There's something I realized today that I don't think I've ever really grasped before and I think it's really important for anyone whose politics are on the progressive side of things to consider.
\nI am not antiracist so that people of color will think I'm a good white person. I couldn't give a fuck what people of color in general think of me. I am not anti-homophobia/transphobia so queer and trans folks will think I'm an ally. I'm not anti-misogyny so that women will pick me over the bear. I'm not an environmentalist so I get invited to the drum circle. I'm not antifascist so people will think I'm a cool guy. I'm not against Palestinian apartheid so people will think I'm empathetic. I'm not anticapitalist so punk rock girls will think I'm sexy.
\nMy ideals and ethics have absolutely fuck all to do with anyone else - not you, not my momma, not even my wife. I believe these things because they are right. If eight billion other people despised me for my beliefs, it would be because eight billion other people are wrong and I was right.
\nThat's also why, when my ideas deviate from what anyone else who considers themselves progressive might think, I don't immediately leap to correct myself so that people will think I'm a good ally. I don't give a fuck. You need to understand that, unlike 99% of people who make that phrase their entire public persona: I. Do. Not. Give. A. Fuck.
\nIf you think I'm a racist or a sexist or a homophobe or an ableist or am insufficiently respectful of other people's beliefs or I use the wrong language or I lack your standard of empathy, then that's absolutely your right... and also absolutely your problem, not mine, because I simply am not interested in what you believe my beliefs or positions to be. It is irrelevant to me. I don't need you to welcome me into the fold. I don't care if you despise me. It has absolutely no effect on what I know about myself and what the very small number of people whose good opinion matters to me think about me. Those people, I'll question myself for, because they've earned that right. Most of the world hasn't. Most of you reading this haven't.
\nI don't make a secret of who I am or what I believe. I use exactly as many racist and homophobic and transphobic and bigoted and ableist words as I choose to. There are words I grew up using that I don't use anymore because I understand that there are less situations where those words have any meaning except to hurt people I don't want to hurt than situations where they're useful. There are other words that are useful despite some small percentage of people finding them objectionable. I use those words precisely as often as I deem fit. I require neither approval nor permission for that.
\nMy life is structured in such a way that it would be very difficult to \"cancel\" me. I have no employer to angrily email with receipts. I make no money from my online presence. And all I can say is that I make a very explicit and open point of saying that if you don't agree with where my lines are, where my compass points me, you should stop paying attention to me. I think that is the only sane and mature way to deal with disagreement. That means that I see other ways as insane and immature, to be clear.
\nI have worked now for many years to design a system, Kowloon, that makes it harder for you to see things you don't want to see. I did that, in part, very intentionally so that people who don't want to hear my voice don't have to. I did it so you don't have to suffer from the offense I might - unintentionally, but often unapologetically - provide. And not just me exclusively, of course, but me inclusively.
\nI do not share the belief of a lot of the early online community innovators I've known that if we can just all talk, we'll all get along. I don't think we will all ever be on the exact same page. I don't think we need to be. I think we need to be able to filter the voices we choose to hear to mostly hear those of people who are on the same page. But I also do not believe in silencing anyone whom I would not commit violence against for their beliefs and actions.
\nRead that last sentence again.
\nSo if you're wondering if I'm capable of growth and change: I absolutely am. But I do not believe that everyone I meet has anything to teach me. I'm sorry, I just don't. Nor do I need everyone or really almost anyone to think I'm a good person, a good dude, a good ally. If for some reason every person of color on Earth hated my guts I'd still be antiracist. If everyone on Earth thought I was a bastard I'd keep doing exactly what I'm doing, just in a cabin in the woods. Maybe you think that's arrogant. That's your right too.
\nBut I don't have to take your opinion as gospel any more than you have to take mine. That's not how this whole society thing oughtta work, in my opinion.
\nIf you don't agree, stop listening to me. I assure you, I will not chase you down the street demanding you listen. I'm not the one who does that.
\n","wordCount":927,"charCount":4974,"replyCount":0,"reactCount":1,"reactPreview":"š","reactSummary":"š","shareCount":0,"attachments":[],"tags":[],"originDomain":"kwln.social","createdAt":"2026-07-25T22:50:42.525Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-26T01:39:18.230Z","id":"post:6a653dc290b507c88f40efcf@kwln.social","url":"https://kwln.social/posts/post:6a653dc290b507c88f40efcf@kwln.social","server":"@kwln.social","summary":"There's something I realized today that I don't think I've ever really grasped before and I think it's really important for anyone whose politics are on the progressive side of things to consider.
\nI am not antiracist so that people of color will think I'm a good white person. I couldn't give a fuck what people of color in general think of me. I am not anti-homophobia/transphobia so queer and trans folks will think I'm an ally. I'm not anti-misogyny so that women will pick me over the bear. I'm not an environmentalist so I get invited to the drum circle. I'm not antifascist so people will think I'm a cool guy. I'm not against Palestinian apartheid so people will think I'm empathetic. I'm not anticapitalist so punk rock girls will think I'm sexy.
\n","textPreview":"There's something I realized today that I don't think I've ever really grasped before and I think it's really important for anyone whose politics are on the progressive side of things to consider. Iā¦","signature":"rvdBjuXYzRCS97jaS5zhUkOfFYfvKvhsBKXCF6WI+5mtSWxUgRfT5UUYUy5GOG9vyCZRKu97Y+iEO80LETBs6Wv/Zhx/3JBeQolPNJ1ygnOqKFWPFJqYs1jgOrXsWzJv36rVRPI3AoJUDdbHajU8KwDE/mfbm7peCeIvuH7Z9uhqn8uvisPNiUDEBFxCAJtjadgjMNMat76KmeEBfnTAM/d+FPaSISF/kRsbox8q68OFpJyEyuEoknYtu8PJrHr9wGzVcGWBP9/ScEnbVTeyHUk8sagwOUB7rMUmfxT2rZsgTb9WCNbptWiGvI/Riaisd8fGLS9+L8aAoL3ZyXyCnQ==","canReply":false,"canReact":false,"publishedAt":"2026-07-25T22:50:42.525Z","visibility":"Public","myReact":null,"reactCounts":[{"emoji":"š","count":1}]}