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OK, let's get into it. Let's talk about anti-Blackness on this here Fediverse, "civility traps", and "why nazis wear suits."

First: there are some trans folk that love Black people, care about our safety, and want to see the Fediverse be more welcoming to Black users.♥️ These kind folk volunteer considerable time, money, effort, and social capital, to make the Fediverse more welcoming for Black folk. We love them for this.

But there are some trans folk that are super fashy, and hate Black folk.

The (very few!) super fashy trans folk want the Fediverse to stay uncomfortable for Black folk. Some want to make it even more uncomfortable. Some are literal nazis.🤷🏿‍♂️

Some trans folk pretend to be surprised that there are actively anti-Black trans folk, and ask questions like, "But isn't the Fediverse welcoming to all marginalized communities?"

I used to try to explain that being welcoming to one community isn't by default, welcoming to another.

Defining a term "civility trap," and explaining why nazis wear suits, and why Obama never gets angry:

A civility trap is where a Black person receives an intentional provocation. If the Black person responds with understandable frustration/anger, they are perceived as unreasonable / unhinged / untrustworthy. The original provocation is forgotten.

If they respond reasonably, another provocation will follow. And more. Hundreds more.

Nazis wear suits to try to make the contrast even greater.

@mekkaokereke Respectfully, this exact same socially violent shit is pulled on trans people to the point that the original provocation is entirely forgotten and whatever type of violence they have supposedly done upon falling into the civility trap is an inherent part of them and they are tainted and represented of the problem.

Right now, trans people are one of the biggest groups of people targeted by fash, right next to Black people. I don't think your rhetoric is helpful here.

@stavvers

What rhetoric? Pointing out that some trans people are anti-Black racists and/or fascist? I point out that some Black people are transphobic all the time. I never get complaints about that?🤷🏿‍♂️

Or that Black people pushing back against perceived anti-Blackness sometimes use naughty words? I point out that people pushing back against transphobia don't owe anyone civility either.

Or are you upset that I suggested that civility traps often happen to Black people?

@mekkaokereke the rhetoric of specifically singling out trans people as fashy. You can point to any marginalised group and its fashy members. And hell, we should 100% have conversations about how every marginalised group has its share of collaborators. It's the specific singling out of one specific group as being a particular problem - a group who are currently facing state and interpersonal violence on a level which is truly chilling - that I'm taking issue with here.

@stavvers

No. You need to deal with this.

I'm not saying that trans folk are especially fashy. Among white people, trans folk are almost certainly less fashy than average. That's great! But there are 2 problems, a small one, and a big one:

Small problem:
*Some* trans folk are extremely anti-Black. Violently, abusively, anti-Black.

Big problem:
Some people have an allergic reaction when Black folk point this out. Even when Black trans folk point it out.

The fragility is massive.

@stavvers

Black men have been targeted since forever. There's not a year you can point to where Black men have not gotten it bad. And yet... I call out transphobia, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism when I see Black men do it. Every time. It doesn't matter if we're being targeted.

If you think that DeSantis waging his war on trans folk means that I'm not going to speak on anti-Blackness from trans folk? You have me confused with someone else.

Another Angry Woman

@mekkaokereke Honestly, you're one of my favourite follows on here because you take no bullshit whatsoever. I'm just highly cautious in this particular regard because it's such a fraught situation with such a potential to escalate.

@stavvers

I'm not afraid of stepping in it. Happens.

I have trans loved ones that don't sugar coat, and will check me if I'm out of pocket.♥️

My only fears are:
* Not having enough decentralized instances and infrastructure ready if/when Twitter eventually falls over.
* Repeating the blocklist sins of the past. Shifting harm instead of reducing harm.
* Letting 6 year old beef between a few anti-Black shitposters and a Fedi safety pioneer, metastasize into distrust of any safety project

@mekkaokereke God yes. Personally, I'm wary of blocklists since using one and accidentally blocking half of Black Twitter (turned out they made the curator of said list, a white disabled woman ~uncomfortable~) but other points are an absolute *urgency* because that collapse is likely to come soon and we all need to be ready.

@stavvers @mekkaokereke ❤️. Awesome thread, would read again. Fashy people definitely creep into every niche. Also a lot of the trauma held by people in marginalised groups adds challenges that can let in tragic ideologies at times. Got to find courage to 100% call out the fascist traits without throwing the group away. Thanks again.