Etiquette, etc.

Hi, I’m mel mat. I like many things, but just to narrow it down you can say that I like everything to do with transformative justice that works to decolonize both love and beauty. This is a politic I implement in the ways in which I work, play, and live my everyday. Think: in the society we’re living in how many times are we told that we can’t tell someone/ourselves that we love each other/ourselves. In the same vein, how many times are we told we can’t tell someone/ourselves that we’re beautiful? As a queer young immigrant Pilipina, I am exposed to heteronormative scenes normalizing whiteness and naturalizing masculinity (whaddup brown girl representation, where you at?). I suppose in steering through this politic my key goals are to peel away the layers/unlearn/work to decolonize my understanding of love and beauty so as to say that I love you and that you are beautiful without shame or question. A big part of this is recognizing, historicizing, and respecting the complex and intersecting identities that everyone has and acknowledging the power structures we are implicated in. 

Adriel Luis says it all so perfectly.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that rather than working through a cycle that’s based on lateral violence - infighting within marginalized groups, burning out, crumbling communities/(chosen) families - I want to build intentional communities based on (similar to what bell hooks says in All About Love) respect, shared transformation, trust, knowledge, and celebration because the revolution starts in our own communities, baby!

Other things:

• I’ve been a settler on Coast Salish homelands since 1990.
• I’m unsupported by the bras of patriarchy!
• I don’t mean to objectify. I only mean to say that you’re a babe in the most empowering way. 
• I have a thing for critical race and queer theories and will likely get post-structural on everyone’s ass. 
• Half of the things I post will likely have to do something with language and/or the subordination of feminized knowledge forms. 
• The other half of the things I post will likely have to do something with Pilipino issues and/or its colonized history and folkloric stories.
• The third half of the things I post will likely be pictures of puppies. Here’s to mobilizing for peace through cute baby animal photos!
• I want to create my own typography foundry in which I’ll create anti-oppressive fonts. 
• At some point I’m going to be the owner of a feminist bakery that’ll waft the smells of fresh baked goods and anti-racism into our senses and cities. There’ll be a locally picked flower shop on the side and every Wednesday will be music jam night. 

Anyhow, as a Pisces I’m pretty much an open book so ask me questions if this About Me hasn’t nearly satiated a true understanding of Etiquette, etc. via mel mat.