Don MeltonDec 18, 2022

Are you angry at @SpaceKaren for banning, unbanning and re-banning journalists? And want all the journalists on the #Hellsite to abandon it now and come here?

You're mad as Hell and you're not going to take it anymore, right? But what can you do?

Simple. Follow every journalist on #Mastodon. Now.

Why? So the journalists that *are* here can show those who aren't---and their organizations---how big the audience is. What they understand is numbers.

We made #JohnMastodon happen. We can do this.

Show threadAda
@donmelton This is not the way. You didn't make John Mastodon happen. Lazy reporting and the response of a vibrant community is what made it happen.

Trans people and many other minority groups have been hounded and harassed off the site with barely a word spoken about it by most of these journalists. Then when it finally happens to the journalists, suddenly journalists are the martyrs and the people that have already left, often due to bigotry and harassment, now have the responsibility for bringing you here?

That isn't the way...
Dec 18, 2022 at 9:58pmWeb
Show threadDon MeltonDec 18, 2022
@ada Thanks for your feedback.
Show threadAnd Steiner (it/it's)Dec 19, 2022
@ada @donmelton Unfortunately many marginalized groups take the brunt of the stress and must be the safety-fish-net stockings and the glitter-glue that holds everything together. I'll help their tired asses in a loving and supportive way until they see how to live in a way that serves them and the rest of the world.
Show threadAdaDec 19, 2022
@humandhuman @donmelton Yeah, we often fall in to that role and end up doing the work. But what I took issue with here isn't so much that, but more that someone who isn't marginalised in that way taking responsibility for creating the community we escaped to, and then pressuring us to do the emotional labour.
Show threadAnd Steiner (it/it's)Dec 19, 2022
@ada @donmelton What do you mean by emotional labor? Maybe I still don't think I understand your point. Could you Clarify? :)
Show threadAdaDec 19, 2022
@humandhuman @donmelton I mean doing the work of educating people, of informing people, of making people aware of issues they may otherwise be unaware of
Show threadAnd Steiner (it/it's)Dec 19, 2022
@ada @donmelton Well somone has to do it...but that doesn't mean I'm not going to take one of my high heals off and throw it against the wall, them primal scream, swish my hair to the side and carry on...:p
Show threadAdaDec 19, 2022
@humandhuman @donmelton Yeah, someone has to do it. And it's typically the people most impacted that end up doing it. My issue is with someone who isn't impacted telling people who are that they need to pick up their act. He could have acknowledged the community that existed before journalists got here, created by people escaping bigotry and the like. But instead he made it about the journalists, took credit for the community that existed before the journalists and then asked that community to do more work. Work they were already doing
Show threadAnd Steiner (it/it's)Dec 19, 2022
@ada @donmelton Well I'm glad you called that shit out! You know I think part of me has gotten so use to this I barely notice it anymore. I'm currently living in a long-term mental hospital and have, almost literally, had to teach the entire Dept. of Mental Health here in Massachusetts that it's not okay to abuse queer people...like literally a trans person died because of malpractice (in my opinion)
Show threadAnd Steiner (it/it's)Dec 19, 2022
@ada @donmelton I wanted to say that I have found that *literally recommending step by step actions people can do to support a cause is what's needed. Like "Hey if you think that my rights have been violated and you want to support me, this is what you might say "___" and this is who you might say it to: 1, 2, 3 and this is how you can do it anonymously online....or you could sign this letter I already have ready...etc etc...a lot of people surprise me but I have TO REALLY SPELL IT OUT ;).