Conversation

There was an incident a while back in the city where I live.

What are we talkin, 5 years back?

Dude was jugglin in a leotard and got bombarded by nazis after their rally or some shit. Anti-LGBTQIA+ stuff. Dude tried to call the cops over and, of course, they did nothin cause cops and fascists is a one circle venn diagram.

Well I saw that on TV and dude is all "I'm gonna come down and perform again tomorrow"

I'm like "Well, I feel like shit, but I'm goin down there" cause that was enraging.

And I'm sittin on the train, lookin around thinkin "I ain't sharin a carriage with these chuds, am I?"

So I get down there in the CBD, thinkin "Shit, I hope it ain't just me. I ain't gettin any younger or less disabled, but fuck it. If it comes down to it, I'll fuckin fight these bastards"

I see dude settin up. Cool. No problems so far.

There's families. Kids. Waitin for the show.

And big heavy people around the back on the south side, facin towards the CBD proper and occasionally lookin over their shoulders to make sure they ain't gonna get taken by surprise.

I'm like "Right. Found my crowd"

And it was a relief to know I weren't gonna have to do that alone. Cause clearly a lot of people further in had gone "We'll support this guy and watch the show" and people further out in the crowd were "We'll watch the show, and we'll also watch the street"

And bless em. Cause good numbers helps.

Anyway, the press film crews set up, they're filimin the show, the families and so on. Taking care not ta film the line we got up the back. Which is fine.

But it's a part of the story ya ain't gonna see.

Anyway, the show goes off well (dude can juggle like a champ) and no nazis show up.

The audience gives him a big group hug, he packs up, damn near in tears of joy.

And a good day was had.

But here's the thing:

Every moment of every day where bigoted shitheads try to make this world even more unequal than it already is, there's gotta be people ready to stand up to all of that.

On every train, every bus, in every store, on every street.

Sometimes it's enough just to be with the person in danger. Or potential danger.

Sometimes it takes gettin your hands a little dirtier. De-escalation is good, but sometimes some bigot (or bigots) are only interested in escalation.

And the more people who fight that, the better off everyone will be.

And the less enabled bigots will be.

Ain't ever seen a debate solve that. Cause bigots, fascists, whoever, they gotta sort out their own heads.

And in the meantime, they gotta know to keep their heads out of marginalised people's business.

And maybe, some day, knowing their bullshit ain't welcome, they'll either learn to be better people, or learn that not to fuck with people unless they wanna deal with direct consequences as a result.

But making sure someone don't feel alone in that struggle is part of it.