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!lgbtqiponies It looks like the Equestria forum is banning trans characters. Seriously. #headdesk #lgbt #equestriaforum
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 02:17:00 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz I sincerely do not apprecaite you spreading half-truths and false information. C: Please go back and reread our news posts. A lot was completely misunderstood and I understand that upset a lot of people including yourself. But please don't go around claiming we're all transphobic when it is clearly not the case at all.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 06:44:00 UTC from web-
@ashij Okay, I've had a chance to cool down. I'm calm and collected. No hate here. And you know what? The transphobia of your administration's actions and words is clearer than ever. I know that you didn't ban anypony from the forum. What you banned was our existence. What you banned was our piece of mind, that we could depend on a person in charge to look out for a minority. Just because you have friends in minorities, that does not make you immune to bigotry. Just because you can claim to be inclusive, that does not mean that your actions are anything but exclusionary.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:26:14 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz Woah hold up there, did you read the clarification post? http://equestria.electronook.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=985
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:36:48 UTC from web-
@anathemicone Yes, I did. It's still transphobic as all hell.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:38:05 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz From what I gathered the admins just want to get rid of the stereotypes of labels all together from the forum, this includes religion, sexuality, and gender. The freedom to play a transexual character is still there just not explicity named on the character application, this goes too with homosexual, bisexual, religion, whatever.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:47:15 UTC from web-
@anathemicone No, they don't allow it. In their own examples, they will allow a male to act female, but only if they do not actually identify as such.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:48:45 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz Which is what I said, at the same side you can roleplay a homosexual but the label homosexual is not allowed, or you can roleplay a straight person but the label straight is not allowed. It's not just an action taken against transexuals, from what I gathered it's to keep to PG 13 esque theme of the TV show inside the forum too.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:54:52 UTC from web-
@anathemicone Are you saying that my existence is not appropriate for children to witness? Because that's what it sounds like. They have not just banned them from roleplay, they have banned the mere mention of LGBTQIness in the forums and chat.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:59:41 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz No I'm not saying that, nor am I going to, just trying to explain the admin's decision in my own words. To put it simply, they do not want to RL stereotype stigmas in their forum, for it after all managed my a couple of people. Yes it is harsh (to a degree), but also understandable and again it doesn't outright ban the actual action of roleplaying said character, just the name.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:12:07 UTC from web-
er label not name
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:12:19 UTC from web -
@anathemicone No, they're not. You know what would be a better way to do that? Not erasing people and instead making rules against prejudicial attitudes. As it is now, they're just shoving LGBT players aside.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:20:30 UTC from web
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@juneiperjazz Maybe its none of my business, but i read through the interaction here and I'm curious. How much does being trans factor into your gender identity? IE how does having once been male and now being female (or vice versa) differ from always having been female? In terms of who you are?
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:38:24 UTC from web-
@nutterguy It's very different. It's a big thing, considering the overwhelming prejudice that I face every day. The fact that my existence is erased by even my fellow queer folk. That I cannot even talk to my mother about it, because society has beaten me down so thoroughly over it. I face hate and prejudice every day, and it is not in the least bit a pleasant experience. It has made me afraid of my fellow human beings, because I never know who is going to flip out and abuse me. That's the difference. The abuse that society has dealt me and the struggles that I have to face to even be recognized as a person.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 21:47:23 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz Thankyou for sharing. I feel like both you and ashi have some valid points, but I don't believe I have enough of an understanding of what you went through (and go through) to take a side on this issue. Though if you ever need someone to talk to I'm more than willing to listen, and i'd be glad to call you a friend.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:14:14 UTC from web
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@juneiperjazz I frankly believe you are self inflicting this upset and hurt onto yourself at this point. We have no ill intentions towards any of our members for any reasons. We just can't control every situation and sadly the discussion of labels of any sort, transgender being just one of many, can't be pressed at this time until we have more guidelines and level headed moderation staff to handle these subjects. I simply asked our users to talk about ponies, not personal subjects on our forums. I'm sorry this threatens you, but I agree this may not be the best place for you. I hope you find all the comfort and happiness where ever you do go and one day we can hopefully find even ground on these subjects.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:24:36 UTC from web-
@ashij Cute. See this ten foot pole? Here's me not touching this post, and everything that is wrong with it. If you can't see what is wrong with what you're saying by this point, then I can't say that it is worth my energy to address it anymore.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:31:24 UTC from web-
@juneiperjazz And because you absolutely refuse to work with us, that hinders us and our site to ever grow into it's true potential. I'm fine with those who don't have time for it, me and my co-founder Tam barely scratch enough time as is. But I'm still willing to discuss with anyone at a later time when our forums have calmed down over the subject.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:33:16 UTC from web
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@ashij It's obvious that your intentions are good. However, it doesn't mean that you aren't unintentionally causing harm. It's obvious that juneiperjazz is overreacting, but his/her point still stands. By censoring those topics, not only have you done harm by the act of censorship itself, but you created a taboo. A taboo that will cause posters like juneiperjazz to be shunned.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:34:56 UTC from web-
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:38:28 UTC from web
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@odin Oops, enter button apparently sends. The misunderstanding right now, THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL TOPIC BAN. This is us please asking everyone to please step back at this time so we can further discuss this at a later time on how to handle it. It's not a FOREVER-BANNED topic, it's a please "Step back and cool off" ordeal at this time.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:39:40 UTC from web-
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:42:00 UTC from web
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@juneiperjazz I'm not sure how to help either of our cases at this point. :c I'm just sorry it's come to this.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:43:09 UTC from web
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@ashij I suggest you take your time on better wording... sensitive things such as this next time. From running and participating forums and communities for so long, I've realized that the last thing you need is to have your users feel supervised or threatened by the moderators to a point where the whole forum looks like a moderator power trip. Censorship of controversial topics, which I assumed was your intention, is the worst thing you can do if you want your users to feel comfortable while posting. Good luck with the situation and try to remember that the best moderation is lax moderation by extremely objective individuals.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:47:01 UTC from web
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@ashij You are censoring people. There is much potential civil discussion to be had concerning these topics. I could type many pages of text now, but it is not needed. You are censoring posters on your forum to avoid "drama" that would be caused only if a childish poster showed their immaturity in a discussion. You will not avoid drama this way. Even a casual topic will allow a poster to act immature. I'll say it again. By censoring a potential topic of an intellectual debate, you are doing harm to your forum. They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:02:56 UTC from web-
@odin We at this time are asking our users to please refrain from these subjects. Why? Because we do not have the moderation capabilities to control the situations for all our users to discuss it in a civil manner. And the fact being there is technically no need to even discuss these subjects on our forums, they never were in the first place, we were just mentioning it was not the place for them to discuss it in our chats. I have specifically noted we do not have a "debate section" at this time, why? We don't have the time to moderate it or enough staff to control these discussions should they turn heated which happens often. We just asked for time to grow and that one day we can change for the better to handle these hot subjects in a more open minded environment where no one will feel threatened. Right now I can't give my users that so I ask them to please step down and chat about ponies on my pony chat and forums. c:
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:21:19 UTC from web-
@ashij So, basically, you're asking your users to refrain from talking about anything that is even remotely controversial, or even worse, that doesn't have something do with ponies? There is only so much you can talk about a show that airs for twenty two minutes every 7 days. I am not attacking you, or your forum. If I wanted to cause harm, I wouldn't be saying this. YOU are harming your userbase by supporting this outrageous censorship. This will not help the growth of your forum, au contraire. The insane censorship (that, unfortunately, happens on many forums today) will only attract those that cause drama. Those with thin skin that get offended by anything, even when someone isn't even trying to be aggressive. By doing this, your userbase will start out badly, and that will be very hard to revert. You said you plan to change it in the future. It is easy for you to say that now. It will be difficult to do it once a large amount of those that don't know how to discuss gathers.
Sunday, 10-Apr-11 22:31:00 UTC from web
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