official J.K. Rowling Threads No Longer Allowed on ATRL

[GraceRandolph]

So instead of enforcing the ZTP and holding users accountable the mods think it’s best to censor topics altogether? 

[Hephaestus]

3 hours ago, Phantom said:

I'm not sure I'm entirely on board with this (simply because though exhausting, I find that the wave of ZTPs following these threads serve a sort of out-with-the-trash kind of utility), but I get it. 

 

I'd also like to discuss if something like this can be in place for the likes of Shapiro, Walsh, Owens, Crowder etc. and other RW demons that have begun being posted a LOT more often on this site now. I still think we should allow threads mocking them (and I think the drags in JKR threads @ her provide a very small, but necessary catharsis for a lot of users, aside from also flushing out the bigots), but overall discussion around these figureheads needs to be limited as well, imo.

 

I'd like to write more about this in detail. Perhaps I can DM you @Ryan or post in the ATHT?

 

Regardless, I think I can see why this is in place, and it makes sense. I'd like to still be able to report, discuss, and mock her abject bigotry but it does strike me that a lot of people just find ways to support it instead... 

2 hours ago, DanDuke said:

I think silencing people to talk about or discuss a particular issue is quite authoritarian. 
 

I don’t agree with JKs views, but debating and challenging viewpoints and societal norms (especially ones that have accelerated rapidly) is a healthy part of humanity. 
 

If we are going to ban threads about JK, then surely we should also ban threads about Kanye West, Azealia Banks and other very problematic celebrities who have also actively attacked minorities. 
 

Ultimately though, this is a music forum so I don’t really care that much but I do think we need to be careful because this decision may lead to larger censorship, which may lead to us all living in an echo chamber. Disagreement is healthy. 

Yeah, while I understand why the decision was made, I agree with both of these takes.

 

I do not support her views, but banning discussions about her statements feels like a "bandaid over a bullet hole" type of situation because users who align wither views will find other public personalities to make threads about.

 

It's also a slippery slope: are only threads about J. K. Rowling banned or about everyone who spews transphobic rhetoric? And what about people who tap into racist, homophobic, misogynistic, etc. discourses? If anything, I feel like those topics helped identify and deal with those users. Just my .

[Mikeymoonshine]

I understand. It's hard for the mods to police so this is probably for the best. I've seen so many people post misinformation on this site and then be praised for it by other anti trans users despite being proven wrong multiple times. You also get a lot of people who pretend they don't agree with transphobia but are just "asking questions" but then go on to push all the same anti trans nonsense. It's a huge problem on here. I don't think this will solve the transphobia issue but it might at least mean we get less incredibly transphobic threads. 

[catsandlabneh]

We love to see it!

[Dephira]

I dont understand at all because now we also aren't allowed to make critical threads about JK Rowling. I guess it technically reduces the number of transphobic comments, but why shouldn’t we discuss transphobic comments made by JK Rowling, just like we can discuss racist/homophobic/etc. comments made by any other celebrity? Basically this just removes her shittiness from sight and makes it seem like there’s nothing problematic about Harry Potters association with her. 

 

Not sure how this helps anything tbh. 

[mellenthin]

7 minutes ago, Dephira said:

I dont understand at all because now we also aren't allowed to make critical threads about JK Rowling. I guess it technically reduces the number of transphobic comments, but why shouldn’t we discuss transphobic comments made by JK Rowling, just like we can discuss racist/homophobic/etc. comments made by any other celebrity? 

Because the discussion goes absolutely nowhere.

[GentleEarthquake]

Wrong move. Idt this will help

[Aristotle]

OK.

Edited March 30 by Aristotle

[Jessie]

2 hours ago, Heartbreak Prince said:

This is a good step. While I’m usually against this type of censorship, people who view themselves as “trans activists” while only ever talking about JK will now need to put their money where their mouths are and do things that actually help the trans community without the lazy virtue signalling.  

You're right why did I not think of this? The only people who care about exposing the vileness of the public face of the anti-trans backlash are these "trans activists" "virtue signalling." Just like the anger from the LGBT community towards other "British icon" public figures like Margaret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse who did their best to halt the advance of our collective rights and legislate / shame us from society. I'm sure if gay forums like ATRL were around then they wouldn't have been dragged on a regular basis. All the virtue signalling these days! 

 

You are so clever 

 

 

Edited March 30 by Jessie

[Almodusa]

Not to be morbid but will the only thread acceptable in the future be about her passing? (I know that could be in decades and this site won’t even be running)

[Betty White]

It's impossible to say anything in her defense without getting WPs so this is for the best 

[Heartbreak Prince]

13 minutes ago, Jessie said:

You're right why did I not think of this? The only people who care about exposing the vileness of the public face of the anti-trans backlash are these "trans activists" "virtue signalling." Just like the anger from the LGBT community towards other "British icon" public figures like Margaret Thatcher and Mary Whitehouse who did their best to halt the advance of our collective rights and legislate / shame us from society. I'm sure if gay forums like ATRL were around then they wouldn't have been dragged on a regular basis. All the virtue signalling these days! 

 

You are so clever 

 

 

Thanks sis! But in all honesty, you're not understanding what I'm getting at. There are a lot of people who are not trans, whether on this forum or on other social media platforms, who only ever post about JK and do nothing to help the trans community. Prime example, before Hogwarts Legacy came out, all they kept saying was "don't buy the game, boo hiss boo" but now that it's out and smashed records, it's crickets from them about what they're doing to help bolster the trans community that will actually help them. You cannot claim to care about trans people when you're only doing the easy stuff like posting about a game. Now that there's a ban on talking about JK on here, people will now no longer have the easy way out posting things like "omg she's so terrible" then doing....nothing else. That's what I meant.

Edited March 30 by Heartbreak Prince

[Mr. Blue_Shirt]

It's about time, honestly 

[BOOMBAYAH]

Where does this censorship stop if we’re now banning the discussion of problematic public figures? And why has it started with JKR? 

[LustSpell]

I feel as if this isn't gonna do much - the people who would get banned for being loud and disgusting about their transphobia are now going to be silent scheming transphobic **** behind the scenes, which I think is much worse  

Edited March 30 by LustSpell

[Headlock]

4 hours ago, CaptainMusic said:

The problem is that very few people’s viewpoints are changed in those threads, there’s always a number of transphobic comments in them and members agreeing with or praising her when it’s beyond clear she has a vendetta against trans people.

 

Threads should be allowed so people can continue to expose their transphobic views and in turn get banned, otherwise now we’ll just have more bigots posting.

This issue is also that multiple obviously transphobic users are getting smarter about how/what they post to avoid bans while still making their opinions known, and also try and warp the conversation into “gays silencing women” 

 

Edit: Case in point:

 

Edited March 30 by Headlock

[Black Jesus]

10 minutes ago, BOOMBAYAH said:

Where does this censorship stop if we’re now banning the discussion of problematic public figures? And why has it started with JKR? 

Censorship? Stop being dramatic. Those threads are full of transphobic discussions. Transphobia isn't allowed on this forum, therefore banning threads that encourage discussion of transphobia is justified. Plenty of other transphobic sites you can go to if you're a transphobe. 

[Insanity]

I told yall to stop giving this woman attention she desperately craves 

[Headlock]

32 minutes ago, Betty White said:

It's impossible to say anything in her defense without getting WPs so this is for the best 

Another example 

[#Beautiful]

1 minute ago, Headlock said:

Another example 

there was a worse one by an user named Lara Croft saying that this is a good thing because JK was only defending real women  but they hid their comment or I can't find it anymore, it was on this page

[Black Jesus]

5 minutes ago, Insanity said:

I told yall to stop giving this woman attention she desperately craves 

This as well. I don't understand why this woman keeps making headlines. She's not relevant anymore so who cares. 

[Headlock]

1 minute ago, #Beautiful said:

there was a worse one by an user named Lara Croft saying that this is a good thing because JK was only defending real women  but they hid their comment or I can't find it anymore, it was on this page

You can send a help request about it, mods can see hidden posts 

[#Beautiful]

Just now, Headlock said:

You can send a help request about it, mods can see hidden posts 

I reported the comment while it was still up, they can do whatever they wish about it. But hey they already fixed the issue because discussions about this woman won't be permitted on the forum anymore at all so transphobia won't exist anymore according to them 

[Headlock]

1 minute ago, Black Jesus said:

This as well. I don't understand why this woman keeps making headlines. She's not relevant anymore so who cares. 

She unfortunately is relevant though, just not in the realm of fantasy books/movies. She has placed herself on the frontlines of the current war against trans people (and by extension all LGBTQ+ people), which is obviously relevant everywhere but particularly on this site. However, we already have multiple examples of members who agree with her posting in this very thread ABOUT the problem with transphobia in her threads and on ATRL, if that isn’t a perfect example of the problems on JK threads I don’t know what is.

[Pop]

 

 

Thank you for standing on the side of the trans community. 🏳️‍⚧️