Part 3 of Pharyngula GamerGate Post

Contd’

@JAL #128

Now, to get to your last point. In fact, you have none here, at least none that is applicable to me. You have mischaracterized my views by reference the No True Scotsman fallacy. I have been consistently clear that the misogynistic elements of GamerGate, do in fact exists in GamerGate.

You have constructed a strawman of me to attack, ascribing principles and actions on my part that you, in fact, have no way of knowing. The more troubling aspect of this is that it's not just you, but many others here, including @Brony #146 some posts after yours.

The statement that,

<blockquote>You should fucking try that tactic some time, asshole instead of acting like being concerned about misogyny is “blinding to the real issues, those bitches don’t matter anyways."</blockquote>

Is one such example.

That statement there is the perfect example of the myopic view and a great summary of the false dichotomy presented by some here on Freethoughtblogs, that just because GamerGate support ethical standards in video game journalism, necessarily entails that they don't care about misogyny or do things about it.

Point in fact, you just don't see it. TFYC fund-raising for a general focus. Lo Ping's Suicide Prevention Charity drive, for another.

More personally, since you are directly accusing me of not fighting those fuckers, Well, that's just not true. You, in fact, don't know what I do, or do not do. Hint, I do.

I feel no need to fluff my tail feathers here because I'm not here for validation or a pat on the head, and because comparatively speaking, I feel that people like PZ and Greta and Ally have done a much more outstanding job on advancing the progressive ideals and of advocating for the rights of the oppressed.

Your mistaken accusation, I believe should leave you sufficient cause for self-evaluation, that perhaps you are not quite as open minded as you believe, and that perhaps your confirmation bias is leading you astray.

Contd’


Lastly, I want to end this admittedly rather long post by responding to a question that was raised several times. Why now? Why did GamerGate happen now?

The answer, I believe, is a result of several factors, including but not limited:

1) The Streisand Effect, or how the mass deletion of comments and threads and the banning of the commenters, of the complete silence on the part of the video game press, who oh so were too much willing before to comment on allegations made against Game Developers.

2) The dismissive and condescending, holier than thou attitudes of those same press. Of the generalization on gamers and gaming culture as wholly white heterosexual males, as basement dwellers as cheetos eaters as fat neckbeards. Of the sheer and utter lack of self-awareness on how priviledged those arguments were, on the sheer and utter lack of awareness of the demographic of the gaming community and those who self-identify as gamers.

By casting such a large net in their castigations, those who otherwise would not have joined in were nonetheless associated and so became involved. This relates to the next point.

3) The hypocrisy among the self-professed social justice proponents, who nonetheless utilized odious tactics of intimidation, who nonetheless indulged in misogynistic and sexist and racist insults. Look up #notyourshield.

So why didn't other controversy have the same sustaining power as GamerGate?

One could look at it because of misogyny, but a purely misogynistic movement would never have lasted this long as the trolls get bored and as the misogynists are shouted down.

I believe a better explanation to be the above.