A lot of people want to do activism, but a lot also don't know where to start. Here's a four step plan that simplifies activism down to its most basic elements.
Have a specific goal. This is the most important part. Most people have a grand goal like "to see a day where radically queer people are accepted", but that is big and is based on a lot of smaller goals. Something like that requires community, representation, information, etc. Instead, come up with something specific. My goal for Beyond the Plus was "to bring our IRL community together", but you can also have goals like "to dispel misinformation about paraphilias" or "to help transid people get gear/affirming accessories".
Meet people with a common goal. When it comes to activism, you have to do it first, otherwise you'll never know if someone else will do it, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone. Find others that have the same goal in mind, and work with them to reach that goal. Many don't know how to even meet others like them, and that's where the internet is really useful. Put yourself out there and say that you have certain activism goals, and discuss them with trusted people. Maybe even meet them in-person if you know how to be safe about it.
Develop a method of operation. Even something as non-specific as "to bring our IRL community together" raises questions, the main one being "what does that look like"? Work together with your team to discuss what the method of operation of your activism looks like. For us, it's hosting private events for vetted members, giving them a space to mingle and be themselves.
Create a plan. This is the hardest part. Now that you have your ultimate goal, your team of activists, and the way you're gonna do your goal, now you have to figure out how to get from where you are to where you want to be. This involves planning, and that's going to look different for whatever your goal or MO is. For us, it goes something like "1. Build a website. 2. Research event venues. 3. Advertise and network to build our community. 4. Vet applicants and create a group of members. 5. Hold events and invite members.". A plan can be something simple like that, even if parts of the plan are hard, like making a website. But now that you have each individual piece, you can research into each of them. Don't know anything about making a website? Well now you can set aside some time to do just that! Don't know anything about local event venues? Try to ask some friends or look online to see what you can find.
This oversimplifies activism a bit, but I think it's a solid place to start for people who are interested in making a change. If you're interested in activism, then I implore you to start by choosing a goal, find the change you want to see. Then meet people who want to make change too. With your new team, you can decide what form that change takes place. And then you can decide how to get from point A to point B.
I felt like our last post was a bit too tough, so I wanted to follow it up with something hopefully uplifting and inspiring. Hope it worked!
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