I don't think this is necessarily an issue only with progressive fandom. An unfortunate social development in the United States over the past 10 or 15 years has been the increasing oversensitivity of the general public in any type of discussion.
I find it reprehensible that you were harassed for saying that it's a good thing that rape can now be discussed openly among consenting adults. To me, discussion of the problems and solutions regarding rape is not the same thing as promoting rape...and it sounds like that's what you were (indirectly?) accused of at one point.
If we can't TALK about problems and challenges, we can't FIX them.
The result is that free speech is under attack whenever the topic happens to be something that offends someone else.
I'm a gay Jewish man, yet I feel the need to support the ACLU supporting American Nazis' right to free speech...because if one group isn't allowed to speak, eventually none of us will be. (Note: This should in no way be construed as an endorsement of American Nazis, who I find reprehensible at best.)
"Oh," the critics cry, "but what about HATE SPEECH?! That MUST be banned!"
Even though I am part of two social groups which are both frequent targets of hate speech, I must admit that I am highly uncomfortable banning any part of speech...because where are the written rules for what constitutes ban-worthy hate speech via non-ban-worthy opinion?
I've yet to see such rules written down, although I would like to think that someone, somewhere has actually defined and published them.
The only answer I've learned on this issue thus far is that there are no specific, easy answers. And that is very sadmaking for me, because it means that each case seems to need to be its own unique struggle for interpretation.
An unfortunate social development in the United States over the past 10 or 15 years has been the increasing oversensitivity of the general public in any type of discussion.
I find it reprehensible that you were harassed for saying that it's a good thing that rape can now be discussed openly among consenting adults. To me, discussion of the problems and solutions regarding rape is not the same thing as promoting rape...and it sounds like that's what you were (indirectly?) accused of at one point.
If we can't TALK about problems and challenges, we can't FIX them.
The result is that free speech is under attack whenever the topic happens to be something that offends someone else.
I'm a gay Jewish man, yet I feel the need to support the ACLU supporting American Nazis' right to free speech...because if one group isn't allowed to speak, eventually none of us will be. (Note: This should in no way be construed as an endorsement of American Nazis, who I find reprehensible at best.)
"Oh," the critics cry, "but what about HATE SPEECH?! That MUST be banned!"
Even though I am part of two social groups which are both frequent targets of hate speech, I must admit that I am highly uncomfortable banning any part of speech...because where are the written rules for what constitutes ban-worthy hate speech via non-ban-worthy opinion?
I've yet to see such rules written down, although I would like to think that someone, somewhere has actually defined and published them.
The only answer I've learned on this issue thus far is that there are no specific, easy answers. And that is very sadmaking for me, because it means that each case seems to need to be its own unique struggle for interpretation.
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I think that's true.
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