Activism

Guide to oppressions & intersections in SF
Basics: Classism Racism Nationalism, colonialism, xenophobia Religious intolerance Antisemitism Sexism Homophobia & heterosexism Size & beauty standards Disability & ableism Ageism
Manifestations: Institutionalized, systemic, structural Unconscious Conscious Internalized Power relations
Responses: Activism: Antiracism, feminism, etc. Consciousness-raising Redress & affirmative action Diversity & representation
SFnal treatments: Race and feminist SF Race-and-gender stereotypes in SF
See also: Women of color in SF Queer women in SF Women Make SF
About the GOI

Activism is action to bring about social or political change.

A major locus of activism is to redress discrimination and oppression of various classes of people (or other things). Even where the focus of activism is something else (for instance, environmentalism), both the ends and the means of activism significantly affect various classes of people. The means, because it may be essential to use anti-discrimination activism to reach a broad coalition of people to organize effectively on the issue. The ends, because in a world beset by patriarchy, racism, colonialism, class differences, etc., access to resources and power is differential, and harm from social and natural ills (war, poverty, disease, environmental destruction) and natural disasters is experienced unequally.

See:

• Feminism
• Women's movement
• Antiracism
• Labour movement
• Environmentalism
• Animal rights movement
• Ally work

Forms of activism:

• Volunteerism
• Civic engagement
• Reform: Legal, systemic; lobbying, working within the system
• Grassroots education & campaigns
• Communications: Culture jamming, leafletting, wheatpasting, door-to-door, publicity, outreach
• Building alternatives
• Boycotts, divestment, consumer activism
• Protest & dissent
• Strikes
• Civil disobedience / peaceful resistance
• Underground railroads and related resistance
• Property destruction
• Violent revolution

Activism within SF:

• Award activism
• Consciousness-raising about issues of racism, sexism, homophobia
• Diversity activism: Increasing representation and recognition of women and people of color; see Broad Universe, Carl Brandon Society, Friends of Lulu, The Ormes Society, SFFFW, Gaylaxian Science Fiction Society.