Roxane Gay is a woman who commands attention. Her manner of speaking, her quick intellect and her reputation as one of the world’s foremost thinkers draw people to her.
I attended her session, How to Have Dangerous Ideas which was presented at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The fully packed Carriageworks theatre we sit in is an undeniable testament to this fact. She has garnered a reputation as a thinker by publishing multiple novels over a range of forms, in her work as a professor in universities such as Yale and Rutgers, and her contributions to the New York Times as an opinion writer.
The crowd hangs on to her every word as she outlines what it means to have ‘dangerous ideas’ in a society where your very existence is considered dangerous. As a queer woman of color in the public eye, she finds herself sensing an “enduring, constant ambient violence”, and finds it extremely important to remain stubborn and outspoken despite this.
If her detractors wish to silence her, then her refusal to do so is itself a victory.
However, she still sees the importance of flexibility in opinion in motivating change. To make ideas seem not dangerous, but accessible and possible. “Progression is not made from a refusal to bend,” Gay shared, but through a willingness to share and accept ideas in good faith and be willing to compromise on your own ideas, but never your core beliefs.
The importance of collaboration cannot be stressed enough; if both sides are inelastic and unyielding in opinion there is no progress to be made. Argument in bad faith, the lack of a middle ground, and an unwillingness to yield are what create divisions. Instead, Gay argues that we should aim to understand each other and are limited only to when another’s opinion degrades or harms us.
In turn, each person must always be held accountable for what they say. This is the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech. Gay encourages that, instead of a cancel culture, we foster a ‘consequence culture’ and bring back social shame so that when “people behave in shameful ways they are shamed for it,” rather than a culture that consistently cancels celebrities without it having any real effect on their status or general cultural opinion.
She finishes by clarifying what a truly ‘dangerous idea’ is, not an idea that angers or is controversial, but an idea that challenges the status quo and encourages us all to reconsider our own beliefs and who they support.
Roxane Gay has a unique ability to put perfectly into words what most are already thinking. Her eloquence is unparalleled, and we all walked away with a clearer understanding of both her and our own values. Whether your ideas align with hers or not, hearing her speak clarifies your own standing and opinions. That is a unique and unparalleled skill. Her insistence on openness is even more important, leaving a more permanent mark on the audience’s psyche to remain open to all and any new opinions and a wonderful introduction to a festival full of new and dangerous ideas.
The Festival of Dangerous Ideas was presented by The Ethics Centre in August 2024, supported by Principal Partner UNSW Sydney. Catch up on talks from over 12 years’ of FODI at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas podcast - festivalofdangerousideas.com