Risk-Aware Resistance
Managing risks when breaking silence
Different experiences call for different ways forward. We each have varying levels of capacity, access, support, ways of processing, and privileges as a result of our identities and lived experiences. All of these conditions affect how we can (or can’t) break our silence; they also shape the levels of risk we face.
Resistance led by Black & Indigenous, trans, diasporic and femme communities has shown us that for many oppressed groups, fighting back is not an option. Meanwhile, many survivors cannot openly speak out due to risks involved. This spectrum of breaking / keeping silence invites us to reflect on how resistance is not a monolith. It’s also an invitation to asses the risks we face and find empowerment.
Breaking silence will always come with risks. It’s a practice, and it starts with simple acts of courage. It isn’t all or nothing.
We have choices in how we respond to our silencing, to what degree, and how we manage risks. It can be really grounding to find community, support and resources that help. It also helps to identify and mitigate risks.
Here are some considerations informed by the International Women’s Media Foundation:
Identify the risk / security concern
Who / What is at risk
What is the impact / severity of the risk
What is the likelihood of it happening
How can you mitigate (reduce / ease / manage) the risk
Breaking silence is also a responsibility. Individual truth-telling amounts to a collective impact. Each of us brings different strengths to our liberation, and it’s been time to start somewhere. The chapter of being too uncomfortable due to risks is begging to be closed.
As a queer nonbinary Chicanx journalist - turned photographer-filmmaker, I’ve learned that the discomfort in truth-telling does not go away. But I’ve also accepted that discomfort is a valid response to the shaming of an empire that silences us so that it can dominate the narratives about us.
Finding both compassion for where we’re at and empowerment to move forward is what gets us progress.
Every story, truth, and boundary is part of the movement. Let’s keep breaking our silencing with care, intention, and courage while being risk - aware.
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♡Gí Tenamá
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