Thomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
The “cancel culture” and anti-“wokeism” moral panics rely on a complete inversion of the actual balance of power, portraying traditionally marginalized groups as mighty forces that urgently need to be reined in – and those in elite positions as desperately in need of protection. (Thread - 1/)
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
It’s an unbelievably cynical game: Some of society’s most vulnerable groups – trans people, for instance, whose fundamental rights, including their right to exist in the public square, are being stripped away – are presented as a dangerous, powerful cabal. 2/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
In a way, the New York Times recently elevating an unhinged anti-“woke” crusader like Pamela Paul is actually useful: In everything she writes, the cynical inversion of  power is dialed up to 11 – which gets you to “In defense of JK Rowling.” It’s not gonna get any more obvious. 3/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
Think about how silly this is: “Oh, the woke militants dominate everything over there!” – when the New York Times has just hired staunchly conservative David French to join the existing stable of famous anti-“woke” columnists like Pamela Paul, Bret Stephens, and David Brooks. 4/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
The only “persecution” that is happening here is David French being criticized online. Some of that criticism may even be unfair or cross the line – the internet is a nasty place. But that’s it. No one is firing or “canceling” him. No one in a position of power is doing anything. 5/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
In this way, this whole affair captures the anxiety that fuels these reactionary crusades against “wokeism” and “cancel culture”: Societal elites - and elite white men, in particular - face a little more scrutiny and public criticism today than in the past. And they don’t like that. 6/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
As soon as traditionally marginalized groups gained enough power and acquired the technological means to make their demands for respect and their criticism heard, traditional elites started bemoaning “persecution” - “The hordes are coming to cancel us!” 7/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
Important to note that it’s mostly the *threat* of scrutiny, the *potential* of being held to account that is enough to cause the next round of reactionary panic. In practice, the power structures that have traditionally defined American life have unfortunately held up just fine. 8/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
These moral panics appeal to (predominantly white, predominantly male) elites because the threat to elite impunity is real - “cancel culture” and “wokeism” may have made it slightly more likely that people get in trouble for racist, misogynistic, disrespectful behavior. 9/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
Simply put, elite life in the public spotlight has become slightly more uncomfortable, at least for elites who used to be able to get away with absolutely everything and now they (potentially) don’t anymore. People like David French and Pamela Paul get more public criticism. 10/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
The reason is that traditionally marginalized groups have forced their way into the conversation, necessitating a re-negotiation of norms surrounding public speech and expression. That process can be messy at times - but the alternative is continued elite dominance and impunity. 11/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023
Everyone agrees that certain transgressions, certain public speech should be met with shaming or shunning. The real question is: Where is the line, and who gets to draw it? Traditionally, this was the prerogative of a predominantly white, predominantly male elite. 12/
Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023

This prerogative has come under fire. And if you believe - as much of America’s traditional elite evidently does - that you are entitled to say and do whatever you want without legal or cultural sanction, that you are entitled to unconditional affirmation, that’s bad.

But actually, it is progress. /end

Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023

Think about how cynical, how utterly vile this is: “No rights are being ‘stripped away.’ None.”

As red states have introduced *hundreds* of anti-trans bills, passing ever-more extreme anti-trans laws every week.

What an unbelievably disingenuous bigot this man is. Despicable.

Show threadThomas ZimmerFeb 16, 2023

So many people proudly taking the Sullivan “You’re just making stuff up” line in my responses. When this, below, is what’s happening across the U.S.
 
There is no plausible deniability for this level of willful ignorance or bigotry. You’re just telling the world who you are.

https://twitter.com/alliraine22/status/1623661865694814209?s=46&t=_53cm4rOvmKcHLu6st0Jpg

Allison Chapman 🏳️‍⚧️ on Twitter

“We have surpassed 300 Anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the USA. - 91 Gender Affirming Care Bans - 39 Sports Bans - 44 Don't Say Gay/Forced Outing bills - 27 Drag bans - 12 defining trans people out of law We are in truly unprecedented times.”

Twitter
Show threadJohnMasheyFeb 16, 2023
@tzimmer_history
Relevant history, trans people made big contributions to widespread technologies on which modern life depends:
https://mstdn.social/@JohnMashey/109876287215506024
JohnMashey (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] Anti-trans folks might stop using things in whose creation crucial contributions were made by trans folks, like ARM microprocessors (Sophie Wilson, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Wilson) or even more pervasive, VLSI semiconductors (Lynn Conway, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Conway), both Fellows of #ComputerHistoryMuseum, among many honors. I still have my copy of Mead-Conway book.

Mastodon 🐘
Show threadlee 
@JohnMashey @tzimmer_history this is great history for folks to know, but let's keep in mind that we trans folks should be valued as fellow human beings even if we're not incredibly productive and prolific 🙂 valuing people only on their output under capitalism is a dangerous path.
Feb 18, 2023 at 7:39pmWeb
Show threadJohnMasheyFeb 18, 2023
@inherentlee @tzimmer_history
Needless to say, no intent to value ONLY for such… just a reminder that many have *no*idea of what contributions (large or small, in any domain) may be lost by arbitrarily devalueing any people. I mentioned these two because I often talked to Sophie when she attended Hot Chips over years & I was at Fellows award for Lynn Conway (and still owned Mead-Conway book).