Sure, but what does that actually mean?
This week, Asha and I came under fire for encouraging people to get out and vote.
It won’t surprise you that we were rooting for any vote other than any shade of blue, but our video wasn’t about that. It was about the importance of exercising our right to vote.
The response – particularly on TikTok – was a flurry of Reform replies (I suspect many of them were bots), together with comments about our sexuality and someone I’d never spoken to before referring to us as ‘toxic’.
I almost ignored them (which would’ve been a valid choice); instead, I responded with humour.
What followed was an outpouring of support, new followers and fresh videos from allies calling for people to be kinder and more respectful.
The biggest surprise for me wasn’t the level of trolling or even the level of support (which was beautiful), but the number of assumptions being made.
Assumptions on both sides…
So many assumed I’d voted a particular way (in fact, this time, I voted tactically and not necessarily for my party of choice).
So many assume everyone who voted for Reform has to be racist, homophobic, transphobic and fascist.
For me, it is easy to fall into the latter trap, not least because of the party’s stance on immigration and trans inclusion and rights. It’s a party that seems to make it incredibly easy to ‘other’ people, and, on a personal note, that scares me.
However, we also need to remember that people very often don’t delve deeply into party manifestos—I’ve heard many a self-proclaimed Reformer say they’ve just taken a punt and haven’t really looked at the ‘manual’ that much.
So many of us want ‘reform’ (with a lowercase ‘R’), it’s easy to see how a good orator, with clever marketing, sneaky spin and a dollop of charisma, could mop up all those disenfranchised right-wingers.
You might say the same applies from the other side of the fence.
And that brings me to the point of The Business this week…
If we really do believe it’s time for change, it has to start with US!
We need to drop our argumentative streaks for a while and be willing to find common ground.
We need to stop polarising ourselves.
We need to tap into our humanity and start seeing into the hearts and souls of our fellow humans.
We need to stop ‘othering’ people by their political persuasion, culture, race, sexuality, gender identity etc, etc.
My good friend Katie Neeves has often said: “Trans people are just ordinary people who want to be happy.”
I’m pretty sure we could take that quote and switch ‘trans people’ for ‘Reform/Tory/Labour/Lib Dem/Green/Indi voters’ or any other identifier.
I’ve often told the story of sitting across the table from an ardent supporter of fox hunting and having a sensible conversation, deliberately tapping into our curiosity to understand each other’s beliefs. Neither of us tried to sway the other – we just talked, listened, asked questions and respected one another’s right to an opinion, regardless of how abhorrent those opposites might seem to one another.
I’ve been in similar situations with staunch homophobes (remember my Dangerous Rainbow TED talk?), JKR allies/anti-trans voices and, yes, people whose political leanings are very different to mine.
When we park our judgment and seek to understand, we might just find common ground.
When people feel safe asking questions without worrying about putting their foot in it, they might just be open to learning more and opening their hearts and minds in the process.
As business owners and leaders, yes, we may well feel a duty to stand up for the people we care for and support and allow our values to shine.
I’m all for that.
If we want to genuinely move forward as a people, though, we also need to create a safe space, put down our verbal and virtual weapons, and be willing to learn from the differences and celebrate the common ground.
Stand by your values. Hold them dear. In doing so, remember that others will be doing the same, and their values – on the surface – may be very different to our own.
Be brave. Ask questions. Drop the pitchforks. Learn, grow and understand – even if we disagree.
That’s where real change comes from.
What do you think?
#UnleashYourAwesome
Taz X