly different
outside of the community. It can become a
way to categorise people and unfortunately,
that can often come with preconceived biases.
Even the most well-meaning act of inclusivity
can indirectly become just another version of
dehumanisation. When inclusivity is about
checkboxes and lists, it becomes incredibly
difficult to keep up with any individual traits a
marginalised person might also have.
So what do we do? How can inclusivity be
transformed from a chore to second nature?
How can this be done in a way that doesn’t
indirectly and unintentionally harm anyone?
In my experience in creating more inclusive
spaces, I’ve come to realise that here is no
such thing as a default human.
ELECTRO CONSULTING
Diversity isn’t an add on, it’s an inherent human
trait in every single person. When I create
policy with humanity in mind, even when
serving specific communities, my approach is
more well-rounded and doesn’t focus on
individual traits.
To be diverse is to be human.
This human first approach allows us to
approach inclusivity from a design mindset.
We’re not othering or adding special
conditions. We’re supporting humans and what
inherently makes us human.
When we rethink our approach to inclusivity
with this in mind, it humanises and normalises
diversity instead of unintentionally reinforcing
that minorities are an afterthought.
