7/27/2020 Edit: Added link to FinImpact article discussing how to support LGBTQ-owned small businesses.
Over the past few years, there were a few blog posts I’ve written that I’ve thought about deleting. Though sometimes it’s encouraging to see how far I’ve come as a writer since I started, there were some posts that ranged from inaccurate to offensive, particularly when I started getting political. And while I can’t pretend to be unbiased on things like science-based sex education (I’m for it), Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor (I’m against it), or Tim Curry’s acting career (I’ll let you guess on that one), there are some blog posts I wrote that only grow more unfavorable of human rights over time. My job as a writer is to observe the world, do my own research, and then write based on that research to the best of my ability. And in some cases, I failed on those counts.
So far, I’ve deleted four posts, but there may be more in the future. For each post, I’m going to explain why I deleted them and suggest alternative reading that has proven more nuanced and informative than my posts. You may agree with the choices I’ve made, maybe you won’t. In any case, I hope to be able to put out better content in the future.
Post 1: Tribute to JK Rowling
Boy, did I bet on the wrong horse.
Fans/casual readers of Harry Potter will know about Rowling’s decline in recent years. For those who don’t, I’ll leave a link to a YouTube video that explains best what happened. But to make a long story short, Rowling has made some choices over the years that a lot of fans have taken issue with. From revealing obscure details about her books long after they were published to unveiling her transphobia, it turns out she isn’t as great a person as we all thought she was. And while some argue that she’s still a great author who taught kids a lot about progressive activism, re-examination of the books shed light on some elements (i.e. the goblins running the bank looking like Jewish stereotypes, Nagini turning out to be an Asian woman who lost her humanity, house elves who are happy, unpaid slaves, to name a few) that suggest otherwise.
And for any transphobic readers and/or remaining Rowling fans who might disagree with my choice to delete this post, I would like to invite you to stop reading my blog. Trans rights are human rights, trans women are women, and trans men are men. Defining someone based on their sex organs is both absurd and dangerous. And speaking as a cisgender woman, I’m not offended by transgender women and their experiences don’t invalidate mine.
For more information on sex, gender, or Rowling’s decline, here are some links:
Frequently Asked Questions About Transgender People
Protests for Racial Justice Hihlight Need to Support Black Trans Women
Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth
Support LGBTQ-Owned Small Businesses
Post 2: Arguments Against Abortion
More cringe.
I’m not going into an argument on abortion here, as my views have changed for reasons that would require another post. But the reason I’ve deleted this post is that I did not do the proper research beforehand, and thus much of what I wrote ranged from miscalculation to blatant falsehood. In writing and sharing this post, I failed as a writer, as a citizen, and as a person. And for getting the facts wrong in favor of pushing a political agenda, I am sorry.
To clear the air and get the facts straight, here are some links:
How Safe is an In-Clinic Abortion?
Real Impact of Abortion Stigma
Post 3 & 4: Ferguson and Stop the Madness
Both of these I deleted for the same reason: at the time I wrote them, I didn’t understand what racism or diversity actually were. And I didn’t understand why racism was still around.
I debated on the Ferguson post for a while, as it wasn’t bad until it got to the end where I said I didn’t hear anyone offering an explanation for why America is still racist. Looking back on it now, I realize I wasn’t paying attention. There were plenty of people who tried to tell us back in 2014, but I didn’t look past my own inner circle to hear them. In the end, I decided to scrap the post because, as I said, I wrote it from an ignorant perspective, and ignorant writing is bad writing.
The Stop the Madness post I had no qualms about deleting. In it, I was asking for violent protests to stop so we could all go back to getting along again. Sadly, it took too long for me to realize I was asking for conformity, not peace. I wanted to go back to a complacent existence where everyone treated racism like it was a thing of the past. I wasn’t doing any work on educating myself or supporting my fellow Americans.
Growing up, I believed that racism was an individual problem that came from bad apples in power. I believed that diversity was people of different backgrounds coming together to sing kumbaya. It took years after these posts for me to realize that both racism and diversity are more complex than that. Racism isn’t just bad behavior stemming from hating people; it’s a real systemic issue meant to keep black people from being equal, whether it involves denying housing/jobs or making it harder to vote or killing them on the street. Diversity doesn’t mean everyone getting along despite their differences. Diversity means empowering people and making sure everyone’s voice is heard. And I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to understand those things.
Here, the sources might seem a little redundant as America is currently in a moment of reckoning and so many people are taking interest in studying systemic racism. But since I’ve left sources for the other two posts, it’s fair to offer context for these two as well.
History of Police in Creating Social Order in the US
7 Things Black People Want White People to Know
Like I said before, there may be more posts deleted in the future. If that’s the case, I won’t offer an explanation every time unless it’s caused any harm to readers. I’m still learning to be a better writer, and if these posts hurt you in any way, I’m truly sorry and I hope I can do better moving forward.
