ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates how institutional and structural conditions of denialism affect interpersonal communication. Specifically, it argues that genocide denialism institutes a practice of silencing and thereby inhibits conversations about genocide. The chapter begins by elaborating on an account of testimony. It then introduces Kristie Dotson’s account of testimonial smothering. In the context of genocide denialism, this is an especially pertinent practice of silencing and hence a form of testimonial oppression. Based on this, the chapter discusses how Armenian testifiers to genocide are persistently invalidated as knowers or coerced to silence themselves. This is because genocide denialism engenders conditions of pervasive ignorance. The chapter then explicates the effects of testimonial oppression in terms of systematic failures of epistemic respect. This ultimately coerces testifiers to act in ways that further their own oppression. The chapter ends by critically exploring individual responsibility as it relates to denial and testimonial incompetence under conditions aggravated by genocide denialism and social injustice.
