DIFFERENCE AND OTHERNESS

Those who, in multiple dimensions and layers, differ from a hegemonic group are often pushed to the periphery—not fully excluded yet never truly integrated. They exist at the margins, policed from all directions, held in a paradoxical limbo. They are encouraged to "be themselves," yet only within the parameters set by the dominant order. Inclusion is dangled before them, conditional and always just out of reach, framed by false promises of justice and representation.

Differences matter. Yet, in the hands of those who have the power to shape collective perceptions—not for the sake of peaceful coexistence but to reinforce skewed power dynamics—discourse around representation and difference becomes a dangerous tool for division and control.