Thread by @QOrigins

I generally stay out of The Discourse™, but a bunch of antifascist accounts have been big mad at my friend Amanda today, on the grounds that she was infiltrating fascist movements *in the wrong way.*

I've read the critiques.

There is a 0% chance they'd say this about a man.

Zero

per

cent.

And what are the giveaways? The critiques are both vague *and* unsupported by facts. One account, e.g., claimed that REAL infiltrators coordinate with researchers -- which Amanda did; I can personally attest to that -- and local antifascists (she did that too!).

So... it's weird to make those claims, especially without trying to find out the truth! It's...

It's almost as if they're looking at a woman getting lots of publicity for doing the same kind of work *they* do, and going: "What? What? How DARE *she* be more visible than *me?*"

It's petty, ridiculous, and clearly informed by sexism -- a LOT of the criticism of her implies (or just outright claims) that she slept with fascists.

Women in this field get a lot of bullshit sexist trolling from the right, of course. And when it's FROM THE RIGHT, we have no trouble identifying what its function is: they're trying to harass and punish these women for daring to be visible.

When it's from the left? Same thing.

I hate to say it, but: same. fuckin'. thing.

I hope the people in question can recognize that, aw shit, they WERE unfair to Amanda on the basis of a kneejerk reaction, and retract or apologize.

But even more, I hope they *DON'T DO IT NEXT TIME.*

OK, now I've said my piece.