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In reply to the discussion: This message was self-deleted by its author [View all]d_r
(6,907 posts)but what the heck, I'll throw in .02.
I am a middle aqe, white, southern male.
Here's what I think about some of the threads and issues I've seen the last few days that I think relate to this sort of amendment:
1. The idea of not understanding rape is BS. Flat out denial. I grew up in the 70s and 80s in the south and never did I ever not understand that taking advantage of a woman that was too drunk was not rape. That is flat out BS. Also, I can understand how that type of thinking reflects a rapish culture and how it can be hurtful to women, I think it is a good thing that women and men called the posters on it.
2. The thing that HopeHoop said to Kimi was freakish and pervy. He may have been trying to make some sort of not understood joke but it was pervy and unacceptable and he should have realized it and apologized immediately. Flat out.
3. The "P" word. OK. I am one of the men who have used that word and it has always seemed like a crass word to me but I never meant it in a misogynist way. I was of the "coward like a pussy cat" realm, and a few months ago I posted that on meta. A lot of women replied about how offended they were about it, and explained why. Look, I didn't mean it that way, but if people are hurt and offended and bothered by it, fine, I won't use it. I learned something. That's what we do in this life. Knowing that people are offended by it and using it just to tweak them is boorish. Period.
4. I am for freedom of speech and thought and expression. But this is a forum used by real people with real lives and real stories and real feelings. It is supposed to represent progressive people. It seems to me that people ought to get it. Words have power, words have meaning. People in a progressive community should be able to learn from their mistakes and not use words that others tell them are hurtful.
Clarity in the TOS through an amendment with an explicit reference to sexism could only improve that, imho, and so I am all for it.
Frankly we shouldn't need it but apparently we do.
That's just my opinion and I'm not going to get into internet arguments about it.