Intent! It's Fucking Magic!
This post has been crossposted to my own blog here. It’s a little more general in regards to oppression than I normally write, but in the face of the recent failures of mainstream feminism and their fallback to “omg I didn’t intend to hurt the transgender and transsexual people!” it is entirely relevant to us.
Warning: This post is sarcastic to such a point as you may actually slip in the pools of sarcasm that are dripping off of it. Please walk carefully. The caution cones are there for your protection. Also, we totally didn’t intend for you to slip so we’re not responsible if you do.
Today, someone said a slur. It actually doesn’t matter what slur it was, because you see, he didn’t intend to hurt anyone and therefore it couldn’t possibly be a slur. Much like how intent magically protects the actions of all privileged fuckjobs, intent means that anything you say, no matter how many groups it hurts, what awful views it enables, no matter what systemic bigotries it props up through the usage of language that enforces social concepts that crush a marginalized group, it mystically negates all of that.
So if you out a trans woman? Your uncanny intent wraps around her and protects her from murder, harassment, degendering and objectification by the people you just outed her to! If you say something ableist, you’re not actually contributing to the system that demeans PWD because your intent will gird your words with alchemical shields, made of eldritch power themselves, that prevent the words from creating and furthering social associations between disability and being bad, wrong, broken or unwanted! I know? Isn’t it grand? I love magic!
See, the great thing about this thaumaturgy is that it protects anything a privileged asshole says! So it fits in line completely with that glorious sense of entitlement that privilege tends to confer, basically, the idea that you can say anything you want and should never have accountability for what you say! Because you see, all privileged people have this ancient eldritch power called “Intent”. In fact, intent is one of the primary elements of the world (see figure 1). Like fire, water, wood, metal, air and earth, Intent helps make up an important part of the very existence of the universe. So when you invoke its ancient might, its tendrils of ephemeral power shift in the very fabric of the ‘verse, creating a magic so powerful that you can manipulate thousands upon thousands of threads of fate, just to protect the person you just said or did something supremely privileged and horrible to.
So say, if you make a bunch of racist jokes, instead of contributing to the systemic oppression of POC, the bewitching might of Intent (I’m capitalizing the I now, to give it proper respect as a primary element) spreads out, blocking every single person from fully hearing the awful racist shit you just said, further preventing them from internalizing it and using it to justify actions. It also prevents it from creating an environment where racist behavior is seen as more acceptable, by twisting the very threads of fate there as well! And, the best part? If you say it in earshot of someone who’s offended or hurt by it, the occult powers of Intent change everything! Now, instead of hearing a hurtful slur or sentiment that reminds of past abuses at the hands of privileged fuckjobs, the marginalized person in question only hears the beautiful natural sound of birds chirping. Or whale noises! Because you see, Intent is just that powerful. It literally keeps anyone from getting hurt by your fuckery!
But you see, it goes further than that.
Intent is so unbelievably epic that it doesn’t just cover slurs. No, it covers actions as well! Because you see, the very threads of fate are not immune to this otherworldly flow of what you meant to do or say. So if you kick a trans woman out of a homeless shelter into the cold because she didn’t fit your views of what a woman should be and she didn’t want to be put in with the menz (where she faces a risk of rape and murder for her, or at least harassment), your Intent literally changes the tapestry of fate so that instead of freezing to death in the cold, she actually is heated by an unexpected fire, lit by a lightning strike from clear skies, onto a pile of garbage that can’t spread the fire to anything else, right next to where she just happened to fall in exhaustion! I know! Isn’t it awesome?!
Intent is a power that you only have if you believe in it. Because so many marginalized people don’t believe in the power of intent when it comes to their/our marginalizations, few of us are able to call on its supernatural strength. Some rare marginalized folk are able to, but only in given situations and generally only in relation to themselves.
But you see, it isn’t even limited to the fuckery of kyriarchy, self applied -ism and/or privilege. It works everywhere else too! Made a really bad business deal that bankrupted your new business but didn’t intend to screw that up? Intent will magically negate the effects of the business deal on your finances! Drove during a foggy night while drunk as fuck and accidentally ran down a college student with your car going at high enough speeds to instantly kill him? Intent’s eldritch power will restart his heart and heal his wounds! Intent has the ability to change everything and anything you do and say to match your intent. That is simply how strong it is as one of the primary elements of the universe. It’s why we’re so darn unreasonable for being mad at the fuckery of privileged assholes, or for even calling them assholes. They didn’t intend to hurt anyone! They didn’t intend to do anything bad! And clearly, due to that Intent, to that thaumaturgic sorcery that spills forth from the mindset of the asshole who claims its power, any harm or bad shit they caused is magically negated!
Because you see, Intent is the ultimate alchemy. It doesn’t change lead to gold, it changes harmful, negative or damaging actions into happy, fun, “everyone hugs and no one is oppressed”, magical unicorn actions. It dips its eerie powers into the pools of time and space and counters each and every ripple of fuckery and pain created by the actions of an unthinking douchebag who was too privileged or self absorbed to see that their actions were a problem.
Isn’t that magical? I sure think so.
Best. Post. Ever.
HoverWhale
3 Feb 10 at 10:19 am
[...] Questioning Transphobia: Intent! It's Fucking Magic! Intent is so unbelievably epic that it doesn’t just cover slurs. No, it covers actions as well! Because you see, the very threads of fate are not immune to this otherworldly flow of what you meant to do or say. So if you kick a trans woman out of a homeless shelter into the cold because she didn’t fit your views of what a woman should be and she didn’t want to be put in with the menz (where she faces a risk of rape and murder for her, or at least harassment), your Intent literally changes the tapestry of fate so that instead of freezing to death in the cold, she actually is heated by an unexpected fire, lit by a lightning strike from clear skies, onto a pile of garbage that can’t spread the fire to anything else, right next to where she just happened to fall in exhaustion! (tags: transphobia slurs) [...]
links for 2010-02-03 « Embololalia
3 Feb 10 at 11:05 am
This is so fucking awesome.
Jack
3 Feb 10 at 11:28 am
This was excellent. I was brought up in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition that puts forth the notion that motivation determines everything.
Your article here really opened my eyes to the validity of what I grew up learning.
I’ve been ‘outted’ by nice people who didn’t “intend” on outting me, it just happened – and of course they didn’t intend on the shit storm that followed their outting either.
Zoë Suzanna
3 Feb 10 at 11:32 am
Love this to pieces. Lovelovelove.
Carto
3 Feb 10 at 12:16 pm
great aticle. not so keen on how you took symbols of magickal practice and trivialized them for your sarcastic ends, but you probably didn’t intend any harm by that.
m.
3 Feb 10 at 2:37 pm
This is amazing! I now realize that the problem has always lied in my cold, bitter heart that is three sizes too small, and preventing me from properly recognizing Intent.
anarchafemme
3 Feb 10 at 2:48 pm
M: How did I trivialize them? o_O
Also, you do realize that is the five element structure of Taoism right? If you’re talking about a Western Magickal practice, then it likely poached it from Taoism.
Oh right, I forgot, the elemental pentagram only has one use. And that’s magick.
genderbitch
3 Feb 10 at 2:57 pm
first, i didn’t say the elemental pentagram has only one use, i don’t know why you would assume that’s what i meant as i gave you no indication that i did. your entire post was about magic, in a snarky way. (to use your own categorization) so, yes, i believe i have reason to assume you are using it in a magicKal context. -yes, with a “k” as your comment on twitter so derisively noted.
second, absolutely; western magick is full of symbols poached from all over. i don’t pretend it was all cooked up one day in some victorian mansion by a bunch of old men. my experience of it is no less profound.
third, my comment was mostly intended to poke fun at how you minimized a particular practice to make your point. i like your post. i would recommend it to friends. but, it does minimize some peoples practice. i’m sure that was not your intention.
finally, i was hoping to be met with more discussion or even (hope against hope) playful banter instead of incorrect assumptions in a seemingly mean-spirited tone. guess that was my bad.
m.
3 Feb 10 at 3:47 pm
So basically, m, you (faked being? Actually were?) upset that I’m “trivializing” a practice that appropriates symbols from other cultures. Snazzy.
You assumed I was taking from magickal systems (despite the fact I never once used the k spelling). I specifically used the Taoist elemental system because of the depth in how the elements interact. I had originally planned on incorporating some of that into how intent played with the universe but didn’t have the time or energy to add the extra depth to the picture. And then, when you saw the use of the Taoist set of elements, you decided I was using a symbol from Western Magick.
How do you really think that looks? That assumption that another culture’s symbols are a Western symbol? The entitled claim that I’m trivializing a group by using the symbols that it steals from other cultures? Of course I’m not going to be playful with you, when you came off as appropriative and entitled.
I’m glad you were joking. Too bad your Intent magic wasn’t strong enough to get your meaning across to me when you spoke poorly.
genderbitch
3 Feb 10 at 4:08 pm
cool. i stand by my comments, i have read yours and will sift through the shit to try and see the nuggets that are worthwhile. (mmm! corn!) i appreciate your time in giving me your perspective. could have done without the insulting tones, but i guess they were important to you. cheers!
m.
3 Feb 10 at 4:24 pm
Mmmmmm, tone argument derails and insults, no content to speak of. M, you’re a champ. Never change.
genderbitch
3 Feb 10 at 4:25 pm
thank you! :) but for reals i will think about your perspective. i was not being sarcastic about that, although i said it in a somewhat snarky way. i am also done having this exchange. for the useful bits to chew on, thanks.
m.
3 Feb 10 at 4:39 pm
Tone arguments are used by privileged people against those speaking their minds. In this case, m. was the one expressing a point of view and the comment referred to was a reply attempting to shut down that point of view.
I also agree with m. that bringing religious symbols into it (of whatever kind and with whatever intent) detracted somewhat from what was otherwise a fantastic and awesome post.
G.
3 Feb 10 at 8:03 pm
hi all. just wanted to say that i really liked the article, and thought that m’s first joke was really funny. jeez, way to overreact. it was a joke… get it?
but afterwards… yeah, the concept of intent being as integral to the universe as physical matter is a magickal notion i personally hold dear. i also don’t believe you intended any harm by it (not joking this time), although when m made his/her comment, part of me went “yeah!”
peace, y’all.
figgy
3 Feb 10 at 9:57 pm
genderbitch, while i was aware that Daoism has the five elemnts you list I’d never seen them arrayed in a pentacle like that. Sure the Five Bats of Good Fortune are arrayed around the symbol of the peach tree in a similar geometric arrangement but a pentacle is not in any of my Daoist books. Swastikas yes, but Pentacles no. I’m well aware that Daoism has many different schools so of course my books and those of Daoist friends are nowhere near exhaustive. If you had a source to any traditional uses of the pentacle symbol amongst Daoism i’d quite appreciate that.
Of course Daoist traditions borrowed things from the west too. Many cite for example the change of sex in depictions of Quan Yin the God/dess of Mercy as coming from an adoption of images of Mary as well as Indian Godesses from the cross-cultural mingling on trade roads. I also love to point out to Christians that the Analects of Confucious had ‘do unto others’ well before the birth of Jesus.
Battybattybats
4 Feb 10 at 1:07 am
It’s a complete graph with five points. It so happens that the graph looks like a pentacle. If there were six elements, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.
z
4 Feb 10 at 1:22 am
Coincidentally, I found this within minutes on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wuxing_en.svg
z
4 Feb 10 at 1:26 am
Awesome post.
I’ve worked out what I’m going to do next time someone plays the Intent card when I call them on something: Explain that because they are my friend and didn’t intend harm, I have explained their mistake to them rather than punched them in the nose and written them out of my life forever.
Alexis
4 Feb 10 at 2:49 am
Batty: The pentacle is merely a coincidence of the flow of interactions.
Metal creates Water (metal liquifies)
Water creates Wood (wood grows with water)
Wood creates Fire (wood burns)
Fire creates Earth (fire becomes ashes, going into the earth)
Earth creates Metal (metal comes from the earth)
If you look at the ring, each of the elements is lined up to move clockwise in the creation cycle. Where the pentagram comes in is where the control interactions are, which in turn also moves clockwise through each connection.
Fire controls metal (melts it), metal controls wood (metal can break wood and chop it), wood controls earth (they hold the soil structure and dominate the soil), Earth controls Water (water is held by earth and absorbed by earth) and Water controls Fire (extinguishing it).
So the order of the elements is actually abundantly important, whereas with most magickal or magic systems in the West, the elements can be in any order (and usually wood and metal is switched with life or spirit and wind)
http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html (It’s actually quite possible that this five element system was a more secular thing than a Taoism thing at its roots, I get a lot of references saying it’s from traditional medicine in earlier China)
As an explaination of why Intent is in the dead center:
The reason why I put Intent in the center was because the control lines go through the mid zone of the ring. Putting it on the ring would mean that one of the elements created Intent, which wouldn’t work with how much power I was sarcastically claiming it has. XD
It also means that I would have to adjust the flow of control to include it, which means something else controls intent. By placing it dead center I could assert that it escaped control, but in turn provided control itself. In fact, I had planned on putting arrows extending from Intent to each element in the center, but the image became too busy.
Makes more sense now?
genderbitch
4 Feb 10 at 5:41 am
@figgy:
Yeah, entitled appropriative bullshit is not funny to me. Glad you find it funny, but I don’t. Actually no, I’m not glad, because finding appropriative bullshit funny means you’re ignorantly privileged as hell. Oh well. Also, if your view of Intent being integral fits the zone of “my intent changes everything I do to be unharmful” then your religion is a damaging and bad one. Also why is it that everyone who has to comment on this needs to be passive aggressive? At least M was open about being pissed.
@G:
Tone argument fallacy actually applies in any form of debate, where someone attacks the tone of the argument instead of the argument. It’s most akin to an ad hominem fallacy, in that it diverts from the argument to attack the arguer. Also, I really don’t see how it detracted from anything. And until I get a complaint from an actual Taoist or on behalf of an actual Taoist (and that’s if this is even a religious symbol and not simply a diagram describing the structure of interaction in Taoism with its elements) I won’t consider such complaints valid. Cuz if you’re complaining on behalf of Magick, Solitary (Pseudo) Wicca or whatever, you should realize you’re appropriating a symbol from a non Western Culture, calling it your own and then getting huffy about it being adjusted in satire. The irony should be troubling.
genderbitch
4 Feb 10 at 6:58 am
I certainly hope m is also out there marching and protesting against the use of magic and magickal symbols in fantasy books across the globe. I mean, good heavens, how misrepresented magic has been in numerous role-playing games and their attributive novels – and all for the enjoyment of ignorant, privileged white kids (and adults *cough*).
Of course, I know m is not the only one. I remember being taken severely to task for having the gall to misspell vampire. I was informed that it was called vamphyr and that I had no right to thusly misspell the name of such important creatures deserving of respect. For what, I wonder? Culling the weak from the herd? *shrug*
People may place their faith and trust in magic(k) all they like, but to claim that simple diagrams and representations that happen to look like five tipped stars belong to them in particular? = Ignorance.
As if a five-pointed star only exists in one culture in the world. As if only one culture thought of drawing up that shape. Who, pray tell, does the circle belong to? Can I use it in a Venn diagram or would that be appropriation of the holy symbol of a mother goddess somewhere? Bullshit.
If it were an exact depiction of a specific culture’s specific deity like the 8 armed Shiva has often been appropriated by Western culture – then I could understand it. But this is talk about a simple symbol and basic elements. And the theory that the world consists of elements is hardly confined to one culture.
Modern physisicists have discovered the existence of an elementary particle, and they names it a quark. I will hereby claim appropriation, because quark is a dairy product, where I come from, and they should not be allowed to thusly disrespect such a gloriously desert-enhancing foodstuff.
Sorry if I went a little overboard. But how gb’s post minimizes anyone’s magical practices I fail to see. She does not appear to believe in magic, sort of like most(if not all?) Wiccans don’t believe in Christ’s divinity. Next time someone says “What would Jesus do?” in mock disparagement of fundies, I’ll be sure to remind them that this is appropriation of a cultural symbol/person that they should not use for their own sarcastic purposes.
/snark
Jemima Aslana
4 Feb 10 at 8:28 am
Thanks z and thanks genderbitch. Most of my interaction with Daoism has been via the poetry, political concepts, dragon beliefs/symbology, meditation, Tai-Chi and Qi-gon but not so much with medicine and alchemy. It’s a very big subject.
Battybattybats
4 Feb 10 at 9:41 am
@Jemima:
Not overboard at all. XD
I actually do use a “magic” (no k, I have no association with Thelema, Crowley or Golden Dawn) practice referred to as Etheristic Channeling, as part of my religion (Etherism), that mostly involves drawing on the energies of the Aspects (primary spiritual reflections of the base forces, matter types and concepts of the universe) and on the energies of Essences (the spiritual reflection of a single instance of a force, a single material object or living thing or a single instance of a concept). I can also connect to unaligned Essences and Aspects (that aren’t currently reflecting anything material or conceptual here).
But yeah, the attitudes shown by some of these commenters is unbelievably entitled and culturocentric. Your rage is more than justified.
@Batty:
The whole thing is really intriguing. I really wish I had the time to study it more. I’m not sure if the Wuxing En classifies as alchemy but as I said, I’ve only been able to scratch the surface.
genderbitch
4 Feb 10 at 11:16 am
Hey, I think I might actually comment on the actual point of the post if that’s okay with everyone…
First off, fabulously done. I love my sarcasm strong.
Secondly, intent does matter, but it certainly doesn’t make things not happen. Where it matters is what to do about the person who caused harm. If there person had not intent to harm, then they need to apologise and stop doing that harm and that sort of thing. If the person did have the intent to harm, then decidedly differently things need to be done, likely involving some sort of punishment. What doesn’t need to happen in either case is to make it all about the person who caused the harm. Of course, this is usually what indeed happens.
Lucy
4 Feb 10 at 1:37 pm
@Lucy:
Thank you for getting us back on topic. XD I agree, intent merely gauges how a mistake is dealt with. It does not change the mistake nor does it ever excuse it or make it disappear.
genderbitch
4 Feb 10 at 2:23 pm
Originally I was going to chime in about Confucius, but I think Lucy was right to return to the topic at hand.
I like how this post stresses that accountability needs to happen in addition to intent, and how having a good intent does not negate the necessity of being accountable for one’s actions. Accountability seems to be one of the key themes trans critical social theorists have been advocating for, and it’s frustrating that people still just don’t get it after all this time.
Luckily, snark can be a powerful thing.
sarah
4 Feb 10 at 2:58 pm
@ gb
That sounds really interesting. I’ll admit to being very poorly informed about non-mainstream religions. Though what you describe sounds more like a world-view than a religion to me. Then again, so few lines for such a large issues will hardly provide a complete presentation. I’m an atheist myself, but to me not believing in a deity does not mean denying the existence of forces and energies that science hasn’t proven with material samples yet. Otherwise I’d also have to deny the existence of black holes, and they seem pretty irrefutable to me, even if the proof is based on calculations of their surroundings. (fascinating subject any day :P)
And rage? I have none. I merely felt like following up on your glorious serving of sarcasm with a bit of my own. Mainly because m clearly thought that the sarcasm was the main point of your post. It may have been the main vessel for carrying the point, but to turn a sarcastic topic about intent/ramifications into a joke about sarcasm and then cry tone! Why it deserved nothing more and nothing less than complete and utterly disparaging sarcasm in return.
Besides, I read your tweets about it and was greatly amused and had to come here and see the beast for myself :P
Jemima Aslana
4 Feb 10 at 5:41 pm
Bad. Fucking. Ass.
Dawn.
4 Feb 10 at 6:03 pm
@Jemima:
Thanks. XD I appreciate your snark, whether it comes from the simple radiating need for snark for people acting foolish or rage.
Etherism is actually a nontheistic religion. It has no deities but doesn’t deny the existence of them. The Aspects are less deities and more immense spiritual manifestations of a given concept, force or type of thing. Or, depending on how you view existence, the Aspects could be the base source for the physical manifestation of a given concept, force or type of thing. Dual Reflectivism is sort of a mind bender as far as metaphysical concepts go. I’m working on a blog to go over more, instead of just passing on stuff personally, so I could always link you to it eventually.
genderbitch
4 Feb 10 at 7:00 pm
I’m just going to note the irony about an article about intent being defended by the author saying that minimization wasn’t her intent. And yes, intent matters. We have this thing called a body of law that delineates between first and second degree murder, and manslaughter, and criminal negligence and attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, as just a small continuum of examples. But, that said, yeah, you actually have to ESTABLISH intent, which, most people arguing intent in ally politics on the internet completely fail at… so yeah… there’s a finer point to put on this than that the gravity of a crime is measured solely by the instance of social harm as opposed to its interval. Because we do measure the second as well.
Yes, good intent, something to be established, doesn’t make it not wrong, but often it actually does make it less wrong.
Valerie Keefe
5 Feb 10 at 12:39 am
@ gb
Consider the offer accepted. I’d like that link. While I doubt I’d become a practitioner of it, I do like to expand my horizons on a regular basis. It sounded areligious to me, because I understand religion to include worship (in some for or other) of one or more entities, but that may just be me being in need of some more horizon-expansion. Okay, I’ll admit I’m also curious because I’venever even heard of Etherism before. Not even in mention.
@ Valerie
No minimiztion wasn’t the intent with the post. And since minimization can’t be said to be the result either, there’s really no point to your post.
Intent matters, indeed, when we judge the person who did the doing. BUT, and this is what you seem to miss, intent doesn’t matter shit to the outcome.
You use murder/man-slaughter/assault with deadly force/etc as an example. Tell me, Valerie, does it make you any less dead if your killer did not intend to kill you?
Answer: No. Intent may mean something for the killer’s sentencing, but the victim will still be dead. This post was not about how intent is completely irrelevant to the discussion – if you’d bother to actually read it – it was about once the damage is done, no good intentions on part of the doer can undo that damage. It. Is. Already. Done.
Yes, we all fuck up, and if it was not our intention to cause trouble for people, chances are greater that we’ll be forgiven – at least if we acknowledge that we fucked up. However, no amount of intent-explaining and justification can undo the damage/hurt/trouble.
No amount of “I didn’t mean to” will un-out the trans woman you may have unintentionally outed. And if she gets killed as a result, your lack of intent to out her means very little indeed.
Intent is possibly THE most used term in fauxpologies, so I’d be wary of anyone claiming that intent makes something less wrong. Rather the opposite. Good intent doesn’t change the wrongness-level, malicious intent exacerbates the wrongness.
Jemima Aslana
5 Feb 10 at 2:04 am
@Val:
My intent is and was irrelevant. Fuck, I can’t even find a single comment where I even mentioned my intent, where you getting this silliness from? What is relevant is that no minimization happened at all. Just a bunch of huffy fluffies who think they have a claim to the Wuxing En Element system from China and Taoism, cuz “it’s five pointed! And looks kinda like a pentagram! And pentagrams are ours!” Well, okay there was minimization, by the fluffies, of Taoism, Wuxing en and other cultures when they assumed that symbol was theirs and no one else’s.
I’m sure they didn’t intend to pretend that China doesn’t exist and the pentagram is only a western thing though. XD
As for your views on intent: Just cuz we measure it sometimes doesn’t mean we should. Intent’s only purpose is to glean what methods we need to use to make sure things get fixed. That’s it. It has no impact on the harm done or the badness of the act. I’m no less raped if someone gets me trashed, not intending to hurt me, but doesn’t catch me freezing up and needing to stop (being unable to properly express it when drunk). I am still intensely harmed and I have every right never to want to be near that person again. Their intent does not change this.
@Jemima:
That’s cuz Etherism is very very young. I won’t want to disrupt the topic any more than necessary here, so I can dm it to you on twitter (if you’re following me). The website is still in the works, but there is an introduction that goes into more depth.
genderbitch
5 Feb 10 at 9:19 am
You know what the worst part is about these fluffies? Hover your mouse over the picture. Read the alt text.
None of you have an excuse for not knowing that the picture came from Taoism, not magick, or wicca or golden dawn or whatever. Not a single one of you.
genderbitch
5 Feb 10 at 10:24 am
this was a good post, and I enjoyed it muchly. I love snark, especially when delivered so energetically.
Serenegoose
5 Feb 10 at 10:31 am
@ gb
I’m following your tweets – most of them, and take great amusement from your D&D/Realms references at times :D. So tweet me at JemimaAslana and I’ll definitely see it.
Jemima Aslana
5 Feb 10 at 10:34 am
Huh,
When a man doesn’t pay attention to a woman telling him no, and ends up raping her – am I to understand from Valerie that the law of the land, and the concept of right and wrong in the hearts of the judge and the jurors should take into consideration that the INTENT was not to rape? And they should ignore the action of ignoring the woman’s wishes?
If the man’s INTENT was to have sex, then he shouldn’t be taken to task for RAPE? Because INTENT magically wrapped around him somehow? But missed completely protecting the woman?
Which makes me think – should we, readers be looking for the INTENT behind the derailing and GOTCHA mentality and not be noticing the lack of listening or responding to the topic of calling out privilege and assholish humanness?
Or are those comments all practical examples to further the OP?
And the weeping and gnashing of teeth from individuals who want to claim oppression in the face of a diagram of a symbol with multiple uses – am I to see that as NOT an example of privilege? Am I to see it as NOT an example of eagerness to NOT HEAR, NOT SEE, NOT LEARN, NOT COMPREHEND – because OMG! Specialness! Magikal Specialness is so much more OPPRESSED than Transness, Blackness, Muslimness, other PoCness and other Minority Religionness, Femalness, Immigrantness, Same Sex Lovingness?
Derailing. It’s always the same damn script.
Avalon's Willow
5 Feb 10 at 4:21 pm
@Avalon: “Or are those comments all practical examples to further the OP?”
And now you know why I didn’t mod queue them. XD
genderbitch
5 Feb 10 at 5:27 pm
I think intent does matter but lack of it does not erase responsibility for the consequences. A deliberate act of murder might be legally worse than gross incompetance occassioning death but the person who was grossly incompetant nonetheless faces legal consequences for costing a life.
The same holding true for more minor things. If someone purely accidentally trips someone or bumps into them a sincere apology is appropriate. Paying for damaged property from accidental breakage in a shop is a usual consequence after all. Someone deliberatly tripping somone has however comitted criminal assault.
I see intent making a big difference but lack of it no excuse from responsibility and those using it as one need to be held accountable.
On a side note, it could be good to see an article on the gender liberation and gender conformity aspects of different schools of Daoism and Confucionism as I’ve read of Daoist crossdressing as part of the spiritual path to yin/yang balance and enlightenment yet also other groups being very critical of such, of confucian encouragement of wife-beating and of great swings in chinese history from celebrated FtM and MtF crossdressing heroes to extreme oppression of gender and sexuality diversity and of women. Examining transphobia cross-culturally and historically could give us important insights into defeating it.
Battybattybats
5 Feb 10 at 7:41 pm
[...] optional, because any hurt you inflict in the mean time a)isn’t important, and b)will be washed away by the magic of intent. Except it’s not innocent. I would actually go further than Queen Emily when she says The one [...]
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[...] determines whether a joke is inherently feminist or not? Intent. But wait a minute – looking at intent alone is not enough. Evil, real consequences spring forth from well-meaning actions. You have to look at the [...]
Let’s read books part 3 – Sex is not a Natural Act, con’t « Feminists with Female Sexual Dysfunction
7 Feb 10 at 2:37 pm
IMO, intent has any meaning at all only so far as:
someone who has fucked up 1)acknowledges and stops their fucked up activity immediately, even if they dont fully currently understand or appreciate how and why it was fucked up; 2)begins a process of actually understanding how and why it was fucked up, which may or may not include the person/s / community/etc they harmed, and 3) ensures they continue learning and changing, and no longer engages in the fucked up activity, does no further harm.
None of that changes the outcome of the action/s, but it changes the potential future for other folks. Its not about being forgiven, its about *stopping the fucked up behaviour immediately* so that more folks are not hurt. Intent doesnt mean shit, ultimately. Action does. “i didnt intend to ___” is meaningless otherwise. i wish id never uttered those words without followup in my lifetime, and wish others would stop doing it to defend messed up actions.
Great post.
romham
7 Feb 10 at 7:03 pm
[...] up is a post from GenderBitch over on Questioning Transpobia titled Intent: It's Fucking Magic. This gorgeously sarcastic screed illustrates everything I feel when someone says they didn't mean [...]
Dreaming of Butterflies » Fizzy like poprocks.
9 Feb 10 at 6:50 am
[...] wait a minute – I though that from a feminist point of view, looking at intent alone is not enough. Or, even if you do look at intent plus the other features required to make a feminist joke, you [...]
Let’s read books part 3 – Sex is not a Natural Act, con’t « Feminists with Female Sexual Dysfunction
23 Feb 10 at 4:27 pm
Wow, again. I love reading your stuff, my eyes get open pretty quick.
By the way, not to look like a total mushroom here but what does PWD mean ? Sorry if I look like an idiot, must be I put makeup on again without my little magnifying mirror.
Kynthia
24 Feb 10 at 1:54 am
PWD = person with disabilities. Nothing wrong with not knowing something, that’s why we ask.
Also, the word “idiot” is actually ableist. Just letting you know.
genderbitch
27 Feb 10 at 7:08 pm
re: “idiot” as ableist
http://disabledfeminists.com/2009/10/11/ableist-word-profile-idiot/
romham
27 Feb 10 at 8:50 pm
[...] is some hubbub in the blogosphere regarding a post that, regardless of intent*, advocated griefing of bad RPers in-game and… posting the results or somesuch, my memory is [...]
» On The Necessity of Having Thick Skin as a Blogger
18 Mar 10 at 1:38 pm
[...] hurtful, or even shocking for its own sake [ETA: thanks to Sendai Anonymous for reminding me that Intent is (not) magic; despite not meaning harm, Amanda still caused it]. I think she meant to produce a fun, [...]
AFP Fix: controversy, theater, and conjoined twins « Pussy Goes Grrr
12 Apr 10 at 10:34 am
Look i understand full well the implications that wording can have – but i think some people are taking your post a tad far.
I was just referenced this post after calling my own self, abusing my own self >.> in a minor way and using the word ‘tard’ >.> so there’s no other way to call myself a fool, a moron etc cause every other word with intent is wrong?
I’m not trying to say this post isn’t good – it’s good. It’s keeping up with the times, and educating people – but i think some people are taking it a bit far.
Reiko
19 May 10 at 2:28 pm
Just a reminder that I won’t approve comments with ableist language.
Lisa Harney
19 May 10 at 2:38 pm
Also,
http://disabledfeminists.com/2009/10/16/ableist-word-profile-retarded/
Lisa Harney
19 May 10 at 2:51 pm
@Reiko:
“so there’s no other way to call myself a fool…?”
Oh look, you just found another way. “Gosh I am such a fool.” Now you don’t have to use bigoted language and get the Intent post sent your way, something you most assuredly deserved for your actions. And no, calling you out is not “taking it too far”. It’s called “doing exactly what the post was made for”
genderbitch
25 Jun 10 at 2:08 pm
[...] seen it, so I’ll only say, while I realize South Park often intends to be satirical, intent is not magic. And if the lesson there was “don’t bully redheads”, obviously, the message widely [...]
Riot Nrrd - #31: Rage Interlude
13 Jul 10 at 10:35 am
[...] Kinsey Hope/Genderbitch at Questioning Transphobia: “Intent! It’s Fucking Magic!”… – This popped up on my radar because Tim Wise drew attention to it. Seriously – just because you didn’t mean it to be transphobic or racist or sexist or ableist or whatever, doesn’t mean that it isn’t offensive! As Helen G. says (sarcastically): Today, someone said a slur. It actually doesn’t matter what slur it was, because you see, he didn’t intend to hurt anyone and therefore it couldn’t possibly be a slur. Much like how intent magically protects the actions of all privileged fuckjobs, intent means that anything you say, no matter how many groups it hurts, what awful views it enables, no matter what systemic bigotries it props up through the usage of language that enforces social concepts that crush a marginalized group, it mystically negates all of that. [...]
Best of teh Internets: Sexy Cookie Edition | HEPFAT
25 Aug 10 at 5:34 pm
You are quite wrong in both the general and the particular. Intent is in fact the core of things.
Pretending that words have power in and of themselves, that everyone has a right to be free from hearing things that offend their unique snowflake sensibilities, no matter how ludicrously sensitive those sensibilities might be, leads us into a world full of risible evasions like ‘n-word’ and ‘c-word’. Fuck that.
People who speak in offensive ways, with or without intent to wound, are rightly mocked and shunned. That they do is an essential tool for the rest of us to be able to separate the assholes out from the rest of the herd.
Intent, counter to your sarcastic suggestion, doesn’t change negative or harmful or poopy comments into happyfun rainbow time, and nobody seriously thinks or suggests that it does.
What an assumption of intentionality in the mind of the speaker does allow us to do is to let us begin from a standpoint that people are responsible for their speech.
From that standpoint, all else proceeds. Without it, we get a world we don’t watch what we say, others do that for us. Again: fuck that.
[Admin: Edited to remove ableist language]
stavrosthewonderchicken
27 Aug 10 at 4:50 pm
I think you completely misunderstood what Kinsey was saying.
If I point out something you said is offensive and hurtful? I’m only engaging you in the first place because I already believe you probably have good intent. Your intent is not under debate, only your actions.
Lisa Harney
27 Aug 10 at 4:53 pm
People are having a really hard time realizing what this post is talking about. Namely, using intent as a derail to attempt to downplay the damage done.
genderbitch
28 Aug 10 at 9:25 am
“Pretending that words have power in and of themselves”
Funny how Kinsey’s words in and of themselves provoke you into an impassioned comment. Almost like, dare I say it, they have power.
Queen Emily
28 Aug 10 at 9:44 am
[...] Crossposted to Questioning Transphobia [...]
Intent! It’s Fucking Magic! « Genderbitch: Musings of a Trans Chick
9 Nov 10 at 8:19 pm
[...] or fix the language they’ve used because “my intentions were in the right place”. Intent really is fucking magic. I also got told off by someone who might be a trans person that I should be super-special-nice to [...]
This is why Cis people don’t have to get language right « Binary Subverter
28 Nov 10 at 12:05 pm
[...] written on the subject of fat jokes before and my general take is that intent is everything. No, intent is not magical, but we’re all grown-ups and we each have the ability to discern whether a joke is intended [...]
Griffin Der — « Fierce, Freethinking Fatties
9 Feb 11 at 10:04 am
[...] Intent! It’s Fucking Magic! [...]
Sunday Reads « Andrés & Candice
6 Mar 11 at 6:44 am
To be honest, while I’ve had experiences like this that have grated on me quite recently, I think the main issue is when people claim an intent that is not genuine. If someone fucks up but it’s not their intent, you can’t blame them.
In a sense you can only truly judge people by their intents as things don’t always happen the way we’d like them. When people are claiming to have an intent based on a half-truth, or while their intent isn’t to come across as homophobia, they don’t have much “Intent” to observe your sensitivities, that’s the issue.
If someone says someone dumb and didn’t really mean it, it sucks, but it happens.
While I appreciate this article on one level(and this blog as a whole) I just didn’t find it terribly amusing. Sarcasm about things that suck isn’t automatically amusing.
L.R.Weizel
19 Sep 11 at 10:32 am
You missed the point – If person A (with no intent to harm), says something dumb about person B, to person C – and person C harms or kills person B then person A is (IS) responsible for the outcome of their actions.
If this weren’t true then why should we criticize drunk drivers who harm people? After all, they didn’t mean to… did they?
Perhaps the answer is to not do dumb stuff in the first place – and if you do fuck up, then apoligize – after all, whether you meant harm or not, that’s what happened.
Em
19 Sep 11 at 5:34 pm
I’m not saying people should say dumb stuff in the first place. But not everyone is educated as to everyone’s needs, and not everyone can help their privilege. If they say it wasn’t their intent, they’re already stepped into the firing line of this blog which I find troubling.
People of course often don’t like to think they’re somehow not progressive or insensitive, and will defend what they’ve said. This is an issue for a lot of people here. Honestly, if I was called racist or something along those lines, I would certainly consider what I said but I’d also find it very hard to stomach.
With drunk drivers, the intent is still there – they didn’t regard the safety of others highly enough not to get shitfaced in the first place. While I agree with the overall sentiment and have found myself pushing people over these kinds of remarks being trans, I just think people are being a bit too unfair on those who often mean well. You have to give people a little leeway and I don’t feel comfortable with the concept that intent doesn’t matter.
L.R.Weizel
21 Sep 11 at 5:54 pm
The drink driving thing is a decent analogy actually;
Drink driving is an act of reckless endangerment, which can lead to injury, death, and endless grief.
Outing a trans person without their permission, is an act of reckless endangerment, which can lead to injury, death, and endless grief.
The difference is that people apoligise for drink driving, where in the case of outing people, no matter the consequences, many people simply pass the blame onto the victim.
Nobody is suggesting that nobody should ever screw up, we all do it – but the mature response is to apoligise – it’s not to say “But I didn’t mean to hurt you”.
I’ve had people say and do dumb shit plenty – most of the time I mention that it upset me and the person apoligises and it tends not to happen again – that’s normal adult behavior.
On the other hand, there’s a breed of people who’d response runs to “Don’t be so fucking pathetic, I didn’t mean to cause that” (quote from my life).
The old “how would I feel in this situation?” is a good one – both for the person who makes tranny jokes about someone they know in a professional situation (yes, also real life), and for the person who accuses people of racism, transphobia, etc unnecessarily.
I give plenty of leeway, I’m not a screaming imbecile, nor am I irrational, but I have also noticed that many, perhaps most of the people who repeatedly make dumb comments, out people etc, use the intent defense as a means of passing the blame for their behavior onto their victims.
I’m also not that fond of the idea (and yes, I know you didn’t say this), that trans people who suffer bigotry are guilty of not educating people in a ‘nice’ enough manner.
In short, I, and I hope other people here are NOT advocating screaming in peoples faces the moment they slip up, a quiet comment is sufficient for most sensible people.
Em
22 Sep 11 at 12:04 am