#but the rights of women and poc and the lgbt community are not political

[oz-protection-squad]

Hey, so... I know this is a bit delayed. I've been grieving hardcore over the election results since 4 am. But I just wanted all of you to know:

I love you. I love you so, so much.

I know it's hard, but please don't give up the fight. We need you here, now more than ever. Giving up would mean letting the hatred win, so we must outlive it. Hang in there. This is not the end.

Keep moving forward.

[lisztomaniac-mp3]

make plans to get out of here (america) as quickly as possible in an emergency (read: get your passport and save money)

become as familiar as you can with everything that trump has said he will do, study that 900+ page plan and know who is involved

show as much support as possible for queer people and poc, especially trans and latinx people

support women's rights to their own body

specifically to Christian people: please, please, please show support for queer people and poc and please show your aversion to Christian nationalism

protest, disrupt the natural flow of things, don't be quiet don't stop talking about it

[buk0wskis]

with the results of the election, i beg you: please, please keep living. the greatest form of protest is to live. there are people who love you and want you to thrive; stay close to those people. your life is more important than those in power. existence is not a crime. you are beautiful, and the world is more beautiful with you in it. you are so incredibly strong, and we are proud of you for being here.

there are resources available for those who need them. below are just a few; there are so, so many more. please reach out to someone if you need any help. there are people that want and are willing to fight for you.

[16bruises]

don’t stop loving. don’t stop living. don’t stop being who you are. be proud, be strong, be brave.

the future looks dark, so be the light to guide not only yourself but all those whose light has dimmed.

i love so much and i will not allow fear to discourage me.

stay proud, stay strong, stay loving.

[octou-sin]

TO ALL MY GIRLYS LGBTQ POC AND THOSE WHO SEE A SAFE SPACE IN THE LEFTIST COMMUNITY

I WILL ALWAYS BE ON THE SIDE OF HUMANITY. I WANT TO BE A VOICE OF REASONING AND CHANGE.

things are hard right now, personally to me, very very hard. i don’t need all of us to be bed rotting, day drinking, chain smoking, and more. this is our time for community. i’m here for all of you rn.

i’ve always as an autistic queer hispanic woman have had a hard time keeping friends who don’t share my mentality. IM HERE FOR YOU. need help to start activism ? i’m here. need a support group? i’m here. need a shoulder to cry on? I AM MF HERE. sometimes it’s hard to make friends, sometimes it’s hard to find a voice of reasoning. my DMs are always open and i will be here to talk to each and everyone one of you. i don’t care if it’s one person reaching out, 100, 1000, or a 1000000. i will speak with everyone i possibly can in my lifetime.

tbh myself, i need a friend, i need a shoulder, i need a group where i feel safe, if you want to help me start a group for women for, anyone who needs it no matter the issue. i’ll be here.

DM me, talk to me, i will never blast your information, i will never put anyone in danger. let’s help eachother out.

love you guys, love my followers, love anyone who happens to pass by this message. stay safe, stay alive, stay happy through the pain.

[gimme-da-sword]

No, actually. That is not an enemy. That is (likely)a severely un/misinformed person. I severely doubt that many people who voted for trump came from a place of hate. They just don't understand. They do not truly get who they voted for and what that means, because if they did truly understand what trump and his campaign plan to do with America, they would not have voted for him. People that vote for trump are fed lies and fiction that lead them to believe that trump will make their lives better regardless of the casualties (aka minorities losing hard earned rights). I am by no means saying that you should keep in contact with people like the "friend" above, but they are not the enemy. They are the byproduct of propaganda that tells them their neighbors and friends will harm them unless Cheeto Voldemort swoops in and strips them of basic human rights. Do you hear me? They are not the enemy. Talking about fellow Americans like that is exactly what trump is doing. It is not your responsibility to explain to your brother's friend Jeff that Kamala Harris isn't going to show up at his door and chop his dick off, but dividing people and turning them against each other is exactly the type of shit that Nazis did. We had a whole ass civil war about that type shit. It is crucial to surround yourself with people who support you and make you feel safe, but calling people evil for being uniformed will only add fuel to the fire we are desperately trying to put out. Still, I am not saying to just quietly accept that someone has harmful beliefs. I would recommend saying something like, "Hey, your choice to support trump essentially says to me that you don't mind it if my rights are taken away. I don't feel comfortable spending time with someone who thinks like that. Goodbye." Something that says 'I don't want to hang out with you if you obviously don't give a fuck about my wellbeing' in a way that doesn't give them a reason to hate whatever minority you may be a part of. It is important that we grow as communities and stay strong, but giving people reasons to support the removal of your rights does anything but help. It lets people go back to their buddies and say 'bro these women are so emotional' or 'gay people are such babies.' I am also not saying you can control how people think and what they say, but if you give them reason to think of you as whichever part of your identity instead of the human being you are, be aware that they can and will take that shit and run. Of course, if the person in question is a parent or close family member, do what keeps you safe. You need to survive over all else. Proving a point isn't worth getting kicked out of your home, and I wouldn't recommend telling a parent off unless you have somewhere safe to go.

Be safe, I love you.

(btw if something I said was incorrect or severely misguided reblog with your own take, or my dms are open. Civilly, tho. I will not respond to childish finger pointing or death threats)

[leikeliscomet]

Asexual theory 101

Right I keep getting asked on most of my asexual posts 'What does this mean OP? Where's the sources?' so imma make a quick ace theory 101 post so if anyone says they don't get it I can say I tried. Let's go:

'What does being ace have to do with race/racism?/There's racism in the ace community???'

Pretty much everything as people of colour experience various forms of sexualisation and desexualisation at the same time, which is why POC are rarely included in asexual representation:

Asexuals of Color Still Seek to Validate Their Asexuality by Ebony Purks

Stereotypes & media about Black masculinity made it harder to come out as asexual by Tyger Songbird

Your Assumptions About Black Queer Masculinity Are Erasing My Asexual Identity by Timinepre Cole

It's Time To Start Celebrating Black Asexuality in Media By Tyger Songbird

Yasmin Benoit: ‘People had a hard time believing that I could be Black and asexual and at Pride’ by Alastair James

Brown and Gray: An Asexual People of Color Zine

'What do TERFS/transphobia have to do with asexuality?'

There's a growing TERF conspiracy theory that asexuality is the side-effect of transitioning. The LGB movement believes the community is exclusively for 'same-sex attracted persons' and so identities that don't involve attraction e.g. the TQIA should be removed. Most backlash towards Yasmin Benoit, aroace activist, is from white TERFs and conservatives:

Acephobic conspiracy theories have transphobic and fascist roots by Sherronda J Brown

'But how can conservatives hate asexuality if they hate sex?'

Because they don't and never did. If the term 'puritan' was used correctly in modern internet discourse, it would be known Christian puritans believe heterosexual sex for reproduction is a gift from god and mandatory so being asexual doesn't exactly fit with that worldview. Their beef is with any form of sex and sexuality that falls outside of cis heterosexual marriage, including asexuality. They're not anti sex but anti sexual autonomy:

"Anti-Sex" and the Real Sexual Politics of the Right by Lee Cicuta (ButchAnarchy)

The religious right is now targeting sexless marriages as “selfishness.” They Want to Ban Those Too by Tyger Songbird

Asexual people targetted by right-wing pundits following landmark report by Harriet Brewis

'What does being ace have to do with gender?'

It's commonly assumed that because patriarchy shames women's sexualities and considers all men's sexuality as biological and unavoidable, that ace women only and exclusively experience dsexualisation whilst ace men only and exclusively are pressured into being sexual beings. This can true as a broad overview but it can vary based on race, disability, class etc. This also becomes complex for asexuals that exist outside the gender binary. This is known as 'gender detachment'.

Impossible for Men, Unremarkable for Women by Canton Winer

My Work on Gender Detachment and Asexuality Strikes a Nerve by Canton Winer

'There's asexual studies now?'

Yup. On the general experiences of asexual people in the UK, including discrimination in education, the workplace and healthcare:

The National LGBT Survey (2018)

Ace in the UK Report (2023)

Specific names:

Asexual theorists: Ianna Hawkins, Michael Paramo, Julia Sondra Decker, Canton Winer (non-ace), Sherronda J Brown, Angela Chen

Asexual activists: Yasmin Benoit, Tyger Songbird, Marshall Blount (TheGentleAce), Kimberly Butler (TheAsexualGoddess)

And I'm gonna update this with more if they're worth adding. I don't wanna hear any excuses anymore or blame towards aces of colour, gay aces or trans aces for not being specific enough anymore. Read!

[khaire-traveler]

⚖️ Subtle Themis Worship ⚔️

Try veiling

When you have a big decision/judgement to make, blindfold yourself for a moment; be in a place where you're alone and can think quietly

Vote if you can

Get a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)

Keep a picture of her in your wallet

Wear jewelry that reminds you of her

Stay up to date on local politics

Join a local activism group; LGBT rights, POC rights, women's rights, etc.

Support humanitarian organizations or homeless shelters

Have a stuffed animal lion: have a stuffed animal of any creature you associate with justice, order, custom, prophecy, or judgement

Have imagery of the earth/sky, scales, blindfolds, swords, or lions around

Volunteer at a homeless shelter; volunteer at a soup kitchen

Spread the word about injustice, especially related to humanitarian causes

Speak your mind; be honest and direct with others; note that honest does not mean cruel

Get more comfortable with the idea of conflict; look into healthy conflict resolution skills

Join a debate team; spectate or participate in formal debates

Write letters you will never send to people who have done you wrong; burn them (SAFELY!!!)

Try to get involved with your local community; help run events, join groups/clubs, meet new people, etc.

Cook a warm meal for someone in need

Ask someone in need for the things they need most; buy/give them those things if you can

Practice restraint and grounding, especially when it comes to people who annoy you

Try to stay away from gossip; don't spread rumors about others, especially those that you're unsure the integrity of

Get curious about the world around you and the way things work; encourage yourself to question things

Trust yourself; listen to your gut

Work on setting boundaries with others and yourself

Let people know when they've done something that hurt you; ask them to change their behavior or wording

Feel free to give people chances to change, but if they continue not to make changes, don't put yourself through the extra work of keeping them around

Release things that no longer serve you

Work on accepting constructive criticism; try not to take criticism too personally

Get to know yourself better; feel confident in the fact that you know yourself better than others

Keep a self-growth journal; write down things relating to self improvement, how you're feeling, goals you're working towards, etc.

Learn any discreet form of divination; cartomancy, carromancy, pyromancy, tea leaves, etc.

Hold onto family heirlooms

Practice family traditions or create new ones c:

Learn self-defense; learn how to properly use weapons; pepper spray, pocket knife, etc.

Clean up after yourself; don't litter in the environment; pick up litter you come across

Try your best to take the advice you give to others (easier said than done, I know)

Practice patience and mindfulness; release control over the things that you can't control

Ground yourself if you're feeling anxious or stressed over an issue; learn about healthy coping skills for stress or anxiety if you don't know any

Take regular breaks from screens; walk around outside, and enjoy yourself; get some fresh air

Take a walk/hike outside; connect with nature

Drink a calming, soothing, or grounding tea

Take care of yourself after a hard day; be kind and gentle with yourself; engage in comforting activities

-

I'll likely add more going forward, but for the time being, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Themis. I hope others find this helpful! Take care, everyone. 🧡

Link to Subtle Worship Master list

[phan-meme-trash]

On political divides

I see a lot of people panicking about the election.

I see phannies claiming it’s impossible to be a dnp fan and conservative (bc conservative must equeal homophobe/bigot)

I see people worried about their rights being taken away.

I got a call from one of my very close lgbt friends who is voting for Harris. He and I disagree on a lot politically. he asked if I’m as stressed and scared about a potential Harris win as he is about a potential Trump win.

I said yeah probably. And we both talked about how nervous we are (for different reasons.)

Just a reminder that the people voting opposite to you are not your enemy. That friend is one of my best friends. We are voting for two different candidates. America is split almost 50/50. And 1 in 2 people in the US are simply not evil, mean spirited, bigoted, or crazy.

It often feels to me like people on the left hate me and my people. and that our physical safety and our rights will be at risk if the Democratic Party wins the election. That life as we know it will end. That the world will descend into chaos.

I know that many minority groups like women and members of the lgbt+ community feel the same way about the potential of the Republican Party winning.

just a reminder that most liberals I know in real life don’t actually want me dead and most conservatives I know (including myself) don’t want to take rights away from members of the lgbt+ community/poc/women (I’m 2/3 of these categories actually so I’m pretty strongly anti removing anyone’s rights please and thank you) .

most people want a safe country. A prosperous country. And a country where everyone is treated with respect and humanity. I know I want equality, a better economy, a peaceful end to the current wars (and deterrence against any new ones).

The set of policies that help us get there is where we differ. Ultimately, things can get worse in different ways over the next 4 years. But it will likely not be the end of the world. Or life as you know it. scare tactics work. They get you out to vote and you should vote. but most of what you’re being told in the media and even by people you know is exaggerated and often completely distorted or untrue.

I do worry about worst case scenarios if the candidate I vote for loses. But I think ultimately no matter who wins we will make it through the next 4 years and be okay. if you need someone to talk to feel free to message me.

(I am voting republican but democrat voters are welcome. I’m here for you too. This is a stressful time for all)

[uncloseted]

Do you think Taylor Swifts political activism is genuine?

,I mean, does Taylor Swift really engage in "political activism" at all? The most we've seen from her are PR-team written statements that aim to be as uncontroversial as possible while publicly aligning her with the political views of the majority of her fanbase (78% of whom identify as Democrats or independents, and 56% of which are Millennials or Gen Z). And even that was something she didn't really start doing until around 2018. For example, she didn't endorse a candidate for president in 2016 (saying that, "I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people"), and there was a period of time in the early to mid 2010s where the alt-right was hailing her as an "Aryan goddess" and she straight up didn't say anything about it for fear of being controversial or alienating her audience. She has said as much herself; in 2018, she wrote that, "In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country." But even her newfound "feeling very differently about [voicing her political opinions] now" has been tepid. She's made three political endorsements (Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper in 2018, Joe Biden in 2020), and posted in support of LGBT rights, BLM, the Women's March, March for Our Lives, and gun control, which is all great. But it's not like she's attending protests or meeting with politicians or taking actions to use her influence to change policy. It's not really activism so much as it is acknowledgement that a problem exists.

That's not to say that I think the times she does comment on politics are self-serving or fake. I think she does probably believe in feminism and support rights for POC and the LGBT community and think increased gun control would be a good idea. I don't think she's like, a covert Nazi or a closet conservative. But I do think her political comments have historically been a carefully considered business decision, and that she would never say or do anything that her team perceives as damaging her brand.

However, the Matty Healy of it all has changed this calculus in kind of an interesting way, because (from what I've seen online) he seems to be terrible for her brand. It will be interesting to see if she's now in an era of caring less about the ramifications of her actions, or if it's limited to the person that she's dating.

ETA: I think this Guardian article from 2019 is the more forthcoming I've seen her be about her views on politics and her own role in the political space. It's worth a read if you're curious about this.

[iminsomanyfandomsitscrazy]

But also, with country music today, if it’s “political” it’s far-right. Not only do you get songs about how you love trucks more than anything, but also how patriotic you are - and not because the US is a melting pot and it’s (kinda) becoming more progressive for women, POC, and the LGBT community, but because it has a long history of b*gotry.

And that shift happened after 9/11, which is part of why the Chicks got essentially kicked out of country music and didn’t chart on country music charts ever again - because they publicly were against the war in Iraq.

When looking at country music today, you have people like Morgan Wallen who was doing ok, but then it was made public that he’s sexist and racist and then his music blew up. It had done pretty well, but then one of his songs skyrocketed to the top of the fucking Billboard 100 for weeks, and his album skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard 200 for weeks and sold like more than 400,000 copies in the first week (making it the fourth or fifth album to do so last year) solely because he was sexist and racist.

The kids on TikTok think that just because he was a classic country singer, Johnny Cash was conservative??? My babies he covered a Nine Inch Nails song in his seventies.

Classic country singers (the majority of which came from poor roots) were always talking about how much The Man sucked because they were taking money from poor rural folk. You’re gonna tell me that’s conservative?? Get outta here.

[lamafeeling]

The knee jerk reaction to hate and distrust all detransitoners is a disservice to both detrans and trans people. As we know, the fear tactic of "they will regret it. It's irreversible" has been a rallying call for anti trans talking heads. It is among the most insidious tactics used by the openly transphobic because it is framed as concern and protection, which will appeal more to the uninformed and centrist audiences that do not directly "hate" trans people. The idea of saving us from ourselves is not new or a unique tactic for the trans community or even the LGBT community as a whole. As we know it has been used against women, poc, disabled people and the like. In that vein, anti trans/anti medical choice rhetoric contributed heavily to the overturning of Roe V Wade, which in turn contributed to more anti trans legislation. The point being, detransition is a very personal choice. Some people realize they were never trans, some people realize they are nonbinary, some people do so for safety or financial reasons. Frankly, it isn't anyone's business why, but it is their choice first and foremost. I can only imagine how isolating it must be to go from the trans community to being both hated by trans and at very least receiving smug "I told you so's" from cis people. I believe that is one reason why a lot of detrans people fall into the right wing pipeline, because they are given validation (and often money) to perpetuate dangerous lies about trans people. Because of the lies, it makes trans people nervous and tend to lash out at any detrans person, when in reality, we have a more similar life experience in most cases than them and the average cis person. Destigmatizing detransition and experimentation without any obligation to commit to anything is beneficial to the trans movement. Transitioning and detransitioning should be treated just the same as any other medical or personal decision. There should be no shame. Especially in this political climate, there are a lot of trans people who are going back in the closet or medically detransitioning for safety, they don't deserve your wrath and neither does any other detrans person who isn't supporting transphobia.

[mediapoliticsandcitizenship]

BLOG POST 2: TAYLOR SWIFT

This particular post was an Instagram story posted by Taylor Swift on her account a while back. It depicts the wording as so; “Are you registered to vote?” I've been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my US shows recently. I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year! Register to vote in less than 2 minutes at “VOTE.ORG/NVRD”.

The particular stance I want to make of this post is rather more on the cynical end, with some critical deliberation of why I feel like this is an interesting incorporation of politics by a well-known celebrity.

Celebrities in the media are having a rather more prevalent influence than ever before i must say. In one article posted by Newport Academy, they state “A survey found that 80 percent of teen girls compare themselves to images they see of celebrities. Almost half of those reported that celebrity images make them feel dissatisfied with the way they look.” In regards to mega superstar Taylor Swift, a lot of her audience consists of young teenage girls or rather more feminine-presenting people who resonate with her music and art as a whole. If we look at the plenty of imagery that makes up Taylor Swift’s discography, it mostly consists of seemingly harmless lyrics and content, mostly consisting of music and songs detailing heartbreak, relationships, and womanhood. All seemingly harmless stuff right? Yet this isn’t a critique of Taylor Swift’s discography, but rather the extent of the power over her “fandom” she has, and to what length.

Taylor Swift has been one of several celebrities who has been lumped in several “purple-washing” controversies; a term that has been tossed around in the media as meaning a type of “woke neo-liberal propaganda” used by the liberals to promote “feminism” - or something along the lines that your average Republican or Conservative politician would say. The term “purple-washing” can be defined in this article by Ishika Aggarwal as “colour washing the ‘not so feminist stuff’ by sugar coating things with feminist values. It is basic to hide one’s inherent anti-feminist and anti-women opinions with some other feminist values (because society likes inclusion and they want society’s support) (Aggarwal, 2023).” At times, many of Taylor Swift’s music comes off as a back-handed perspective and narrow minded view of a universal experience of womanhood and femininity as a whole piece; it seems her music is more so catered to “white feminists'' who mostly feel empowered by content that speaks to a rather dissonant image of their experiences. So it seems somewhat backhanded at times that she would want to venture into the world of politics as a whole. 

In terms of the voting process, was Miss Swift aware of such disadvantages to openly voting the party you want due to other factors? Gentrification? Gerrymandering, perhaps? Gerrymandering is a political tactic that is created due to something in the US political system known as “redistricting”; this can be seen as problematic for a number of reasons. The whole process can only be described as a way for a specific political party to gain more votes by using the redistribution of smaller districts towards their own registered areas, thus making it oftentimes impossible for a normal individual living in the United States to vote for the party they want. This is even harder for those in gentrified areas, where predominantly POC or minorities reside; in an article published by Brennan Center for Justice, it can only be defined as “rather than voters choosing their representatives, gerrymandering empowers politicians to choose their voters.  But of course, Miss Swift would probably not be aware of that, would she?

However, I will not want to leave the critique on a purely cynical route; Taylor Swift, I must admit, has been known for advocacy for women and the queer LGBT community. She also has been known for speaking against homophobia and sexism within and outside her fandom, which she should address as an artist. She, as a mega superstar, is at least using her voice to speak on issues that she feels attached towards, which many celebrities in the public refuse to do at times due to their own inclinations to stay out of political discussion without having their own opinions used against them. Here, Taylor Swift is obviously more on the liberal side of the discussion, with her extensive resume and record of donating towards notable charities and organizations. Her outspokenness on issues she is passionate about is at least something to be commended.

I would like to go back to the point I had made on Taylor Swift entering the political realm; in an article posted in Cosmopolitan, they had reinstated that “A 2021 survey from Pipslay, found that 63% of Americans said they believed celebrities made good politicians, with 58% saying they would support Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Matthew McConaughey if either actor decided to run for president (Hall, 2023).” This phenomenon of celebrities entering the political realm is reserved with the term, “celebrity politics.” Many notable celebrities such as Kanye West or Caitlynn Jenner have been known to have ventured into politics while having had the status of celebrity beforehand, although both the latter have had the notoriety for being openly Republican and Conservative in their opinions. On one hand it seems at times Taylor Swift’s oftentimes “tone-deaf liberalism” comes off as a barrier in recognizing her actual stance in this example of political product placement. On the contrary it is rather a good mechanism for her to be able to gain more respect from her fanbase, while also being able to introduce the process of voting to her younger generation of fans. In doing so creating a way for “most” of them to gain access; emphasis on those who can even have access to these resources.

[mysharona1987]

[naturalcrwn]

Some photos from the Women's March in Miami 2018

[oatmealaddiction]

Ok, I understand you're coming at this from a place of concern about children being radicalized by creeps online, and you feel like the Left is unwelcoming to those small boys, and I understand that. I really worry about it as well. The way fascists target children is really upsetting to me too which is why I wish racists and fascists were being de-platformed because that's what's going to put a stop to the Pewdipie to Nazi pipeline. Where I disagree is this idea that The Left isn't making space for boys or isn't being nice enough to them, because to me that's not an argument based in reality. First of all, the left is continuing to try to bring identity politics and critical race theory into schools only to be shut down by conservatives. We advocate for trans children constantly and that is going to help break down gendered roles in schools and help cis children just as much as trans children. We talk a lot about toxic masculinity and the ways it hurts men mentally. Outside of that, when we talk about prominent leftists, they're majority white and male. Leftist white men make up most of the democratic party. Leftist white men have written a lot of our books. When we move into internet spaces, yes there are Terfs who like to scream "kill all men" (though it should be noted they're really talking about trans women) but I've found tons of love and empathy for white men on our platforms, way more than women of color get. Yes, there are people here on the left who use their politics to justify harassing children, because we have a problem in our community of harassing everyone and justifying it with politics. We've harassed just as many trans kids off the internet for having different pronouns as we have twelve year old boys for using racial slurs. If being bullied by twitter leftists turned you into a Nazi, then all of the LGBT community would be fascists at this point. ((That's a larger conversation about online harassment in general.)) The reason fascists are making gains with white boys is because they're telling them that they're the most important person in the room. They're smarter and more special than any other group and when they abuse others, they're right too. The best analogy I can make is Pleasure Island from "Pinocchio". If you promise kids candy and no bed time and the ability to run around smashing whatever they like with no consequences, they're going to come flocking no matter how nice and understanding their families are. That's why bad actors need to be de-platformed, and this isn't an issue of the Left not being nice enough. The people I've seen pushing this point, like Vaush, are arguing that the way to bring boys (and by boys he's talking about the grown men who watch his channel) over to the Left and make them feel welcome in our community is The Pleasure Island approach. It's to ignore it when they make racist and sexist comments. It's to tell homophobic jokes that they'll laugh at. It's to not mention the ways they benefit off of white and male privilege because that's alienating. It's to turn a blind eye to slurs. It's to pretend that they're smarter than all the other people in the room because their politics are guided by logic and not silly emotions. It's the exact same argument conservatives are making right now about not allowing CRT in schools because it's going to make white kids "feel bad about themselves." But those conversations are super necessary to maintaining our community. We have to tell white boys that it's wrong to use racial slurs, and to harass women, even if that makes them feel bad, in the same way we need kids to eat their vegetables and go to bed on time.

But that's what the people who are making this argument want, they want women and poc and queer and trans people to shut up about harassment so we're not hurting straight cis white men's feelings. That's because in reality, their goal with this "think of the children" argument is to recenter the Left on cis straight white men, and allow them to dominate the conversation without push back. They're not worried about children, they're worried that they're no longer the most special boy in the room. Obviously, do not harass children no matter what they're saying. That should be a given. But the solution to radicalization is not to stop talking about bigotry and how white men continue to use bigotry as a tool to maintain power, it's to de-platform Nazi's and to fight back against conservatives who don't want trans acceptance and rape culture and anti-racism taught in schools. That's what's going to make the difference.

"you shouldnt expect a woman to tolerate being patient with misogynists" doesnt really apply if said misogynists are like 11 ans 12 year old boys are you guys fucking insane. those are children. you cant fucking treat children like theyre destined to grow into monsters thats not how combatting bigotry fucking works