Posts by efjbgc@denton.social
(DIR) Post #ATXycmGBT8tUtkDYrA by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-03-12T17:53:17Z
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Physical violence by the oppressed is a proportional response to systemic violence by fascists. Punch nazis on sight, be generous with the pepper spray, shoot first. This is not an escalation.
(DIR) Post #AUfE2W7UePrM3Mk6oy by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-04-15T03:43:52Z
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Help a comrade get back into housing!
(DIR) Post #AUy0qmhTEWRQdfbaj2 by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-04-24T00:04:33Z
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(DIR) Post #AYptA12s5tM4OCzysa by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-08-17T22:03:32Z
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Lots of skilled martial artists have zero idea how to teach self defense or even give actively harmful advice. Look for: Simple and intuitive techniques that are easy to learn, honest discussion about the effects of adrenaline, recognition that there are no one size fits all answers. Unless you want to devote serious time to martial arts, avoid complex techniques that require muscle memory, overly prescriptive "if A then B" responses to scenarios, classes that focus too much on fighting
(DIR) Post #AYsiiAQVCni5JD0uIK by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-08-19T07:29:32Z
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@tomjennings @OwenWight Yeah it's definitely always nice to be validated by people who know what they're talking about :)
(DIR) Post #AZidQ4LASvALo2umOG by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-09-13T06:18:51Z
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@via @winter We'll admit we didn't know the context when we shared that thread; we're pretty ignorant of a lot of Fediverse community goings-on except for what we get secondhand in our own small feed. Re-reading the thread we shared with a little more context, it still feels like a generally productive conversation of why Black folks feel unsafe in the fediverse, and ways we can change that without having to ignore trans issues, like how they gave examples of productive versus unproductive criticismWe'll avoid getting too deep into an analysis of the thread in question, to avoid having the effect of talking over the Black poster, but it's definitely very true that, when a Black person says or does something problematic, there's a tendency for white folks to all jump on them in a way that, while it might have been caused by an actual issue, can have an effect of "everyone get em" that makes other POC feel unsafe in that space. This can be true even if the exact same reaction from the community would have been fine had the transgressor been white. And it is important for white folks to be mindful of that and open to listening when it's pointed out that that's what's going on and the effect it's having, even if it feels like a claim that we were wrong to be upset about the initial issueIt can be a hard thing to work on, too, because it's not necessarily an individual issue, it's an effect created by many people in a community. So saying "the trans community has this problem to work on with how they act towards Black people" doesn't mean there's a war between the trans and Black communities, just that there's something for us to work on (which is probably also making Black trans people feel unsafe in parts of the wider trans community)We just need to reach a place of "Yes, we were right to be upset about e.g. transphobia. Yes, we should be open to talking about how we can fight transphobia in a way that doesn't make Black folks feel unsafe." Which requires a lot of work on how we listen to and communicate with each other even when we're feeling powerful and justifiable emotions, while being understanding that others are probably also feeling those emotions. It's hard work to separate those things while not demanding that others communicate 100% how we want in order to be heard, but it's the only way we build true intersectional solidarity and supportAgain, we have very little context and none of this is targeted at OP, if it completely doesn't apply just ignore us, we just wanted to say something about being tagged in response to the thread we shared rather than ignoring it :)Solidarity
(DIR) Post #AZidQ5cvgMy3nQETiK by efjbgc@denton.social
2023-09-13T06:31:06Z
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@AnCuRuadh @via @winter Saying transmisogyny doesn't matter is the opposite of what we said. Apart from being mostly trans ourselves, we actually specifically said that it's important to recognize that it does matter, and it also matters when we react to it in a way that makes POC feel unsafe. Again, maybe that's not happening here, so if that's the case then ignore us and let the statement stand on its own. Our entire claim is that it is a thing that happens, whether it's happening now is entirely unknown to us. We have no interest in getting into internet arguments, as we find them rarely productive, especially when again we were just tagged into a conversation with very little context
(DIR) Post #AhspenHnTLYemGcIOO by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-05-03T13:20:11Z
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@chairman_meh We heard you're looking for an example of the culture of abuse in the DFW SRA, so we decided to share with you this screenshot of a DFW SRA member showing exactly the type of complicit behavior we're talking about.You, as a middle aged cishet white man, don't get to respond this way and then feign innocence wondering why more people aren't willing to publicly come forward. Especially not when your misogyny in particular has come up multiple times as an issue in the past within our community. You aren't even one of the people we were referring to with the initial post, and yet you feel the need to angrily defend your org by angrily DMing people who have experienced violence at the hands of the DFW SRA.This is among the least hostile of the messages we and others who have been targeted by the DFW SRA have received. It's exactly the reason why more people don't come forward publicly about abuse, because all survivors are all too familiar with this feeling as an abuser's network of friends and apologists leap to their defense. The threat and fear of retribution is even greater when the org in question is so focused on guns. In many cases, the violence of abuse is second only to the violence done to people who dare to speak up about abuse.DFW SRA abusers have very frequently taken this to DMs as a way of cutting off victims from community support that might point out how fucked up this is and more easily manipulate, harass, and intimidate the victim. It's extremely easy to gaslight someone when there are no other witnesses to the conversation, disappearing messages, and a stigma against screenshots due to "opsec," making it easy to lie about what happened or how a conversation went. So we're not letting y'all hide when you send us this shit anymore.So, Meh, if you want to see "proof" of the problem, the fact that there's a widespread problem in the DFW SRA with enabling abuse, look in the mirror.
(DIR) Post #AhspeoWMseo8bkRRk8 by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-05-03T13:37:49Z
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@chairman_meh We also want to take this opportunity to point out a huge issue with how people in general respond to someone coming forward about abuse, which is that there's a general culture of demanding an extreme standard of proof from all survivors. Even when such proof exists, it can only be shared once someone overcomes fear of retribution, any gaslighting and manipulation they've experienced, and then they need to experience being re-traumatized by the work of compiling that evidence and writing statements, reliving what has happened all the while.And most of the time, there isn't going to be that one video of an assault, or a screenshot of explicit death threats. A lot of abuse is hard to see for everyone but the survivor even while it's happening, so demanding it will mean you only ever deal with a very small portion of abuses cases.So instead, to help relieve survivors of that burden, power analysis is essential when thinking about abuse claims. For example, is it really that hard to believe that a leftist org has been used by abusive people as a way to center themselves and gain power while attracting vulnerable people? We can name multiple examples of this in gun-related leftist orgs alone. Positions of power tend to be filled by abusive people, because abusive people seek power. They intentionally set up organizing to revolve around themselves. We should be skeptical of all power and authority. And when vulnerable individuals come forward, it shouldn't come as a surprise to any serious anti-authoritarian leftist that this could happenIn our case, we do have a number of people who are willing to come forward, along with screenshots and other evidence, but it's taking some time as they relive bad experiences in order to write statements, especially considering that abusers will take advantage of any mistake to paint the whole claim as invalid. But even then, they will present their own version of things. And for everyone hearing about it, there will be a choice: Is it more plausible that a large org like the SRA turns out to have a culture of a abuse, something exceedingly common, or that there's somehow a widespread conspiracy of vulnerable individuals who somehow all decided at once, without speaking to each other or even all knowing each other, to risk social and physical retribution for no reason? Do you believe power, or do you believe those who have been disempowered?
(DIR) Post #AhtX3euY2knw4UqSWG by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-05-03T14:13:47Z
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This motherfucker really has "#believesurvivors over their deniers" in his pinned post, we couldn't write a better satire of a fake ally with zero self awareness if we tried
(DIR) Post #Ai2Wgz16sBZmBtk0WW by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-03-04T21:10:31Z
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EDIT: We have edited this statement to reflect that only the person directly behind AA is a former alt right organizer. We were overly quick to believe that another person had the same background due to his association with them and abuse of community members. Sharing information about dangerous behavior in our community is very serious, and it's important to get it right; we will not allow this to happen again. We have also edited this statement to to mention the physical danger posed by their unsafe handling of firearmsWe're just gonna say it. If you're here in the DFW area, please do not join the DFW SRA. The same goes for Queers Bash Back DFW and Anarcho-Airsoftists. These groups are largely centered around the same small group of abusers and their apologists, including the former alt right extremist who 'changed sides' not too long before forming and running the latter group, AA, and who is central to the clique that runs most of these groups. They have a pattern of presenting themselves as experts in things like shooting or self defense as an easy way to gain authority and social power, which they use to threaten and attack more vulnerable community members who challenge them, while displaying extremely unsafe behavior, including with firearms. These people have been given many opportunities over the course of years to change their behavior in good faith, but every time, they've responded to criticism by attacking comrades, in many cases bullying vulnerable folks out of community and organizing spaces. We cannot, in good conscience, recommend any of these groups as safe spaces for marginalized people.If you're already involved in one of these groups and you're surprised to hear this, consider taking a moment to reflect on why the people affected may not have felt safe coming to you, or why you might not have noticed these issues when not directly targeting you. If, on the other hand, you've been seeing these problems and have so far said nothing because of doubt, take this as validation that you're not alone.If this is you, one of the best things you can do to show real solidarity with victims is speak up. Leave the groups that fail to deal with it, and loudly say why. Do not be passively complicit in abuse. If victims and the most vulnerable among us are unwelcome, then we go too. An injury to one is an injury to us all. Maybe it'll inspire others to do the same, but at the very least it'll show those targeted that they can trust you, that you're not all talk when it comes to standing with them and holding abusers accountable. Then create or participate in spaces that do not tolerate this behavior.If you're not local, we ask that you unfollow these groups on social media and refrain from boosting their content. Abusers must be denied the platform and status they use to attract victims. We cannot fight oppression of the state without fighting it within our own communities, or while excluding the very people we claim to be in solidarity with by tolerating those who have harmed them.
(DIR) Post #Ai2Wh0GkDXg04g40X2 by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-03-14T16:55:55Z
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Heads up that the person who currently controls the former EFJBGC Telegram is the main former alt right extremist abuser in question. In order to post these things, she had to remove write access from multiple other members, including some of those who first founded Elm Fork JBGC, in order to gain sole control of the Telegram. CTJBGC, and RIJBGC are familiar with the situation, including the abuse, and can vouch that this group comprises the vast majority of Elm Fork. We are continuing to compile the details of the story and will share them when we are able, and have asked other groups who are "in the know" whether they are willing to also stand with us against abuse
(DIR) Post #Ai2Wh1Ns4WyHX4PDHM by efjbgc@denton.social
2024-03-14T17:14:21Z
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"Abuse jacketing" is extremely harmful rhetoric packaged in vaguely leftist-sounding terms (a common abuse tactic is to co opt whatever socially acceptable terminology might make it sound convincing). Even if this person knew for certain there had been no abuse, you can tell a lot about someone, and about whether they care about abuse, by how they respond to claims they disagree with. By responding so aggressively, saying anything it takes to get their way, they just make it even harder for more victims to come forward, showing survivors they'll be met with hostility, and set a precedent of tearing down survivors you disagree with or don't like. Even if we 100% know a claim is false, it's extremely important to be mindful of how we communicate this so as not to harm survivors and perpetuate a culture of abuse