I don't normally do quote toots, but this is an exception, because I think this post makes an important point, *but* I only partly agree with it, and it is a very touchy topic.

https://furry.engineer/@silvereagle/111060840692508037

This is a very real problem, and definitely something that not enough mind is paid to. And I mean in general, and also outside of fedi(!) - not just with recent events, which is what I suspect this post is referring to.

However, there is another side of that coin. Because while there are legitimate reasons to not be aware of things like this, the really important thing is how you respond when you *are* made aware of it.

When someone straight-up tells you "that is not okay, because <consequences and context>", do you take a step back, re-evaluate, and correct and apologize where necessary? Or do you double down on "I could not have known that!" as if that relieves you from any obligation to do anything about it?

Because there is a responsibility here on both parties. Yes, people should not assume that the social implications of actions are obvious to everybody, and be prepared to communicate directly and clearly about them.

But conversely, those people for whom they are not, need to accept that this means their actions are sometimes going to have unintended consequences, and be open to correcting course promptly when that happens.

With that having been said, yes, this is a very widespread problem, and I would say that it's a good example of how in the wrong circumstances, genuinely protective behaviour in leftist communities can turn into ableist lateral violence.

(Note: if you're thinking of responding to this by going "yeah, so-and-so is an asshole, aren't they": don't. This is not an invitation for harassing people, and I *will* block you for it. This is a much more general problem that's been bouncing around on fedi for a while. Likewise, this is *not* an invitation to complain about defederation. Defederation is a legitimate and necessary mechanism.)