Patrick Serrano

ilivesweat:

…While yes, most of my friends and the spaces I go to do not tolerate obviously sexist, homophobic, racist, able-ist, etc. speech, saying those concepts do not exist in our community is just flat out wrong.  What offends me is not always just the action itself, but the excuse that if you wear the “punk” label that you’re absolved of having done anything wrong because you “didn’t mean it that way.”  I can’t think of a rationale so unproductive…

I think this article gets a lot of stuff right, but I think it misses a larger point. It’s not just sexism in the scene that we need to talk about, but it’s also racism, homophobia, and any other form of discrimination. That’s why I love this quote from the article, because it touches on the whole, instead of the part that the piece focuses on.

I love the scene, I was a big part of it in my area in high school, and I wouldn’t be who I am without it. So I think that it’s important to bring this up, and have this talked about. We can’t have change without first having a discussion.