Yesterday, I was a little down because a person I've known for 20 years just will not stop raising transphobic public figures in our correspondence. He's a classic both-sides-ing "centrist", confident that he's simply seeing the "bigger" equivalences in violence at work, and... I don't know why I've tried for as long as I have. Ego maybe? Most every fellow I knew in KW was like him: someone who'd rather pull you into debate to shelter their own prejudice than push beyond the prejudice itself. /x
Most feminized folk will also remember that, around 2016, we started to see this behaviour show up in a BIG way among many people in our lives - folks we kind of thought shared our values, more or less, until we saw the attitudes emboldened during a presidential run.
I think I've stuck with this attempt to get through to this person for so long *because* he's such an embodiment of so many I used to be around all the time. But such emails only steal my joy. I know what what needs to be done.
@MLClark I’m trying to find ways to reach those folks in my life. I fully support your action - I get the difficult balance it is. I’m focusing my energy on the folks I can have the conversation with. I’m quite concerned to leave them in their echo chamber. Moreincommon.com has a lot of interesting perspectives on this challenge of polarization. My heart is with you and your friend. It’s so painful to have to choose separation.
@Aicila Leaving them in their info silo is indeed the concern; this one moves around more extremist folks, & yet... there's socioeconomic precarity afoot as well. These factors run together (e.g. "temporarily embarrassed millionaires"). I have a tankie in my family who recently declared bankruptcy; their extremist politics is a ledge they hold to for a sense of worth they can't find elsewhere. But I have so much writing to do for broader audiences; the one-on-one rebuttals consume too much time.
@MLClark thank you. & we can’t do everything so we have to pick what we can do. Hopefully all together it will be enough to make a difference. & if not, at least I like the folks I’m chilling with :)
@Aicila (And energy, and emotional stability. Thank you for your kind words! I hope this message is finding you at the start of a better week as well.)