Patrice M. Palmer’s Post

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to critique her perpetually" James Baldwin When I read that, from Baldwin, I think of my eldest sister and brother gone to their premature rest, and even more so my mum, deceased a decade now in August 2024 and now the rest of the impaling, struggling to the cope in the world, more noticeably as the spurs begin to wear down. And for some reason I think of Tina Turner who managed to get out of a disastrously violent relationship and divorced in the 1970s. Divorce was an absolute taboo in Ireland in the 1960s/1970s, where the infliction of the status quo as supreme command sealed so many to life of potent and excruciating brutality under state governance. The deeply inured and desensitised nature of the normative attitude paradigm, which today's politicos backed, often backed by large swathes of the educative and communicative encampment, among others in business and legal and arts, and now try to disaffiliate from explicit signs of acceptance, while many worked overtime in politics for green shoots of the old first allegiances. These oppressive forms of life aimed to curate an affect that those who could not let go were still mired in the angry as they spent tens of millions of taxpayers monies to subvent their sweet spot dispositions for love of country? As if they were virtuous, while these collective interdictions affronted victims of injustice and remain silent while they work in spaces, that actively seek out and even embrace some of the most notorious and egregious groups, who hid and concealed the very worst from the recent past. These institutions persist in shoring up the investment portfolios while sustaining a veil of progressive ideas, that conceals the darker collective intent in shaping and moulding the conversation, the cosy arrangements since about 1814-2014 bicentennial and on into the evolving present. The empires of normality and their authentic tunes of revival, to convert the negative into the positive so that we can get with making history a mystery for the next generations compassion fatigue.

July 4, 1776- the date etched into the hearts and minds of every American. Today we celebrate the day that The Second Continental Congress adopted The Declaration of Independence, severing ties with Great Britain amidst a raging war for independence. Today we not only celebrate the founding of our nation, but those who have sacrificed in the cause of seeing our country remain steadfast in its devotion to its founding principles. This spirit has been carried throughout time across generations. Americans from across The Eastern Seaboard answered the call when the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. Americans again answered the call in 1812, when they sought to preserve what was not then fifty years old, with an eager world watching in anticipation to see if democracy and self-governance were possible, or if they would be relegated to the realm of the hypothetical. They answered the call in the 1860s when our nation, our democracy, and the very fabric of our nation were being brought their knees. They answered the call while championing equality during The Civil Rights Movement, The Women’s Rights Movement, and The Gay Rights Movement. During the 20the Century, Americans answered the call to help protect the world- proving to any nation who may have doubted that America was not just a strong nation, but also one with the capacity and intention on securing liberty at home and abroad. Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads- an inflection point in our history during which our commitment to our core values are being questioned like never before. While we celebrate our achievements, I implore every American to ask how we want to continue as a nation. Do we wish for our country to reaffirm its commitment to our founding principles, or do we wish to abandon them? Do we wish for all of our progress as a nation- our nation- to have been in vain, or do we plan to continue being, as John Winthrop described, the "City upon a Hill”? America and her people have always answered the call when the situation asks them, I look forward to seeing her rise to the challenge once more. Happy Independence Day.

This assemblage of Mondaire Jones is one of the first two openly gay Black members of the U.S. Congress elected in 2020. His impact is indelible despite losing his seat due to redistricting in 2022. In American history, enslaved people were seen only as commodities. They were bought, sold, and exploited. They could be tossed aside as quickly as garbage. African-American gay men have been attacked, brutalized, and even murdered both in large coastal cities and in rural areas. I made this portrait of Mondaire out of debris to celebrate the elevation of African-American Gay men to the status of U.S. Representative. When people see themselves reflected in books, the media, and the government, it opens up possibilities they may have never known were possible. It inspires a new generation of thought leaders. #MondaireJones #RepresentationMatters #Resilience" #SarahSchneidermanArt #SocialJusticeArt #PoliticalArt #NonRecyclableArt #ArtFromTrash #ArtWithAMessage #ArtForChange #ArtActivism #ArtForACause #ArtForEquality #ArtForSocialChange #ArtForThePeople #ArtWithPurpose #ArtThatMatters #ArtForAwareness #ArtForProgress #ArtForImpact #ArtForCommunity #ArtForInclusion #ArtForDiversity #ArtForUnity #ArtForTransformation #ArtForHope #ArtForInspiration #Blackpoliticians #gaypolitician #lgbtqleaders

A plea for common human decency… Wherever you sit in terms of your values, I find it hard to argue against the universal nature of common human decency. Whether you are more liberal or more conservative in your politics, I always thought we could at least agree on that. Over the last few months particularly, I’ve seen an explosion of divisive language being used by politicians and LinkedIn posters alike, on all sides of the ideological spectrum. I have kept out of these discussions because they are not helpful and they hurt my heart. And because my focus is the change I can make with the work I am doing, not creating click-bait content I could be posting that solves nothing and only causes more division. I’m not about to break that perspective. I continue to hold the line on that as a matter of personal integrity and I refuse to be baited. But I do feel compelled to mention how perniciously unacceptable this country’s Prime Minister was yesterday to crack a trans joke in Parliament. The fact that it was also when Brianna Ghey’s mother was visiting means it’s particularly staggering. Penny Mordaunt assures that “Rishi is a good and caring man”, though she has asked him to reflect on his comment. It’s my argument exactly that because he may be a good and caring man (and I am giving him the benefit of the doubt as a queer person myself and an active trans ally), that it is even less acceptable and more heinous that he should feel it was OK to do what he did and not apologise. You see, we are now getting to a stage where so many “good and caring” people think it’s acceptable to tell trans jokes. No small wonder when the leader of this country publicly endorses such behaviour. This is more than a sad outcome. It is very very dangerous. If it were a jibe about race, it just wouldn’t happen. But the trans community are still fair game. This is revolting. So yes, dear Penny, Rishi might be “good and caring”. But he is dangerous for being so. He could also do with learning how to pronounce “Ghey” properly. It’s the very least he could do to offer Esther Ghey some dignity, even if he can’t muster up an apology. #transrights #lgbtqia #inclusiveleadership

BRAVE CONVERSATIONS Back in 2020, a number of leaders called me up. Afraid of how they should respond to the demand internally and externally to take a stand on Black Lives Matter. I said then it's contextual that before you do anything you need to talk to your staff. To have a brave conversation. Here in 2023, a few leaders have reached out to me about how they should navigate and respond to the demand internally and externally for a position on the conflict in Israel/Gaza. Again I say, it's contextual and that before you do anything you need to talk to your staff. To have a brave conversation. Many of these issues are complex. They are not binary and nuance can be lost if you feel that your duty as an organisation is to take a side on an issue, vocally or otherwise. Picking which issue you make a stance on is never straightforward. Do you comment on Israel and stay silent on Yemen? Do you comment on anti-LGBT laws and stay silent on abortion? For senior leaders, making big decisions like this is never easy and managing all the expectations of your stakeholders and declaring a position on socio-political issue requires a heck of a lot thinking and reasoning before (or if) you decide to do so. Publicly or otherwise. With regards to Israel/Gaza I have personally chosen to sit this one out in public spaces. I have chosen instead to have lots of reasoned conversations offline with individuals directly and indirectly affected by this and things are still raw. Exploring where and how we can help people affected by this on the ground. For the record I use a tool (see attached) to help navigate having brave conversations. I focus on Love, Language, Listening and Leverage. Feel free to do the same if it helps.

Watching the hate filled rhetoric of Tommy Robinson, Lawrence Fox, Suella Braverman, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and the rise of the far right across Europe, the USA, Argentina and beyond, reminds us once again how Fascist ideology always appeals to the desperate and disenfranchised by building them up in relation to minorities that can be targeted to create division. Whether it is racial or religious prejudice, the targeting of the LGBTQ+ community and currently women who are denigrated and attacked, the impulse is the same. If your ideology requires you to treat anyone as less than simply due to their identity then your ideology is abhorrent. The current media landscape that reinforces confirmation bias and division means that democratic spaces are increasingly important in fostering genuine respect and discourse. This includes the workplace, educational institutions and terrestrial broadcasters. There are genuine reasons for marginalisation and disenfranchisement ranging from the increasing lack of equity in the distribution of wealth to imminent environmental catastrophe and the quality of political representation, but none of these are resolved by demonising migrants, other races, any gender or sexuality. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, surrounded by casual racism, sexism and homophobia framed the push towards respect and political correctness that represented a genuine attempt to protect the most vulnerable members of society. We are a better country for that battle which resulted in the celebration of diversity, inclusively and tolerance. At a time when the most hateful and divisive voices are getting the most prominence it is a time to fight for the positive gains of the last 40 years and not be distracted from the real campaigns that still need to be fought. It is time for allies to stand together and support any minority that is being targeted.

Horizontal hostility- have you heard of it? I had an understanding of this term and like many others, have watched it in action, across media outlets, in debates, policy shifts and laws, even within my own identity spaces. Some might sum it up as "in-group fighting". According to Psychology Today: "Horizontal hostilities occur between groups whom one would expect to have close affinities. They surface when challenges are made to the status quo. Passionate activist groups work hard to build coalitions that will further their cause. Unfortunately, coalitions are inherently unstable, and collaborators often bicker over how best to achieve their common goal. And differences over ‘How’ (not ‘What’) drive them apart." An example: some cis gay/ lesbian people display a staunch opposition to trans rights. Yet gay/lesbian and trans identities are seen under the queer community umbrella. It comes back to intersectionality. I will leave you with this quote from Kimberly Crenshaw, "Intersectionality is an analytic sensibility, a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power. Originally articulated on behalf of black women, the term brought to light the invisibility of many constituents within groups that claim them as members but often fail to represent them."

LinkedIn gets a lot of (justified) hate for being filled with toxic productivity, solely performative content, and overall shallow (self-)marketing. I have to admit, whenever I hear a LinkedIn rant about these topics, there is only so much I can relate to. Whenever I open the app, I am showered with inspiring content in the digital health space, or with wonderful people’s work outside the digital health space, like this stunning post by Barry Brandon. More often than not, I leave the app a bit more informed or reminded of the fact that I live in a world that, among its challenges, is filled with community, compassion, and wonderfully diverse beauty. Just as with life itself, we have to be mindful about who and what we give space to, including our LinkedIn feed, making sure that we are keeping a balance between frustrating and opposed views that we may need to challenge, as well as supportive perspectives that nurture us and build our resilience. For me, at times, that meant blocking a few dominant voices who e.g. refused to believe that racism exists when it’s thinly disguised as a joke, felt that making space for others is too much of a burden if it makes them aware of their own privileges, or straight up denied evidence in research if it opposed their views. What I got in return is coming home at the end of the day, throwing a quick glance into the LinkedIn app, and being met with content that gives me hope, motivation, and energy to go forward and kick bigotry’s butt the next day (: How about you others out there? Anyone willing to share how they make sure they’re not enclosed in their own bubble only, while staying mindful of their own cognitive and emotional resources?

Trans rights are human rights

Best of he Blog 2023 ✍️ Why liberals should not take a side in the Culture War, by IEA Communications Officer Harrison Griffiths For a brief period in the mid-late 2010s, it looked like the Culture War might be an environment in which liberalism could thrive. Take the now-ridiculed ‘Intellectual Dark Web’, a group of thinkers from the progressive Left, conservative Right, and everything in between who united around shared liberal values like freedom of speech and racial colour-blindness in response to the growing authoritarianism and race-essentialism of the Left. The prospect of people like Sam Harris, Ben Shapiro, and Bret Weinstein uniting to defeat the illiberal Left was enticing. Shapiro, a prominent American socially conservative commentator, even dropped his opposition to legalising gay marriage, so long as he was free to voice his religious objections. I thought the end of history was upon us, with people across the political spectrum acknowledging that the state has no right to police words, sexual preferences, or any other type of peaceful social activity. Fast forward to 2023. Shapiro has recently argued that local governments should be permitted to ban individuals dressing in the clothes associated with the opposite sex. While arguing in favour of a law passed in Florida censoring classroom instruction about LGBTQ+ identities, Shapiro reneged on his support for Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case underpinning equal marriage. The Culture War that erupted in the intervening years made this U-turn inevitable. The modern Culture War is being broadly fought between two illiberal teams. No liberals seriously argue that we should ally with the Left. But some liberals, including my colleague Kristian Niemietz, do argue that an alliance with the Right is a viable option. The problem is that far from simply opposing the Left’s ideology, the Right have an increasingly illiberal agenda of their own. Read the full piece on the IEA Blog ⤵️