Checking for my RSS, tripping over ally hurdles
One of the things I've been doing lately is keeping a look out for places to fill my already full RSS. Mainly because my RSS is split up into sections. There's the “Come here any time, it's probably going to be ok” at the top (this has a side group: “Site won't hurt, subject matter will”), followed by the “Generally good, but there's going to be regular or semi-regular heterosexism” then the “Good info, but there's a huge chance it's going to hurt” then “No chance about it. This will hurt” and lastly the “HERE BY DRAGONS! Homophobes abound, don't go there!” (And after that there's homophobes without any possibility of redeeming content. But they obviously don't get on the RSS at all).
It's one of my ways of trying to keep out of the line of fire when I'm not feeling especially strong or mentally sound. I can tailor my browsing to my mental strength and chance of collapsing nastily. Anyway, recently I did a big reassess and moved a lot of sites and blogs down (some of them falling off the bottom) because I was giving far too much repeated benefit of the doubt to places that gave me grey hairs but were sure to wave their past laurels around every damn second. So, the top two slots of my RSS have been severely denuded and I was doing a scout for more and I came across a post and comment thread that just epitomised so many ally headaches.
The OP: I was so religious and I totally hated gay people! They were sinners sinners! But then I realised that I was wrong! Gays are ok!
Commenter 1: Oh you are such a wonderful person!
Commeter 2: you're sooo brave uh-huh
Commenter 3: Exactly! It's only Jesus who gets to judge, not us! (*side-eye* no-one judges me for being gay)
Commenter 4: Let he without sin cast the first stone (hey, you too - my being gay isn't a sin and you say it is I'm going to throw the first, second and third rock)
OP: Oh you're all so wonderful
Comment 2: And brave!
Commenter 5: I don't hate gays as well!
Commenter 3: So wonderful!
Commenter 2: And brave!
Commenter 4: Am I wonderful?!
Op: Yes we're all wonderful!
Commenter 2: And brave!
Commenter 5: Why can't everyone be as good allies like we are?
(I'm paraphrasing a little. Suffice to say there follows what could crudely be called an ally circle-jerk about how wonderful and brave everyone is. I managed to keep my dinner down. Just).
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It's one of my ways of trying to keep out of the line of fire when I'm not feeling especially strong or mentally sound. I can tailor my browsing to my mental strength and chance of collapsing nastily. Anyway, recently I did a big reassess and moved a lot of sites and blogs down (some of them falling off the bottom) because I was giving far too much repeated benefit of the doubt to places that gave me grey hairs but were sure to wave their past laurels around every damn second. So, the top two slots of my RSS have been severely denuded and I was doing a scout for more and I came across a post and comment thread that just epitomised so many ally headaches.
The OP: I was so religious and I totally hated gay people! They were sinners sinners! But then I realised that I was wrong! Gays are ok!
Commenter 1: Oh you are such a wonderful person!
Commeter 2: you're sooo brave uh-huh
Commenter 3: Exactly! It's only Jesus who gets to judge, not us! (*side-eye* no-one judges me for being gay)
Commenter 4: Let he without sin cast the first stone (hey, you too - my being gay isn't a sin and you say it is I'm going to throw the first, second and third rock)
OP: Oh you're all so wonderful
Comment 2: And brave!
Commenter 5: I don't hate gays as well!
Commenter 3: So wonderful!
Commenter 2: And brave!
Commenter 4: Am I wonderful?!
Op: Yes we're all wonderful!
Commenter 2: And brave!
Commenter 5: Why can't everyone be as good allies like we are?
(I'm paraphrasing a little. Suffice to say there follows what could crudely be called an ally circle-jerk about how wonderful and brave everyone is. I managed to keep my dinner down. Just).
Read More