École des Bro-ArtsJul 25, 2023

This took me a while to figure out and I'm still not sure how to put it into words, but it's been on my mind a lot the last few years:

"Community" isn't a label you adopt or a party you show up to. It's what you bring to the table.

If you want to feel connected when you walk into the bar, you have to introduce yourself to people and make conversation. If you want to play, you have to approach and ask for what you want. If you want a certain kind of event, you gotta organize, donate, volunteer.

Show threadÉcole des Bro-ArtsJul 25, 2023

I think it's easy to imagine "the community" as this Big Powerful Organized Thing that owes us understanding and support. Why did the contest not provide ASL interpretation? Why didn't someone welcome me on my first night at the bar and introduce me to everyone? How could Springfield Leather provide the wrong kind of bootblack stand? This community is trash!

These are all great things. We *should* have terps! It's *nice* when someone takes a newcomer under their wing personally.

Show threadÉcole des Bro-ArtsJul 25, 2023
What you don't necessarily see is that the only local pup who could volunteer to interpret got COVID, and there wasn't money or time to hire a professional. That the organizers of the bar night can't physically keep track of everyone who walks in, or control entry to a bar open to the public. That the committee had a volunteer who put hundreds of dollars and weeks of time into building a bootblack stand, but due to work and illness it wasn't ready in time; the committee improvised.
Show threadMichael IntegritasJul 25, 2023
@aphyr I got angry all over again when you mentioned a volunteer built bootblack stand. I know the history of that situation.
Show threadÉcole des Bro-ArtsJul 25, 2023
@sentimentaldom The scenarios described in this toot are purely fictitious and are provided for illustrative purposes only. Any resemblance to actual grievances is purely coincidental 😅
Show threadJason F. (OC, California)Jul 25, 2023
@aphyr We are all guilty of/complicit in "selling" the community to individuals with a message of "This exists for you!" in a way that promotes entitlement without responsibility to participate in organizing or taking responsibility for one's own energy. Community isn't a gift. It's a collaboration.
Show threadÉcole des Bro-Arts

@yearofthepig That's a really good point, yeah.

And like... the flip side of that whole thread is that organizers and established community members have some obligation to be warm and welcoming--to be guides for newcomers, etc. I feel like a lot of us are cognizant of the risks of insularity, monoculture, and stagnation. We lean more towards super-inclusive messaging now. But as you note, that has some unexpected drawbacks!

Jul 25, 2023 at 4:53pmWeb