Before starting I would like to clarify what it is that we should be communicating about inclusively.

Inclusive communication is a central part of work and of what we do when we engage in activism. It is also important in everyday life (for example, when we interact with someone online as well as offline). This recipe, though, is specifically meant to help us communicate inclusively about different forms of injustice within social and political activism.

By way of introduction, I would also like to position myself. I am a young, queer person who was assigned female at birth. I grew up in a rundown neighbourhood of the Vesuvian area, near Naples, Italy. When I was little, people said that I spoke loudly, and that was indicative of my class and origins. In council estates, like the one I grew up in, people normally shout. Today I am a PhD student in gender studies, and I believe that my origins are an advantage. I can speak not only as an academic, but also as a person who grew up on a council estate (loudly).

Finally, I feel the need to add that when it comes to inclusive communication, we should be mindful of both written and oral conversations, of activist and political speeches, but also of general everyday interactions. In all these different scenarios, what we need to bear in mind is that we should strive to make ourselves as understandable and accessible as possible. In other words, we should make sure to not leave anyone behind.

Having specified these conditions, we can move on to the ingredients for an inclusive communication:

• a good handful of desire for intersectional justice^[1];
• simple lexicon;
• a little background knowledge on:

disability;

gender issues;

racial issues.

(You do not need a Master’s degree in intersectional studies to learn things you do not know from direct experience. However, what you do need is the will to carefully listen to the voices of those 

[1]Try not to think only about the rights and the situation of a specific minority, but also about the connections between various types of injustice, and of how joining forces towards a fairer and more liveable world (i.e. a world where the civil and social rights of women come together with those of LGBTIQ people, folks with disabilities, sick and elderly people, children, non-human animals, and care for the environment).

who experience injustices based on disability, gender, sexuality, race and so on. Paying attention to their claims helps us use words that folks directly affected by injustice will recognise as valid and not offensive or pathologising).

• a little common sense, which never hurts.

Preparation

– Take your desire for social justice and look around you. Having become aware of the lack of equality (and the many social problems in the world), be mindful of different, intersectional types of injustices.

The examples are all around us: the gender pay gap, people forced to live on the street, nature being abused by humans, people who cannot access essential goods due to poverty, abused children, wars, people thrown out of their homes due to their gender identity or sexual orientation, sex workers being stigmatized because of their job.

Being aware of the connections between these different and equally serious issues will provide you with the ground you need to develop an inclusive way to communicate.

-Once again, I am not talking about gaining professional or academic subject knowledge. To educate yourself on other individual and collective experiences, you can sometimes start from basic web searches: there are plenty of activist videos to watch, and offline and online events to attend. Many people affected by intersectional injustice have vlogs, blogs, and social media profiles which they use to tell their stories, inform and educate people about their condition. Why not to have a look, and try to see what the world looks like through the eye of, say, transgender people or Black women?

Chances are, some grassroots organisations in your area might also be holding meetings, events, and debates on various topics connected to social justice and intersectionality. Taking part in these initiatives, even once in a while, can bring us into direct contact with people from different backgrounds, and enrich both our understanding and our ability to communicate inclusively.

-Now blend the new notions you have so acquired to obtain a “mousse” of concepts, information and language tools you had never previously thought of.

Before putting them into practice, let them sit for a while. The ideas will settle down and slowly take shape.

If you can do so, exchange the impressions you have gained from this exposure with people who have different experiences from yours. You will discover that you have a lot to learn, like all of us.

Now use a pinch of common sense and try not to be indiscreet. Asking is fine but be careful not to be intrusive or offensive.

-At this point, you should have a solid basis from which to start communicating inclusively. You can, of course, decorate with a little forethought and a sprinkle of empathy.

-Just a couple of last-minute examples and suggestions.

If we want to convey to a plural audience a message that we consider important, it is helpful to remember not to make assumptions about people’s gender and gender identities. For instance, if we say things like “ladies and gentlemen” we risk excluding people whose identity does not fall within a gender-binary categorization. A good solution is to try to use gender-neutral language (easier in English than in other languages, perhaps…!).

Or just think of when you organise a professional or activist event. If possible, it might be useful to make provisions for a sign language interpreter. On the other hand, on matters of written communication, for example when curating an exhibition, it may be important to budget for translations in brail. In this way, even the visually impaired will be able to access it.

These are, obviously, just simple tips and examples. The real, universal piece of advice here is to get out of our comfort zone, and to not assume that all our interlocutors will agree with our point of view.

So please remember: do work on expanding your knowledge, but try most of all to speak in a way that is accessible to the listener, and to aim at making everyone feel safe and included.

[1]Try not to think only about the rights and the situation of a specific minority, but also about the connections between various types of injustice, and of how joining forces towards a fairer and more liveable world (i.e. a world where the civil and social rights of women come together with those of LGBTIQ people, folks with disabilities, sick and elderly people, children, non-human animals, and care for the environment).