When Advocacy Costs You Followers: Standing Up for Human Rights
It’s not about the amount of followers—it’s the fact that standing up and advocating for human rights made them unfollow.
Sure, you can claim they’re bots or that “the trash takes itself out.” But it’s disheartening to realize just how many people are so comfortable in their privilege, how many people prioritize their comfort and security knowing their peers will likely lose autonomy and control of their basic rights.
As an educator and mental health professional, and as a woman, I’m so sad. I’m angry. I feel betrayed by people who claimed to love me. But I’m committed.
There is so much work to be done, my friends. We will do it together—that I commit to you.
We will, together, continue to prioritize these hard conversations. We will continue learning and doing better for the sake of humanity. We will process and make space for the reality of our situations and livelihoods, and what we can do to organize and protect ourselves and the people we love.
Caring for ourselves might look different in the days to come. I hope we’re able to continue checking in with ourselves and each other. I hope we still make space for small moments of joy, even in the face of such darkness and fear. I hope we allow space for our feelings to rise and sit with them the best we can.
Hope is fleeting right now, I know. But being so vocal about my feelings and beliefs, despite losing people, has brought many others into my community who are in alignment with what I, and many of you, stand for. It might be small, but the hope and belief is still there. 🕯️