The issue is, there are a large amount of people "JAQ"ing off (Just Asking Questions), sealioning and trolling. And no amount of engagement and discussion with those folk will change their minds, because they’re not open to that. And worse than that, it also normalises the idea that trans rights, trans identities etc are up for debate. So these sorts of engagements do harm, by making folk more comfortable airing “mild” anti trans opinions.

And of course, not everyone engaging in these discussions and topics is doing so in bad faith. Some people can be turned around. But research has shown that even when folk are acting in good faith, they still have a tendency to double down on harmful opinions when challenged, because facts don’t change minds. Emotions do. So until we can know the outcome before engagement, we’re more likely to make things worse than better.

And that’s why on blahaj.zone, it’s a non starter. Blahaj zone communities are intended to be safe spaces, where folk can get away from discussions about whether we deserve the same rights as other folk, and whether our identities are real, and whether it’s ok to exclude us from parts of society. We explicitly do not have the goal of educating people, because that is a huge emotional burden, that doesn’t really pay off most of the time.

If you want to change minds, the ways to do it are in the immediate social circles around you. The people that know you are the most likely to be “brought around” and they will be brought around by you simply existing on their radar, and making emotional space for you. The other way to do it is social friction. Protests, shutdowns, pushbacks etc. These are especially effective when they come from allies. Basically, when you make a social context in which trans discriminatory positions have negative repercussions, people are less likely to voice those opinions, and the opinions are less likely to be normalised.

The goal of blahaj.zone spaces is to create exactly that social context. And honestly, I think that banning someone who holds misinformed, but harmful opinions is more likely to change their mind, than a civil debate. It’s a low chance either way, but at least banning them sends a clear message.

"I'm pro trans but, there are some things I'm not 100% onboard with" is met with "Harsh criticism & Ban" 

its okay to be confused and want to learn, but ignorance is not an excuse for bigotry and most of us gender non conforming folk here are not particularly interested in justifying our existence and rights to the masses. we come here to be ourselves, so we appreciate the efforts of the admins who create a space for us and keep the bigots out. if you get banned from blahaj.zone i can say with reasonable certainty that due diligence was done to ensure it was a transphobe or other bigot, not somebody who does not deserve it.

Yesterday thousands of trans youth in my county lost access to therapy and gender affirming healthcare because the largest provider in the county, LA Children’s Hospital, closed its trans clinic.

Just to put in context what the people who are being ‘unreasonable’ about ‘imperfect allies’ are dealing with right now.

Anyone who wants to put steam behind the Trump admin yanking healthcare from thousands of vulnerable youth, including by trying to push trans rights into the ‘debatable’ sphere, can walk into the fucking sea. Anyone who sees this shit happening and decides the way to react is by debating trans rights is either happy it’s happening or so incredibly ignorant that reading basic trans 101 resources would answer every ‘concern’ they have instead of making trans people justify themselves over. And over. And over again.

We are not theoretical debate topics, we are people and they are trying to kill us by getting rid of our healthcare.

I so often see people harshly criticize and alienate people that are mostly on their side, and might in the near future be fully on their side.

If someone is acting like a bigot and not willing to take criticism about that, I don’t think that it necessarily follows that what’s needed is for minorities impacted to stop being critical.