You’ve Got to Accentuate the Positive and Eliminate the Negative

When I was growing up, my dad was always the one to cook my parent’s evening meal. He’ll set himself up in the kitchen by selecting a CD from his curated stack and blasting out tunes at a volume that fills the whole house (to the frustration or laughable familiarity to us kids, depending on the day).

Such a simple part of family life, my dad’s music habits are now something I view fondly. Dare I say, he influences my music tastes too. And there is this one song – on a cover album by Jools Holland – that I think perfectly sums up my thoughts on types of activism.

When we think about what it means to be an activist, what comes to mind is a certain type of character. Someone who goes on protest marches, rallies supporters to sign petitions, and speaks out at meetings involving very important people. And this is definitely a version of what an activist can be, but it’s not the whole picture. These acts are what I’m going to call eliminating the negative. Fighting against discriminatory policies, speaking up against unacceptable behaviour, and debunking harmful myths, are obviously hugely important for social change. But so is accentuating the positives and adding good into the world.

It is the second type of activism that the majority of my work falls under. For me, this is also the work I most enjoy, and I couldn’t be an activist without it.

In my job as a library assistant, I do work behind the scenes to highlight the importance of understanding and providing for our LGBTQIA+ residents, but I also read books with queer representation in family Storytimes and bring up (my) queerness in conversations, as and when it’s appropriate. When our managers wanted to mark Harry Potter day, I did speak to a bunch of my colleagues and put our thoughts into a letter to submit to those with influence, but I also put up a bunch of trans bunting around the reception desk and found trans social groups and events to advertise on the noticeboard.

It is hugely important to call out harmful practices and increase inclusion on the institutional level, but it’s all the actions to be loudly supportive and spread queer joy which continue to energise me each and every day.

There has been another great example in the news recently (here in the UK) when newly elected Reform councils pulled funding from Pride events and banned anything that celebrated LGBTQIA+ identities. Some people went to the root of the issue and attempted to educate and reason with the decision makers. But there were also library staff in Essex who decided to put Pride displays anyway, and campaigners in Durham who fundraised for the biggest Pride event the city has ever had. Some people opted for pushing back against bad policies, while others took chances to send out signals of support and alliance.

It’s a subtle difference, but I think an important one. Both types of activism are vital, of course, but constantly battling the system is tiring and a drain on anyone’s mental health. I truly admire those who stand up for our community by fighting against discrimination and working hard to change laws and policies, but I find that focusing on putting good things out into the world– at least every now and again - is what sustains me as an activist.

When working towards a better, more inclusive world, I think about the lyrics that used to drift up the stairs to my room as a kid: “you’ve got to ac-cent-tu-ate the positive and e-lim-in-ate the negative.”