Wow, this is horrible news, and I'm very sorry to hear this, Monica. It paints SE in a very poor light. Being singled out and publicly destroyed for allegedly violating some rule, particularly a new one, is one of the oldest tricks in the book. It's called "making an example of someone," and thugs and dictators have been doing it for thousands of years to instill fear in people and keep them compliant and subservient.
And the usual suspects are blaming the whole thing on homophobia and transphobia, because of course they are. But the term is wholly inappropriate in this case. A phobia is an irrational fear, but when the message comes down from on high, in such an official and heavy-handed way, that anyone even suspected of maybe at some future point doing something to cross the trans and/or homosexual people will be made an example of in this way, there's nothing the least bit irrational about the fear that that causes. It's a chilling effect, specifically intended to bring about exactly that sort of very rational fear and self-censorship.
SE is an American company, and they need to remember what it means to be American. Compelled speech is something our society considers to be at the lowest, filthiest level of unacceptable behavior. Inclusion is well and good, but thuggery, even in the name of a laudable goal, is still thuggery and should be condemned by any reasonable person. And it's good to see that it is being so condemned; the company's posts on this topic are getting downvoted in record quantities.
Keep telling the truth, Monica. For whatever it's worth, we've got your back, and we won't let this drop until things improve.
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Sorry to hear this
Date: 2019-10-07 12:11 am (UTC)And the usual suspects are blaming the whole thing on homophobia and transphobia, because of course they are. But the term is wholly inappropriate in this case. A phobia is an irrational fear, but when the message comes down from on high, in such an official and heavy-handed way, that anyone even suspected of maybe at some future point doing something to cross the trans and/or homosexual people will be made an example of in this way, there's nothing the least bit irrational about the fear that that causes. It's a chilling effect, specifically intended to bring about exactly that sort of very rational fear and self-censorship.
SE is an American company, and they need to remember what it means to be American. Compelled speech is something our society considers to be at the lowest, filthiest level of unacceptable behavior. Inclusion is well and good, but thuggery, even in the name of a laudable goal, is still thuggery and should be condemned by any reasonable person. And it's good to see that it is being so condemned; the company's posts on this topic are getting downvoted in record quantities.
Keep telling the truth, Monica. For whatever it's worth, we've got your back, and we won't let this drop until things improve.
-- Anonymous, because I speak for all of us