Lately

I've been really interested in anarchism. The idea of a society free from hierarchy, authority, and dominance seems so liberating, peaceful, and beautiful to me. I have been especially drawn to queer anarchism and anarcha-feminism, although other schools of anarchist thought have peaked my interest as well. I have been learning a lot about Black and Indigenous anarchism from Black and Indigenous anarchists respectively.

I've been calling myself a leftist for four years now, but after all this time I think I've finally found where I belong on the left. 

A lot of people mischaracterize anarchism as being inherently violent and chaotic. However, contrary to popular belief, anarchism is neither of these things. Anarchism, at its core, is peaceful. If anarchism were inherently violent, I wouldn't be aligning myself with it. I am against violence (although I understand that in some cases it may be necessary), which is why I am drawn to anarchism. Anarchism is against violence, as it is against things like colonialism, patriarchy, hetero/cissexism, systemic racism, queerphobia, imperialism, capitalism, prisons, the police, etc. All of the aforementioned things are inherently violent.

At its core, anarchism is about liberating all people from the violence that plagues them everyday. It is about caring for nature and your fellow human beings. It is about living in community with one another and unlearning what you've been taught. It is about creating a just, peaceful society.

Capitalism isolates us from one another and tells us that we must always compete against one another. In doing so, capitalism turns us against each other. Anarchism, on the other hand, would turn us toward each other. 

I truly believe that we need anarchism.