#amateur academic is not a criticism btw

[g0g0mi]

I actually think this post is really important. If people don't learn to look critically at the content and credibility of stuff that sounds semi-academic and if they just blindly trust it because it lists a few fancy looking sources then misinformation like this will spread.

And there doesn't necessarily need to be desire or intent to spread misinformation - I really doubt that the majority of these amateur academics on tumblr who dig into queer history are consciously trying to spread an insidious narrative, but none of us are immune to misinterpreting sources to support common preconceptions that perpetuate real harm.

We have enough issues with the rewriting and erasure of queer history - especially queer media history that isn't anglocentric.  

We have to be so, so careful. If you aren't 100% sure about what you're writing, if you haven't checked it against multiple sources or gone through it with people who you know are just as educated or more educated than you about this history, you have to be VERY very careful about what you say.

Because even if your intention isn't to hurt or harm anyone with misinformation, there are people out there who will take your words and use them that way.  

folks see me get aggro in replies and are like "dude chill, what's your problem"

my problem?

my problem is some people want "queer porn artist saw the Errors of his ways and now only creates Morally Correct Family Friendly content™" to be true so badly they'll ignore everything that doesn't fit their vision

and cloak that in academic language and throw in an academic or popular academia source (that does NOT support their claim but sounds good) or two for credibility

and it gets reblogged 300 times

I'm not saying we need a peer review procedure for tumblr, but.