Appearance

Let's talk about appearance and clothing for a second. Why do people think of "punk rock" or scummy kids when they think of anarchists?

Many of us buy our clothes at second hand or thrift stores; I know I do\, for the most part. For most of us, this is a necessity, not a choice. But the question I pose is, why do so many of us look like shit?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not passing judgement on anyone. I'm asking you to step out of your typical life as an anarchist, and put yourself into the shoes of a regular person who doesn't really know anything about us other than what he or she has seen on TV. The tolerance and apparent diversity of the first anarchists I met was one of the things that attracted me to anarchism. Since then, I've seen the tolerance increase, but not the diversity.

It's unfortunate to admit, but I must point out that this society judges folks on the way they look. If we look like shit, then most people will assume likewise. But if we look 'normal', more or less like regular apolitical people, we're less likely to be prejudged. That makes it easier for regular people to listen to us and take us seriously. It sucks, but that's a fact and we have to work with it for now.

We need more anarchists who look and dress like regular people. No 18" mohawks, no facial tattoos, etc... not that those are bad things, but if you dress like that, expect normal working folks to steer clear of you.