WAYS TO FIGHT HATE SPEECH IN REAL LIFE

When you see something say something!

Not speaking out directly when someone says something hateful can be seen as complicit or naieve which creates a bystander effect that makes it harder for other people who might be more affected by what's being said to stand up for themselves so it's important even if you aren't the subject of verbal vitriol to make it clear that hate speech isn't acceptable in modern civil society. The shortfilm below is a great showcase of how hateful speakers talk publicly, thei peeches are designed to divide people so when you don't say anything people like that can very quickly start making everyone feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Don't Be a Sucker (1945)

"Speaking up sounds great but... How do I do that?"

I've held off on updating this page for a few days because answering this question is actually pretty difficult. Unfortunately specific stratedgies can only work in specific situations which is why I've decided to break this down into sections and display a variety of methods for each!

Take preventative community measures first!

Having an educational disscussion with your community before anything happens is important! Many hateful infractions get swept under the rug because they aren't "obvious" or pursuing action against them is seen as a "waste of time" so it's important to dispell these feelings and not only make people comfortable coming forward but making sure you have a plan for when they do. Depending on the community youre looking to take action in, this could mean stressing the importance of protecting vulnerable people to anyone from a school counselor, the mayor, local police or just a group of friends! I know getting law enforcement involved can be daunting and even distressing but robust local activism is how you change the status queue. You just have to start small!

Speaking up at School:

What you can do as a student:

Never be afraid to use your voice! Speak up when it happens and tell a trusted adult what happened!

What you can do as a teacher:

It's important to remember that despite how you may feel in the moment, it's your duty to educate children using hateful language because you have to understand they likely learned it from either: overhearing family members or watching inappropriate media as many children tend to do. They might understand that what they said is insulting but not the gravity or meaning of the words used. It's equally important however to act quickly otherwise your inaction establishes an uncomfortable precident that those actions are acceptable in some way. You never want to create an environment where students feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

What you can do as a parent or guardian of a student:

WIP

Speaking up at Work:

What you can do as an employee:

WIP

What you can do as a supervisor:

WIP

What you can do as a manager:

WIP

Speaking up at other events or functions:

WIP

Standing up against hate rallies:

IMPORTANT NOTE: DOING THIS IN REAL TIME CAN BE DANGEROUS! RESORT TO OTHER TACTICS FIRST!

WIP

(For something more robust check this FUTURE PAGE out! but like do it in the future it doesn't exist yet haha)

METHODS TO REMOVE HATEFUL GRAFFITI:

Removing permanent marker from the walls of bathroom stalls:

This method requires janitorial cleaning supplies and a dried out EXPO marker. Credit to this abandoned account on Tumblr for making this specific post

Step 1: Take your dried out marker and scribble over the lines. You want to go very finely up and down if possible.
Step 2: Use your perferred cleaning spray and wipe it away! You're already done! (Original post was deleted and I can't remember any other steps so hopefully I got this right)

Have your own fun!

If any of the above or below methods don't seem interesting or too complicated here's a list of small businesses that sell pride stickers you can cover the offending material up with:(Page will be added in the future!)

Covering it with a poster:

One of the most effective ways to combat hate is with overwhelming positivity, ever heard the phrase "Kill 'em with kindness" ? This approach can be seen as an interpretation of that! Credit to: Good Vibe Politik on Twitter for giving me inspiration.

Step 1: First and foremost you have to make wheat paste! Thankfully it's rather simple: (TikTok tutorial link by Springmagca)
Step 2: Assess the surface the offending material is on as well as the surrounding environment. This can help determine the longevity of your posters lifespan. Lots of foot traffic and rough weather on a smooth surface means it might not be there long. (NOTE: Offensive material can last a long time for the simple reason that it just makes people uncomfortable so they don't even want to acknowledge it and if they do the bystander effect kicks in.)
Step 3: Slather wheat paste generously all over the surface.
Step 4: Place the poster over the paste and smooth it out making sure it lies as flat as possible against the surface.
Step 5: (Optional) Add another layer of paste over top of your poster. This acts as a glaze or topcoat to ensure it lasts longer.
Step 6: (Optional) Take your sharp object and make thin, consistent diagonal cuts across your poster. Scoring your poster this way makes it more difficult to remove ensuring that (at least parts of it) last even longer!

Recontextualize it!

This method only requires a sharpie (Or whatever writing implement you have on your person) and a little creativity! However ...It only works on words and phrases

Step 1: Identify the intention or what is attempting to be conveyed.
Step 2: See if you have room to potentially write around the message. (Depending on the message this step can be very important!)
Step 3: Write over it! Change the letters and words into something completely irrelevant and harmless. This is a perfect opportunity to make a joke at the writers expense!

Love Always Wins!

This method requires you to have your own tools (like a marker or paint) already on your person, but you don't have to use anything specific! Just whatever you're carrying around is totally fine! :) Credit to: Ari on Tumblr