Power to Begin.

I find myself wondering much too often just how existence became so political.

We find ourselves relegated to the labels that we assigned: woman, man, a person of colour, or otherwise. Placed in boxes by gender, sex, and sexual orientation. With the boxes come the imposed limitations, glass ceilings, and such.

Oftentimes I find people asking questions that further perpetuate the existence of the glass ceiling.

How do I conduct myself in a way that doesn't offend? When can I speak up? Should I even speak up?

So I direct this question back to you, you in the position of power, you who perhaps unwittingly enforce the glass ceilings that exist unspokenly. How do you manage the power you hold? Do you uplift and enable? Do you use your power to start a discourse? Do you allow dialogue that perhaps holds you accountable to your privilege, do you actively listen to stories that are vastly different from your own, recognize that you will never fully be able to understand the rage and the grief of people whose existence are deemed a political debate, and you empathize.

You are not at fault for a systemic belief that some people are less than. But you can change this. It starts with you, it starts with recognising that narrative that is different from your own can still be valid. You have held the power for so long but now is it time to you to hold the power to change.

This is your call to action, to be an ally.