Thread by @jessesingal

1/ THREAD ABOUT @gogreen18 AND HOW EVERYONE IS STUPID AND CRUEL:

It's pretty gross that Vox allowed this paragraph by Aja Romano to be published. It warrants a correction. Yes, Laci Green published a video called "TAKING THE RED PILL?," but she explains EXACTLY what she means by

2/ that, and it clearly ISN'T that she's becoming a men's rights activist, let alone an alt-righter. As per this partial transcript, Green clearly explains that she is using the term, which of course existed pre-manosphere and -alt-right, to mean accepting

3/ that the world can be more complicated than it seems. In the rest of the video, she simply argues that certain conservative views shouldn't be seen as beyond the bounds of debate, and critiques certain claims about the connection between speech and harm. No one who

4/ actually watched the video or who is passingly familiar with Green's content could come to the conclusion that she is even *conservative*, let alone "alt-right." She is a liberal, sex-positive feminist. There has been a yearslong attempt by her haters, mostly on social media,

5/ to meme Green as a deeply evil bigot, and to punish not only her for her alleged (nonexistent) bigotry, but also anyone who dares to exhibit support for her. This unpersoning campaign is working, to an extent. Like here: Faced with outrage, the artist Erika Moen,

6/ previously a big enough fan of Green's to support her work in multiple ways, simply disavows her entirely. Tellingly absent from her statement is any, you know, evidence that Green is actually what people say she is -- a bigot and a transphobe. Moen's statement is honest, in a

7/ sense -- she's "deferring" on the question of whether Laci Green is a despicable bigot who shouldn't be supported professionally. What matters is people *say* Green is a bigot and that she has "hurt" them. Never mind that the book she just wrote doesn't contain any bigotry or

8/ transphobia -- details! This is a very dangerous way to decide who gets unpersoned and who doesn't. And it's one thing when social media does it, but another for Vox to jump on the outrage-train. Calling someone an alt-right figure is a SERIOUS accusation, and it's crazy

9/ that Vox leveled it at Green. (Truth be told, my MANY disagreements with Dave Rubin and Ben Shapiro aside, neither of them is alt-right, either, but that's another story.)

Really disappointed with Vox. Really worried that online bullshit is
being treated more and more as

10/truth in mainstream outlets.

More broadly, If Laci fucking Green is a "vicious transphobe" or a "bigot" or "alt-right," then there's hardly any room in progressive politics for anyone. We're screwed.

I promise you: Mortgaging your integrity, your empathy, your intellect, or

11/ your decency for the sake of mindless outrage will not be a winning strategy in the long run, whoever you are or whatever you do.

I'm looking forward to reading Laci Green's book and I hope it sells many, many copies.