Ah, the holigays. For some of us, it means carols, wishing for a blanket of snow, unwrapping presents, hot liquor around the fire, and puppies in Santa hats. (Is that just me?) But for a lot of us, it also means getting ready for some seriously problematic shit to come out of our relatives’ mouths.
Luckily, Franchesca Ramsey (chescaleigh) took some time this week to prepare you for the ugly side of the season by walking you through five different potential comebacks to turn an uncomfortable moment into a teaching one. Or, really, into an opportunity to laugh at someone’s outdated views so as not to cry. But hey, whatever works.
Now pass the tofurkey and shut the fuck up, uncle Ned!
Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our A+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining A+ and supporting the people who make this indie queer media site possible?
Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.
This was great! Her “5 tips for being an ally” was floating around my Tumblr a while ago and I thought it was pretty good too. I should check out the rest of her channel
This is great and necessary and also where can I find santa puppies??
“Act like you don’t get it and make them explain it” –
That’s a pretty good way to deal with most offensive comments, IMO.
I agree! I actually do it, and it does work.
Okay, chescaleigh just got themselves a new subscriber. B) Thank you Carmen for sharing this video!
This was great! Her “5 tips for being an ally” was floating around my Tumblr a while ago and I thought it was pretty good too. I should check out the rest of her channel