Commonly framed as a moral good, inclusion is the act of inviting difference into existing structures. But without structural change, inclusion often becomes conditional – a demand for conformity disguised as welcome.
True inclusion is co-authorship, not access granted by permission. It requires redistributing power, redesigning environments, and valuing diverse forms of communication, regulation, and expression.
When inclusion measures how well someone can adapt to an unchanged system, it becomes assimilation. When it honors presence without performance, it becomes justice.
“If you have to disappear to belong, it isn’t inclusion – it’s choreography.”
Related Reading:
“The Violence of Inclusion: When Access Requires Disappearance” — Bridgette H. (2025)
