Last Tuesday, I attended a panel called "Wicked: micro aggressions, implicit biases, and their impact". In case any of you are not familiar with the musical (or the book), it follows Elphaba or as you may know her, the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. However, the story is based more on the adversity that she faces and how she goes from being a character shunned and alienated by her skin color to gaining the title of "wicked". As the key speaker said "If you look at the Wizard of Oz, and turn the camera 10 ft to the left... that's our story".
The panel asked members of the UNM community that inhabit spaces that are usually lacking diversity and representation, or that simply don't cater to minorities. They were asked a multitude of questions about how they challenged the system that excluded them and how their difference made them face the world. They were asked how they questioned and overcame limitations placed on them by the system, by others, and by themselves.
Hearing so many narratives of oppression coming from such diverse people made me think immediately about all of the readings I have been doing to better understand Tolkien and the less obvious messages of his works; particularly his blatant disregard for rules and his push for innovation through resistance. Tolkien himself was a vessel of queerness and questioning norms, questioning oneself in search of truth. As one of the speakers said, "Mi existir es resistir" My existence is resistance. He embodied this sentiment with many of his characters, albeit in very different manners. The Hobbits especially, are constantly being questioned and disregarded because not much is known about them and they do not have a place at the table in many occasions, at least until a memorable Hobbit steps forward and lives his truth and FORCES others to see him.
During one of the statements, the speaker mentioned that we must make ourselves stand out by taking back our identities with pride. He mentioned making people acknowledge oppression by refusing to bend to what makes them uncomfortable; we must be confident in making them uncomfortable until it is acknowledged and fixed. He mentioned that he himself wears his queerness very plainly because he knows that this way he can break stigmas by saying NOW you know a queer person, and I am not what you thought; I am not perverted or a criminal or unworthy of life. And people around the room raised their hands, essentially coming out to a room full of strangers, taking back their identity and living their truth
1 comment:
I think this is incredibly relevant. I mean, in terms of self love, self expression, and stuff, I am completely radical. Like it's absolutely wild how deeply I think they should be expressed. But I think that stories and films are an intensely effective way of reaching out to people. I however feel that even though we have stories such as "Wicked", where we can see the systematic oppression as well as see how that affects the person in the long run. I think more stories need to show people how to love themselves and really express themselves. We need to know that it is okay. We need to feel that we won't continuously be ostracized for being our true selves.
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