2y ago

SLRPNK.net has a community with a transphobic name. Can we remove it?

TwoXChromosomes - SLRPNK

/c/twochromosomes explains its name with the following:

The name XX was chosen just because it illustrates the essence of this subreddit and its target Redditors–girly and geeky, and subtly awesome.

Connecting girliness with a genotype and bragging about being cisgender is not my idea of what the solarpunk movement stands for. This is gender essentialism and subtle transphobia. And the beginning of the community and of SLRPNK is the perfect time to be getting rid of transphobic names.

Admins, if you are reading this, please remove this transphobic community.

Everyone else, do you know how I can get in touch with the SLRPNK admins?

Meta (slrpnk.net) @slrpnk.net

HardlightCereal @lemmy.world

2y ago

Requesting c/twoXchromosomes as the mods are inactive

slrpnk.net /c/twoxchromosomes

16 comments

Sorry, but I'm going to need you to explain this more clearly, with Crayons and by talking slowly. How is the name, or the community tenents transphobic or exclusionary in nature? I legitimately don't get it, and it's likely a failing on my part
Anyone can be a punk. We are left leaning, for sure, but apart from that, I have yet to see and shitlords here.
- The subreddit is for women. Women come in all kinds of chromosomes, but TERFs like to say that women only have two X chromosomes. The subreddit is called two X chromosomes. The subreddit is named after a TERF's definition of a woman. And it's a subreddit for women. No intersectional feminist, no trans ally, and no leftist would ever think "two X chromosomes" is an accurate description of womanhood. Yet the community mods argue the name represents the community. Representing womanhood with "two X chromosomes" denies trans realities.
  
  Wait, so we have a twoxxchromosome community within solar punk? Ok, yes, your point is entirely valid then. We should change that. What harm does a accomodation do in this case?
  I'm two scotches deep, so hence me missing the initial messaging.
Cis-yt-male here, so take my limited-perspective opinion however you'd like...
But... Wouldn't it be better to first talk to the mods of that c/?
My understanding (again limited...) is that the r/ they are modeled on (and took the name from) has existed for quite awhile, long enough to where most peeps were much less aware of trans inclusive issues back then
I wholeheartedly agree with you that trans inclusivity should be a forefront in the movement, but my 2¢ would be to start with the mods and see about changing the name/editing the sidebar to be more inclusive. It is 2023 afterall, and this is SLRPNK. I have a feeling peeps here would be very open to that dialogue
- I'd like to add this:
  https://lemmy.world/post/159269
  But what about the subreddit name?
  Read this post from when (The Reddit) 2XC was only a month old. We (They and now us) haven’t changed our stance since then, and never will
  They said they'd never change their stance on the name.
- People were messaging the mods of that subreddit a few days in about the transphobic name, and they made a stickied post saying they weren't going to change it a month after it was created. Trans issues have been at the forefront of consideration of that name from the very beginning. And in like fashion, other people have commented on /c/twoxchromosomes' inauguration post with the transphobia issue, and received no response from the mods. I've created a post on the community calling for action from the moderators and pointing out the flaws, but I'm not crossing my fingers here. I'd rather that post work, but if it doesn't, we have this one
I agree that the name is not without issues, but you can not undo history.
People coming from Reddit are searching for communities with the same name, and they are usually not explicitly looking for a TERF community when doing so. Thus if they find our, explicitly not TERF friendly community under this name, it is better than some actual TERF name-squatting it and using it for TERF propaganda.
I am willing to change my mind on this, but for now I don't think the community name alone warrants administrative action as long as the community is and remains explicitly not transphobic.
- I think the best course of action here is that the community should be locked, and all posts should be removed save a redirect to /c/women and/or a list of other feminist communities on the fediverse. That will solve the continuity issue of people coming here from reddit, and it'll solve the transphobia issue. I've made a post on /c/twoxchromosomes calling for this solution, but I'm not expecting a response as others have been asking the mods to do something about the gender essentialism since the subslrpnk was created. These new mods have directly cited the original justification that having two X chromosomes is "girly" and "subtly awesome". That's direct gender essentialism. I don't think having people who claim to be trans inclusive, but stonewall trans people's concerns is appropriate. I don't think it aligns with our code of conduct. If the 2xc mods aren't willing to listen to trans people's concerns, then custodianship of the community should be given to someone who will.
yeah i also dont see why name recognition outweighs the transphobia
thanks for bringing that up
I had never though about it before, but the objection seems to be that the name focuses on the genetic essentialist mode of defining gender, which is at best outdated and at worst deliberately exclusionary to women who don't actually have two X chromosomes. (ie, trans women, who were born with male sexual characteristics)
But I don't think the name necessarily excludes, only provides a discussion focus. As in, it could be seen as an admonishment to not be restricted by outmoded definitions. So long as the community itself doesn't hold a TERF mindset, I don't see it as a problem. The justification of the name definitely needs to be changed to better reflect modernity, though.
- Naming the subreddit something gender essentialist is an admonishment not to be gender essentialist? What? Are you saying the name is satire, like /r/The_Donald used to be?
  
  All of your other comments here are very valid and absolutely worth dialogue with those involved.
  This one however... Is very hyperbolic... Especially since the OP to your comment is clearly an ally.
Pinging the instance admin: @poVoq
I'm cismale, and only here to lurk the anarchism community, but FWIW I agree with @HardlightCereal. If you don't want the community/instance to be welcoming to TERFs, it's important to be consistent about that.
EDIT: Missed that the admin had already commented here. Still, please turn 2X into a signpost for something with a less TERFy name.

16 comments