Replying to Avatar river

I really want to cut through the noise of this discourse and get at something you said, which I found really interesting. Mainly the idea of gender theory as envisioned by Judith Butler and others, becoming integrated into this emerging new capitalist order. It is perfectly true, in my estimation, that queer theory has no revolutionary impetus for addressing or challenging the system. I'm not discussing about the traditionalist system or the fascist system (which it definitely can subvert), but the essence of capital unleashed in the late 20th century. Queer theory and queerness has been absorbed by the system as has many other alternative lifestyles and counter-cultural movements throughout the 60s and 70s. With that being the case, we cannot dismiss the entire subject, but perhaps address the ways in which capital tries to subvert certain elements of queer theory that unleash new desires that can be exploited by capitalism. I'm sure it is very hard to see something that you truly believe has revolutionary potential go this path, but you must never forget that the arms and tentacles of capital stretch deeply into so many facets of society, and that mounting an obstacle towards it is so hard on so many levels these days. From my perspective, the best we can do now is to work towards capital's alignment with these beliefs to create civil liberties through bourgeois democracy. This will not be sufficient in creating large social change, but at the very least it will help to alleviate some of the repression faced by some people in certain contexts. I understand where you’re coming from, I really do. I had to come to terms with this fact last year as well. 🤝

I will have to translate your tweet but ofcourse, if anyone actually got fired from their job for mistaking someone’s pronouns I would be opposed vehemently. I just was familiar with the panic in Canada around C-16 that to my knowledge has never actually happened. We should oppose all forms of inhumane rules and regulations that don’t take nuance into account.

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not only get fired, you know. being canceled is totally against what we used to preach as well, butler was completely against cancel culture, she abhorred it. cuz it’s the typical thing that oppressors do. I don’t wanna be an oppressor. 🥴

Wasn’t butler all about discourse? That undermines that entirely. I think that in cancel culture in the form of mass reporting and outrage comes from a form of slave morality that we should be quick to call out.

look for her "Excitable Speech", it’s all there. totally against it. an excerpt poorly translated: "Stating that certain utterances are always offensive, regardless of context, that carry their contexts with them in ways that are difficult to describe, yet it is not understanding how context is invoked at the moment of utterance". there are more incisive parts I’m not finding rn. but while I agree with you I really don’t see it being called out, not until it’s too late and we’re totally enslaved. that’s the plan. as I’ve written during the pandemic: who is going to fight against control (of the state, of power etc.) if those who used to fight it now are the ones who demand it?

try to translate this article by a friend of mine, lygia maria, we used to protest together when we were kids, now she’s considered an alt-right by brazilian left and most of our friends quit talking to her, she’s columnist of folha de sp (which would make ME stop talking to her, lol) and hated by both sides: https://www.facebook.com/100006566658355/posts/pfbid0arYTpazSwzzXFM2hRUFphG2rEoapq6hb7M2LbzjtxLqsE3JsCXFAaWu2TbYuVXewl/?mibextid=Nif5oz

brazilian left had the audacity to cancel MBEMBE, I mean… wtf is wrong with these people?

That’s not accidentally misgendering that’s just refusing to gender correctly. For decades it was an insult to call a cis-man a “women, girl, sissy, etc.” That’s because it’s straight up disrespectful. And to do that to your students? God no.

Nope. It is refusing to gender INcorrectly.

You know what is disrespectful? Pretending to be something you're not, and then getting people who are actually the thing you're pretending to be fired from their jobs, censored and cancelled for calling you out on your lie.

Besides, calling a man a girl is disrespectful not because he's not a girl. It's disrespectful TO WOMEN because you are implying that women are weak and useless. Your new variety of far-left sexism is just as bad as it ever was when we were told to stay in the kitchen - arguably even worse, because now you're locking us up in there with entitled autogynephiles and pedophiles.

I see this isn’t going anywhere and have a good day. It must be fun holding such strong beliefs about people that don’t actually impact your life in any way.