I'm going to make a longuer answer later, as I have to leave... just:
I've also talked to a lot of people who said they were afraid to voice any kind of dissenting opinion in these kinds of blogs. And I thought, "Afraid?" Because that's really about the last thing anyone should feel when it comes to expressing their opinion, no matter how potentially offensive their opinion is. (In fairness, some people have also confessed to being intimidated by me, and this is really the last thing I want ever.) I understand that feeling and I think it is unfortunate, BUT! when you're a member of a minority and you see people off-handedly using words and concepts that have been historically (perhaps in your personal history) used to demean, humiliate and terrorise you and in general teach you your place as a lower member of society/a freak/a subhuman... how do you think that make them feel? Or, more importantly, when they dare to voice a complain or a request to not use those words this way and that in answer people flip out at them angrily, call them names, call them slurs, ignore them, dismiss their right to complaint, question their intent ("you're just looking to be offended") (and I have seen all these things happen, sometimes to me), how do you think that make them feel? In general, History and society make a good job at making most members of minorities quite a little bit more than afraid of even making a complaint, even in a frivolous context such as fandom.
Because when that person removed me from her flist in punishment for voicing a complaint the message to me was clearly "how dare even voice such a request! Keep silent or else I won't socialise with you" And it's not the first time I receive such a message. Do you think I wasn't afraid of commenting?
So, no, I don't think it's good that people in general be afraid of voicing an opinion, but if the choice is between people who have more privilege and advantage in society (though no evil of their own, just the way society is biased in their favour) be afraid of using possibly problematic words or of disagreeing in certain blogs/communities, or the members of minorities who are all too often made to keep silent by the systematic discriminative inertia of society be afraid of voicing their anger and suffering when some expressions are used; I know which one I'd pick.
no subject
I've also talked to a lot of people who said they were afraid to voice any kind of dissenting opinion in these kinds of blogs. And I thought, "Afraid?" Because that's really about the last thing anyone should feel when it comes to expressing their opinion, no matter how potentially offensive their opinion is. (In fairness, some people have also confessed to being intimidated by me, and this is really the last thing I want ever.)
I understand that feeling and I think it is unfortunate, BUT! when you're a member of a minority and you see people off-handedly using words and concepts that have been historically (perhaps in your personal history) used to demean, humiliate and terrorise you and in general teach you your place as a lower member of society/a freak/a subhuman... how do you think that make them feel? Or, more importantly, when they dare to voice a complain or a request to not use those words this way and that in answer people flip out at them angrily, call them names, call them slurs, ignore them, dismiss their right to complaint, question their intent ("you're just looking to be offended") (and I have seen all these things happen, sometimes to me), how do you think that make them feel?
In general, History and society make a good job at making most members of minorities quite a little bit more than afraid of even making a complaint, even in a frivolous context such as fandom.
Because when that person removed me from her flist in punishment for voicing a complaint the message to me was clearly "how dare even voice such a request! Keep silent or else I won't socialise with you"
And it's not the first time I receive such a message.
Do you think I wasn't afraid of commenting?
So, no, I don't think it's good that people in general be afraid of voicing an opinion, but if the choice is between people who have more privilege and advantage in society (though no evil of their own, just the way society is biased in their favour) be afraid of using possibly problematic words or of disagreeing in certain blogs/communities, or the members of minorities who are all too often made to keep silent by the systematic discriminative inertia of society be afraid of voicing their anger and suffering when some expressions are used; I know which one I'd pick.