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Editor’s note: This column first appeared on the blog reality’s last stand.
Recently, I was reminded of how easy silence is in America today.
published article I posted on Medium about the impact of transgender inclusion on the rights of women and lesbians. I felt it was a timely subject, and as a gay woman of color, I am deeply concerned about this issue. So you can imagine my shock when, less than 24 hours after the article was posted, Medium’s Trust and Safety team removed it for violating our community rules. Additionally, I was warned that repeated violations could result in account suspension.
my crime? Posting “hateful content”.
By the way, Medium has over 1,000 followers and nearly 70 articles published. I graduated from Harvard Law School Foundation Advisory Board Against Intolerance and Racism.I published author and TEDx speaker. Much of my writing focuses on bringing people together around shared values and interests. I have never been accused of defending a hateful position.
Universities and publishers warn about Ernest Hemingway’s ‘graphic’ fishing scene and ‘attitude’
There are many ironies in this case, but the most important one is that I have spent much of my life feeling invisible and voiceless.
Defending the sacred right to free speech is neither easy nor painless. It demands our constant vigilance and selflessness. What we defend for ourselves, we must be willing to defend for others, even those we vehemently disagree with.
Growing up black and gay in the ’70s and ’80s was an alienating and often heartbreaking experience. Thankfully, things have changed as America has begun to reckon with its insidious legacy of racism, sexism, and homophobia. The barrier has crumbled down. I opened my heart and mind.
I have a career as a lawyer in the entertainment industry and have a white partner and a biracial son. We are a predominantly white and Christian state, happily living a different lifestyle. The last 20 years have empowered me and given me a voice.
But now I fear I am in danger of losing my voice. I fear that I and millions of other women are becoming invisible, not at the hands of right-wing extremists, but at the hands of those who promote tolerance and inclusion.
I started “sex transitioning” at 16. I was lied to badly.now i want justice
Content curators at Medium removed my post for ‘depriving'[ed]and to exclude others on the basis of “protected characteristics,” in short A biological male who identifies as female. Yet they had no hesitation in disenfranchising or excluding me. three “Protected” groups — from the community.
Furthermore, I was silenced for expressing my belief that the inclusion of biological men in women’s sports, prisons, and other historically protected spaces could potentially compromise the rights and safety of biological women and lesbians. But the very act of taking my article off the platform was evidence of the alienation I lamented in it.
When I shared the incident with a leftist friend, she warned that right-wing extremists were creating a dangerous environment for transgender Americans. This is definitely true, but I am not a right wing extremist. Why should my concerns be confused with fringe people who have nothing in common with me? If an article raising thoughtful concerns on behalf of a protected group is characterized as “hateful content,” what are the criteria for hatefulness?
You don’t have to be gay, women, or people of color to understand the danger this poses to all Americans.if the boundary As banned speech continues to grow, anyone who disagrees with us may be silenced. All they have to do is call us “hate.”not yet If we live in constant fear of hurting others, how long will it take us to be too scared to say anything? everything?
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Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished rights. A free and open marketplace for ideas is what makes this country unique. It has enabled groundbreaking innovations and ideas, empowering historically disenfranchised groups. Given my unique background and experience, free speech holds a special place in my heart. Where would I be now if I could no longer hear voices that made others uncomfortable?
But defending this sacred right is neither easy nor painless. It demands our constant vigilance and selflessness. What we defend for ourselves, we must be willing to defend for others, even those we vehemently disagree with.
Unfortunately, more and more social media platforms aren’t committed to the hard work. They seem willing to sacrifice their freedom of speech if it makes others uncomfortable, even if those who express themselves have spent most of their lives feeling uncomfortable (and often still do). They do not realize that the lofty goals of tolerance and inclusion become performative when confined to those with favorable agendas. Selective tolerance and inclusion are not progressive.They are Regressive.
For the time being, I will write with a question mark above my head. Will I be branded as TERF if I continue to advocate for women’s and lesbian rights? Will my next article be an “article” that will hurt others and terminate my account?
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All I know for sure is that this is not how people live in a free society. If we can spend billions of dollars fighting for the freedom of people in other countries, we will surely find the courage to defend this precious right at home.
Spend less time talking about tolerance and inclusion and more time practicing it.