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posted ago by MookMook ago by MookMook +100 / -3

While I agree that using their own tactics against them has been hilarious, I don't think we should engage any longer. Stooping to their level and using their "rules" gives them some level of credibility even if you're using it to mock them. Don't let them drag you down to their pitiful level.

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brother_seamus 3 points ago +3 / -0

Here's why I disagree:

  1. The current iteration is pretty good because it's kind of a gold mine of funny, so it's going to gather people just in it for a laugh. But, it's going to amass a crazy amount of sincere sounding bullshit: We are real and are valid! Your words are hurting us and it's damaging.

  2. If it keeps going, at some point, some rando is going to go his kids' school and ask why Super Straight isn't being covered by the text that teaches about the spectrum and the trans and the whatnot. So, the school admin will, of course, respond, "Because it's not a real thing, just a made up transphobic or white supremacist make-believe." So, our hero will reply, "Oh, no, no, no. It's not made up. Who told you that? I'm super straight, and so is my wife."

No matter what comes next, it's a nightmare for the sexual identity politician:

On the one hand, going into the weeds explaining to someone that their preferred sexual identity is invalid (or worse, valid but not worth teaching) is an absolute minefield. Saying something offensive is a near certainty, and that's gonna get you cancelled by the superstraightphobes. Actually, engaging at all is lending credence, so that's already a cancel.

On the other hand, not engaging is going to get you cancelled by the superstraightphobes as well. I mean, those guys are just looking for some reason to be offended, so now they're going to be offended by our hypothetical politician not standing up trans lives and not telling this transphobic parent that his hate isn't welcome there.

It's a delicious catch-22. It just has to be properly aimed-- it has to be aimed at policy makers.

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brother_seamus 1 point ago +1 / -0

I think about it more, the only acceptable answer is to come back hard, "Hate has no home here". Even pleading the fifth is bad news. But, while that kind of virtue signaling is easy to do in couched in the anonymity of twitter, it's pretty difficult IRL.