I’m honestly baffled by what just happened after my last post. I shared a story about someone very close to me, and how proud I am of them for finding the courage to embrace their identity. I thought it was important to stand up for people who are often misunderstood or dismissed, especially during Pride Month. But it seems like things quickly took a turn I didn’t expect.
The response to my post was honestly overwhelming mostly in a negative way. I was downvoted into oblivion, and some people seemed to think it was all just bait. Which… I didn’t expect at all. My friend’s story is real, and it’s personal. She’s someone who’s gone through a lot of internal struggles and has found a sense of peace and authenticity that I truly admire. Yet, when I tried to share that, it seems some of you Lemmings didn’t take it well. I’ve been trying to make sense of it. I genuinely don’t understand why people would respond this way when the post was meant to be supportive. The level of hostility and outright rejection was… well, surprising. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a strong pushback against people embracing their identities, but to this extent? It’s disheartening.
For context: my friend has been a vocal supporter of multiple marginalized communities, and I’ve seen firsthand how hard she’s worked to validate and support others, especially those who are trans and transracial. To see her courage being attacked like this just doesn’t sit right with me. What happened to just supporting people, regardless of how they identify or how their experience manifests? I understand that not everyone may agree with certain perspectives, but the extreme negativity seems out of place. I thought this community was about empathy, openness, and understanding. When did it become acceptable to shut people down for sharing their lived experiences? Anyway, I’m not here to start any fights, I just want to understand. Why is it that when someone stands up for themselves and others, they’re immediately dismissed or vilified? What happened to kindness and mutual respect?
I think the question should be “Why is lemmy like the rest of the internet?”
Lemmy is no better or worse than any other social site on the web. You will find communities that are at either extreme end of trans acceptance and you’ll find middle-ground. If you are not in a walled-garden community, you are going to get the very vocal of both ends of the spectrum. That is the same as anywhere else on the internet.
The people that aren’t either enraged or extremely aligned with your post are likely not going to take the time to comment. You get the leftovers and often, those people are not people that represent the average Joe or Jane.
I think it’s good that you share your thoughts and experience but I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about those that make it their duty to make light of it or discount it.
It’s just that I got the impression that Lemmy is generally trans-friendly, and the post was in the Offmychest community on .world. It is Pride Month after all, so I figured with all the support my friend has offered to trans identities lately, and stood up for them despite the harsh backlash she has received online as a result of that, the post would’ve been more well-received. To me it is very scary that people would see a post praising and validating trans identities and immediately downvote it and proverbially shit on it, and only getting radio silence or insults when I politely ask them to explain why they didn’t like my post.
Some or most of us are, but the shit heads are loud everywhere
You should check out Beehaw. It’s built on the Lemmy platform but the owners and mods are very much trying to build what you describe.
I’ll look into it. Thanks.
I disagree. I recommend .ml or hexbear for you. Ones by a lemmy dev, and the other seems exactly what you’re looking for. They’re very inclusive… Wish you the best.