DiscussionWhat are your opinions on the "GC Coming Out Day"?

submitted by reluctant_commenter from self.LGBDropTheT

TLDR: What are your opinions on the "GC Coming Out Day"?

Context: Some people in the "gender critical" (GC) movement have advertised December 19th (today) as a "GC Coming Out Day" where gender critical people are encouraged to "come out of the closet" and be open about their beliefs. Additional context: Graham Linehan blog post / (edit) Example post by James Esses

I'm kind of on the fence about the idea, but am leaning towards supporting it. My hesitance is that I'm not sure it's a fair comparison to use language about "coming out of the closet" when talking about GC beliefs; when LGB people come out, it's not like we can change our sexual orientation later on, we deal with discrimination throughout our lifetimes.

On the other hand, because people with trans-critical views do face discrimination for holding those views-- e.g. Maya Forstater losing her job for holding such views-- increasing visibility of their prevalence among the general population might help to get a dialogue going.

What do you guys think?

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[–]lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian 14 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 0 fun15 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

The main issue I have with it isn't any of the things you mentioned, but instead the danger. I'm not sure who organised this specific day, but it's gonna give TRAs new targets to doxx, so it's maybe not as good as people think it may be.

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's a good point. I think many of us who are critical of gender identity are not open about it because of the real dangers associated with being open about it.

[–]RippoffOfLoveSStraight | Overuses quotation marks 14 insightful - 1 fun14 insightful - 0 fun15 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'm not really ready to risk my job just yet. I do want GC ideas to be more acceptable, but I'm not bold enough to participate myself.

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Same here. There's still so much stigma over it.

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It rubs me the wrong way. Political problems need political solutions. Gender critical political views do not affect your personal life or the people around you with anything near the profundity of sexual orientation. Yes, gender critical views are discriminated against. All dissenting views get treated like this.

Y'all might not be aware, but in the lead up to the 2020 U.S. Presidential election conservative "coming out" videos were a huge trend. I found it shallow and offensive. This is also shallow and offensive.

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Ok, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that reaction. It also kind of rubs me the wrong way. I mean, I totally get that expressing a lack of belief in gender identity would be social suicide for many people... it certainly would be for me... but like, it's just not the same as sexual orientation based discrimination. The homophobia I faced growing up, for example, did a ton of harm to my mental health, not to mention the effects of being in the closet from a very young age... that's something that someone with GC views who isn't LGB just doesn't have to deal with.

Y'all might not be aware, but in the lead up to the 2020 U.S. Presidential election conservative "coming out" videos were a huge trend. I found it shallow and offensive. This is also shallow and offensive.

Yup I remember that. I'm inclined to agree.

[–]Destresse🇨🇵 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't like how "coming out" is used about everything nowadays. There is a difference between having a controversial opinion and being homo/bi-sexual. Being shamed for your values is nothing like being shamed for what you are, so I think the distinction should remain. We're losing enough of our words and culture as it is.

[–]TiredTrendersSuper-gay 8 insightful - 3 fun8 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

This is 100% a honeypot. Bet you my bottom dollar TRAs will doxx to hell and back anyone who participates in this that they abhorr.

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

This is 100% a honeypot.

Hmm, well, I think it was started by someone who was GC, so I don't think it was intended to cause that result, at least. But I agree with your concern, I'm worried about people who posted about it who will probably get doxxed.

[–]TiredTrendersSuper-gay 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Ah, if it indeed was started by someone actually GC, then I agree that their intentions were likely benevolent. But knowing how militant the TRAs are though, sad as it is to say, it'd probably be a bad idea to participate in this event.

So not a net made by the event organizer but moreso a net inadvertently made that the TRAs can exploit for their harassment campaigns.

[–]jjdub7TERF (Trans Exterminating Reactionary Fascist) 6 insightful - 6 fun6 insightful - 5 fun7 insightful - 6 fun -  (0 children)

I do this every time pronouns are requested as part of an introduction.

[–]Rag3 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thought it was a great idea for people who can afford to come out. I participated in my own way by peaking a friend who did not know what was going on.

[–]HelloMomo 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think the term "coming out as X" is a runaway train. Concept creep is a natural part of linguistics. Offensive/flippant or not, I simply don't think there's any way to put that one back in the bottle again.

That being said, I don't think that using the same phase for both things necessarily implies thinking the two things are actually equivalent. If it does now, I think that will become less true over time, as the phrase gets stale and it's connotations change.

[–]MarkJeffersonTight defenses and we draw the line 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, it's not a particularly appropriate use considering how one's views(GC or otherwise) at any time are never a permanent fixture of life. It dilutes the original concept of coming out of the closet, to mean simply publicly revealing anything at all that can increase one's personal risk. Not that many others haven't already exploited this term in considerably more offhand ways.. but it's use here does reinforce the precedent that it's not presumptuous to appropriate yet another specialized term. And there's been a lot of that happening in recent years, as we all know.

[–]Mermer 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Not for me for sure, I want to keep my friends 🙃

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

if you want to be isolated, lose jobs opportunities (that could lead you to have more power to speak out about issues that matters for you) and keep fighting with people full of hatred toward homosexuals that's a good plan

the alternative plan is to just accept the actual situation and shut up wich is excessively painful too so i don't know i would love to openly tell pronoun/morepronouns people to go fuck themselves when they're being clearly homophobic but it would only results in me going insane over the amount of trouble it would bring and i don't need anymore problems resolving around my sexuality

so i'm happy for the people that can afford to flip them freely and i'll celebrate them in my corner

[–]stunaep 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXdU6F0D87M