18
submitted
1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
by
sparklepower@beehaw.org
to
c/lgbtq_plus@beehaw.org
Hello Beehaw,
I have recently witnessed a few worrisome incidents of online bullying and harassment towards transgender individuals. It was incredibly uncomfortable to witness. My attempts to show kindness to the bullying victim were met with measured hostility. The victims of these attacks were targeted individuals.
Beehaw, I am asking for your help to build up my online toolkit, so I can better prepare myself to be an ally. I want to know - How can I help? What can this random internet person do to show that somebody out there cares? What should I try to be careful of?
Personally, as a trans woman who has been targeted in online spaces, I'd prefer you speak up. People who aren't involved standing up for trans people is what makes the difference. If you're talking about a massive platform, it may be something of a lost cause, but in any moderate sized community that's what makes the difference between a place where I feel comfortable and a place I never come back to.
In these situations, a community's silence speaks volumes.