November 24, 2025
Deafness is a spectrum, and where I fall on it is difficulty hearing in a crowded room, large space, or group setting—or when someone is right next to me on my deaf side, mumbling. As a writer and academic, I’ve been to countless public events where the moderator simply discarded the microphone because it was bothersome to them personally, after asking: We don’t need this, right?
But that was a rhetorical question. It’s impossible to know accessibility or any needs unless you sincerely ask, and sincerely listen. As a deaf person, that’s something I’ve learned the hearing sometimes have difficulty doing: listening to learn, listening to hear and to understand.
In this installment of Justice This Week, we’re listening to hear, from protests at COP30 led by Indigenous peoples to the fight of trans people in Southeast Asia to have their gender recognized.
Solidarity begins with a simple action, asking: What do you need? Then, be ready to listen to and believe the answer.
Dr. Alison Stine
Climate Justice
Senior Editor
