Two things you have to accept when being an activist of any kind.

1. Accepting that it is NOT popular, and you will have to either hate or give up things that you used to enjoy with your friends, family and loved ones—- because whatever it is it probably goes against what you are supposed to believe as an activist. 
2. Accepting that you don’t know everything about what you support. Accepting that you will sometimes find yourself doing things that make you a BAD activist. Either because you DIDNT KNOW it was bad, or because you have privilege that you haven’t owned up to yet.

Examples?

• Being obsessed with sexist, racist or homophobic media. This is a big one.
• Privilege. Not owning up to your privilege, and baking, then eating and digesting and making more HUMBLE PIE. Its the hardest thing, is setting aside your ego for the cause. If you cannot get rid of your pride, you will have a difficult time. 
• Understanding that you don’t know everything about certain people and certain groups.
• Being attacked all the time by family, friends and random strangers for your beliefs.
• Being denounced as an activist, because outsiders don’t really understand you and hate you for disliking the things that they find amazing and popular.
• Losing friends. Losing family. Losing boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. Because they don’t like how they feel when they are around you.

It’s rough sometimes. But I have to admit, that becoming an activist has made me a better person. I always felt that I was alone in the world, and finding people who were thinking that SAME things that I’ve been thinking about is amazing. 

Understanding that you aren’t alone, is wonderful. And I wouldn’t go back to drooling in blissful ignorance. I would rather be angry at everything that is horrible, than ignore it and accept it for what it is.

Having people say, “That’s just how things are.”

And being like, “FUCK NO, THINGS DON’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!”

Makes being an activist not just empowering for US but for others as well.

No one should have to settle for bullshit. We know what kind of world we want.