the past. we had such hard core, kick ass, loud feminists on du.

[seabeyond]

i was thinking about the years past, and we had women that knew their stuff. they put up with no shit. they were loud, educated, experienced in feminism. they were pure pleasure and a joy to listen to.

i miss them so much. so many have been kicked off the site. so many voice has been silent.

i was thinking, du has well melbatoasted the feminist community. those today think we are all that? nuthin' compared to the voice of the past.

so i further thought. i bet the gay community feels the same. i do not know for sure, so i ask. have you lost so many members, where your presence is just not felt or a part, like the past?

and the black community? do you feel the same?

has our minority groups, those that have had the least voice, those that took on the racism and sexism and homophobia... have we lost so many that on du, it is now just... plain?

i loved those women in all their abrasiveness, knowledge, strength. they taught me so much. in agreement and disagreement.

[ismnotwasm]

1. I think during the Prop 8 we fiasco lost good members

From the black and Gay communities. I know the more vocal Gay members talk about a gay purge from that time. I feel like AA members are less, but those a really good questions. I hope you get answers from those communities

Sea, the feminists left. I know a few were PPR'd, but most just walked away without a word, unless it was in a thread. The rise of other social media allowed them to find feminist friendly places. Remember Bliss eternal? We often exchanged pm's. The Ridiculous MRA's sealed the deal-- they make no sense whatsoever, but are good at derailing topics. It's one of the reasons I was so upset that anti- choice views are allowed here. First you have misgoynist assholes of one variety and then an another variety of asshole who thinks women shouldn't have human rights. I'm just glad the feminist groups exist.

[Tien1985]

2. Great gay purge

From a few years before I officially became a member. It was bad enough that I stopped reading here for a while.

[ismnotwasm]

3. It was bad and heartbreaking

I stayed mostly in the feminist forum at that time-- as I stay mostly here now--but even I took a break.

So much ugliness and pain.

[Arcanetrance]

4. I promise as long as I post on here I will be a strong allied voice

and work hard to make this place more hospitable of feminist ideals

[ismnotwasm]

5. +1

[seabeyond]

9. thank you arcane and everyones voice is wonderful. i even like my own, lol. but...

we had some real badass women. abrasive, harsh and fun. none of us could meet their level of offensive. i love. was just missing them. i got to be the one that would lighten stuff up, ect... coddle.

[Arcanetrance]

16. Sadly it seems alot of them were gone before I joined

But new voices attempt to fill the voices lost and maybe with time some older voices will come back if we can change the climate here

[seabeyond]

17. the jury hide system would chew them up and spit them out. i am NICE and civil, lol

(really, i am mostly) and it does me. they wouldnt last under the jury system. offensive crap can be posted. but cant offend those that cheer the offensive. that is very very challenging for some of us.

wrap it up in a pretty bow, if one dares to challenge the offensive. how the hell can anyone have any honesty in conversation if we have to make the offensive pretty, in order to not offend.

[Arcanetrance]

18. I have noticed it is difficult to call bullshit on bullshit

Without it getting hidden

[xulamaude]

19. We all must be tied up in a pretty bow

in order to BE it seems. It really doesn't matter at all that our real, valid, personal physical integrity/life or death concerns have been used as, at best, joke material.

Sad.

[seabeyond]

20. must be palatable for consumption, or ... hide. how does one make rape pretty. or selling soiled

panties of children, to grown men to get off on. or rape porn for men to get off on.

i do not know how to talk about those things "nicely" so it is easily digested by our guys....

[xulamaude]

21. Well, that's just it isn't it?

How long must women spoon feed basic human (female) rights to people who are at least physically old enough to feed themselves?

Sad.

[seabeyond]

22. spoon feed basic human (female) rights to people who are at least physically old enough to feed

themselves?

right on....

[seabeyond]

23. not their mama. i already played that role and my boys know how to feed themselves, lmao. nt

[BainsBane]

6. I haven't been around long enough to miss these women

and I have no doubt we are missing out on a lot. I happen to think I'm pretty kick as on some of these issues though.

[seabeyond]

10. no insult to you, or me, or arcane, or ism or any of us. that is not the point. and

it may come out as if it was. read the post above i wrote to arcane.

and really a lot of people probably had a tough time with them.... but, they had their uniqueness.

[BainsBane]

11. I definitely miss Red Queen and Helen Reddy

I didn't know the others though.

[seabeyond]

15. ya. nt

[Tumbulu]

7. I miss them too!

In fact sometimes I go back to the old DU and read posts. How these people educated me!

I don't know about the groups mentioned in your post, but we lost so so many in the Astrology, Spirituality and Alternative Healing Group. There are hardly any left. And they were banned for the silliest reasons as well.

[seabeyond]

12. really? i didnt know. nt

[xulamaude]

8. As a woman who has been hanging around DU

since... hell... 2006 at least and I have to say (before our 'friends' have me ts'd) that I miss those voices too.

BUT there are still women like you, Sea who keep digging/thinking/expressing

AND women like BainsBain who do every girl and woman who reads here the great service of laying out women's issues in plain language that ANYONE over the age of 12 should easily grasp and embrace and who will not accept deliberate obfuscation as an answer?

Although many of us have been silenced over the years, we still see you and respect you and support you. Remember that always.

XM

[BainsBane]

13. Thanks for your support

[xulamaude]

24. You're welcome but

really, really thank you for hanging in and speaking for those who can't for whatever reason.

Your voice is the voice of millions.

Again, thank you.

[seabeyond]

14. ahhhhh...

whomever.... now, just that much more.

thank you

[gopiscrap]

37. welcome to DU

[In_The_Wind]

38. Hello ~ xulamaude

[img][/img] Welcome back.

[xulamaude]

41. It's nice to be welcomed by folks

who are not normally contributors to this forum.

Makes me feel special.

[In_The_Wind]

42. Every DUer is special.

I read the threads in this forum very often.

[xulamaude]

43. As I said, it's nice

thank you

[Tuesday Afternoon]

25. where is RedQueen?

[seabeyond]

26. not only is she woman, she is a minority. one asshole on du, dont know who, compared what she was

saying to the KKK. it bothered her. and jury let it stand. that bothered her even more. again, callin out the offensive, and she si compared to KKK and our community standard let it stand.

she gave du a finger, for a time i hope. i hope she will be back.

but. when you are a minority and a white guy compares you to the KKK it is pretty damn offensive.

oh oh, then she told the guy fuck you, or something and got a hide, lol. that is right. i forgot. totally offensive.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

27. sheesh.

so wrong. so bad.

thanks for telling me.

is she on FB, do you know?

[seabeyond]

28. she is. but she didnt friend me. lol. so highschool. nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

29. well, I wish her well ... no matter. I remember Requeen from long ago. -

I wonder can you name some of the ones ... in honor ... because after what I saw in that thread today ...

I just think that something is very wrong, very off.

I think minorities ~are~ losing ground.

I think the Democratic Party should be aware and not get sloppy just because they think the R's have lost it to the teabaggers.

Does not mean that we still can't lose next year.

I mean we should do it because it is the right thing to do but, as a party we should do it because if we don't we will lose elections.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. .

In silent memory.

[seabeyond]

31. well.... i am going to have to start a thread soon, on the whole.... silent thing. ya.

but redq, lol

she has quite a network of feminists she enjoys. she is probably all this



i have her email. i will get in touch with her in time. breaks are good.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

32. ha. Great Gif !!

[xulamaude]

33. If RQ is dancing like that

then I'd like to join her!

RQ =

[seabeyond]

34. will is more my man....

[seabeyond]

35. hugzzz....

bedtime.

[xulamaude]

36. Likewise - and do dream of funky fun

dancing with friends!

We shall see if I survive the night.

[One_Life_To_Give]

39. System weeds out the Passionate

Like sprinters in a marathon they burn brightly before being exhausted.

Been following DU since before Gore's election was stolen. I have witnessed many passionate people come and go. Most of whom left in frustration from the constant struggle. DU and the world have alot of momentum. Like a great ship it doesn't change course readily. Those expecting quick change seem to burn themselves out.

[seabeyond]

40. even if they have the wear-with-all.... they get snuff. lol. the candle. lol.

passion. thank you for the right word. that is absolutely it

[NuclearDem]

44. It's like I've said before about the party as a whole and women

Women's issues are used as a wedge and a defining issue to separate the Democrats and Republicans. Those issues end up getting locked away in a breakable glass container labelled "Break in case of election." It's only ever truly brought to the forefront when a seat opens up and the party can use a Republican's anti-woman stance against them and score a political victory.

When it involves other Democrats and progressives, it becomes a wedge issue and accusations start to fly over "ideological purity" and feminists wanting to undermine Democrats. It's the same thing with civil liberties, war, LGBT rights, and support for the 99%. If anyone dares criticize Hillary on TPP, or Obama on the NSA or Syria, people knee jerk and accuse issues advocates of hating their politician of choice.

That said, I have been noticing something of a change with DU when it comes to dealing with misogyny, and it's that juries tend to be more forceful when it comes to dealing with bad posts. Pab got shown the door, and some really nasty misogynistic posts have gotten unanimous hides. It's hardly perfect, and there certainly is a contingent that works against feminist issues, but overall I think the environment is changing.

[smirkymonkey]

45. Just to let you all know, I don't post a lot, but I so appreciate you all speaking up to

the obnoxious and ubiquitous sexism here on DU. It is a tireless and thankless chore sometimes. I think I will start chiming in more. Not that most of these jerks will ever allow it to sink in.