GC coward needs help with a toolkit

[teawamutu]

I've been reading and posting and getting more and more concerned but I haven't done anything outside mumsnet - concerns for job etc.

But I can't keep reading and feeling horrified, I've got to do something.

Social media with new account seems the first step - but it occurred to me that some material to share would be a good addition to retweeting and arguing. If there is any I'd love a pointer, if not maybe the collective genius of fwr could do something?

Crap example of what I was thinking about here.

Sandy could do some much more awesome ones, there are plenty of news stories (Karen White, Rachel mckinnon etc) where you just need a screenshot and hashtag. Or maybe just #selfID?

As a fellow coward, I have never posted a single GC thing on social media ( I think of MN as a forum and therefore different). I am not going to either. Stuff on social media hits people at the wrong time, can feel intrusive and upsetting without imo ever being very persuasive.

I have shared GC opinions in conversations with book club, friends and fellow professionals. I am also going to meet with my MP. There people are consenting to a conversation and it's much easier to stay respectful while making your own case in s much better way imo.

TL:Dr - it's not compulsory to throw yourself into a bearpit if talking to the ranger will achieve the same thing.

Ha, good point and I have also been mentally preparing my pitch to my (v unpleasant) MP. Going to check his surgery times tonight.

I think it's safer just chatting to people in real life. I think almost everyone i know in the real world thinks it's all bonkers.

Liking newspaper reports on Facebook will also mean more people see them... due to Facebook algorithms. It's pretty safe. No one can do you for doing an angry react to a Karen white or Marie Dean story. Who wouldn't be angry about those.

In real life tends to be friendlier than online life, because you're talking to people who presumably already know you. Online is sort of interesting - the true believers dogpile, but you may be pleasantly surprised that the strength of feeling is generally limited to a few people deep in queer theory, and they have less real support than they think, and there are a lot of people who have actually been biting their tongue on mildly GC views for a while.

'TERF' has less power offline than I think the extremists realise. I've definitely been in the situation where it's the behaviour and vehemence with which activists attack me that drives people over to the dark side (we have cake, we actually put in the wifework to learn to make good ones...). They are asking for too much - most 'normal-woke' people aren't aware that we're supposed to completely eliminate sex from our vocabulary - but that message hasn't reached activists yet so they keep betraying themselves.

Obviously it remains to your judgement and of course don't feel bad if you are unable to speak out for whatever reason - whether because of your job, possibility of losing social support, or just plain worry. Look after number one. You can't fight the good fight if you're drowning in stress.