This Twitter thread was written in response to this Great Charity Speakers Blog entry entitled: "Should white men step aside?"
I think this is a brilliant articulation of privilege and the crucial difference between equity and equality so thank you to the author and Great Charity Speakers. However, my two cents are as follows...
The last thing that I want is for male allies to step aside and do less/nothing. In fact, I think they should be doing a whole lot more (I would be less tired). The key I think, is in the WHAT they could and should be doing.
I don't necessarily think it's helpful for white men to step aside and do nothing. You just haemorrhage your privilege and stay safe this way. Same applies for any cis, straight, able-bodied, white ally.
What I want is for male allies to actively use their privilege and access to these spaces to pull other people up and amplify them. And yes this does mean losing some of your power and space but I don't think it's quite the same as stepping aside.
E.g. Know someone who's a great speaker/has potential to be? Push them to apply to speak at Convention or even apply with them and then drop out/deliver the session together but let them have the limelight...
...put a good word in with all your pals (who are inevitably on the Board), pay for their train to get there if you can. Then plug it like crazy. Show up and Tweet like crazy.
E.g. Okay cool you're the new white male CEO of NCVO. Reflect on how your privilege could have played a role and crucially, talk about it and how you intend to use it to lift up others. Purposely and ruthlessly build a team that might not have had the same journey as you.
I'm lucky to have had people do this for me, and, whilst I will never claim to do it perfectly, I strive to do it in my allyship too. There are tonnes more examples of how you can do this effectively out there...
This idea that you can step away - from a role, a speaking opportunity, whatever it is - is in itself an act of inherent privilege. Those of us oppressed or discriminated against by these systems don't have that option. It puts the onus on us to dismantle them.