I regret to inform you that Dwight from The Office is posting transphobic memes (Up: Rainn apologizes)

[Alavard]

Seriously, lots of presumptuous dogpiling already for something that sounds like a PSA. I mean, now I'm aware about this. Am I supposed to hate on the office now?

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So if I tell you that you have to hate The Office now, is that a PSA? I'd be using the exact same wording, but I don't think you'd be asking me to clarify my words there.

(I'm of course not actually saying that about The Office, just using it as an example).

As Parker Molloy points out, he's almost certainly talking about a particular article making its way along the rightwing right now, which doesn't even say what they're claiming it does.




For those who want to give him the benefit of the doubt, please do so knowing that it would be a heck of a coincidence for him to be saying this right now with the rightwing upset about this document.

 

[oledome]

Where's the meme?

 

[RedMercury]

Wait, is this transphobia or just an "Oh hey I learned something new today." tweet.

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I guess it's possible but the way he says you "have" to say chestfeeding person makes me lean towards it not just being an FYI, the dude should clarify what he is talking about for sure

 

[Kyuuji]

I think people will just read what they want to read here without context

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Equally people who read posts like this from transphobes on a frequent basis will pick up on the similarities of language around "you can no longer say" and "you have to say" and present reasonable ground to question why if it is a PSA it's not coupled with any actual information.

 

[MR2]

In this context, Transmasculine meaning someone who transitioned to a man but still posses the ability to feed their baby through their chest?

 

[z e r t]

Where's the meme though

 

[Yoshimitsu126]

Dang. Would nipple feeding be better as everyone has those or would that be too sexual. Chest feeding sounds like they are eating their chest and not chest milk though but I get it. Breast feeding was default for so long.

 

[GTAce]

So if I tell you that you have to hate The Office now, is that a PSA? I'd be using the exact same wording, but I don't think you'd be asking me to clarify my words there.

(I'm of course not actually saying that about The Office, just using it as an example).

As Parker Molloy points out, he's almost certainly talking about a particular article making its way along the rightwing right now, which doesn't even say what they're claiming it does.

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God fucking damn. Conservatives really need more hobbies instead of blind hate.

 

[Gabaghoul582]

Which was basically everyone right?

Ok so what about Creed Bratton, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Brian Baumgartner or Leslie Baker David?

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They aren't famous, as you using character names?

And John's a CIA cocksucker.

Face it, everyone from this show amounted to either nothing, got famous like 2 of them, are doing stupid shit like cameo, TikTok, crypto schemes, or making love to the government.

 

[Alavard]

Where's the meme though

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It's less a 'meme' and more 'rightwing talking point that's the temper tantrum du jour'

 

[Brick]

I think people will just read what they want to read here without context

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Normally, I'd agree with you. But his use of "no longer" and "have to" kinda override the benefit of the doubt for me.

 

[Replicant]

Normally, I'd agree with you. But his use of "no longer" and "have to" kinda override the benefit of the doubt for me.

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Perhaps. It's just a poorly worded tweet either way.

 

[ZeoVGM]

God fucking damn. Conservatives really need more hobbies instead of blind hate.

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Blind hate isn't a hobby for conservatives. It's a religion.

 

[Kyuuji]

May as well turn this into something feel good and related that might be news to people - did you know trans women can breastfeed?

 

[GTAce]

Blind hate isn't a hobby for conservatives. It's a religion.

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Touché.

 

[Trup1aya]

I love how bigots insist that society no longer allows them to do harmless things.

Who has ever been persecuted for using the term "breastfeeding mothers"?

I remember 12 years ago one of my employees was ranting about how he's not allowed to say "merry Christmas" anymore. And I'm like, "who the fuck told you that?". And he's like "I'm gonna say merry Christmas, liberals be damned." And I'm "like good for you man, literally no one cares, I hope you have a happy holiday"

 

[clmartin]

They aren't famous, as you using character names?

And John's a CIA cocksucker.

Face it, everyone from this show amounted to either nothing, got famous like 2 of them, are doing stupid shit like cameo, TikTok, crypto schemes, or making love to the government.

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Those are the actors' names... the same actors you said apparently went on to do stupid shit.

Just admit you posted some nonsense.

- I knew everyone from that show who didn't become famous would do stupid shit

Wrong.

- So basically everyone from that show

Also wrong.

 

[Bard]

Huh, didn't know breastfeeding was a gendered term

 

[Teusery]

I am really surprised some people are not sure if he's being an asshole in that tweet or not

 

[Budi]

I do doubt he is posting transphobic memes.

Edit: He was supportive of Elliot Page coming out and has been supportive of LGBTQ people overall. Hence it's difficult for me to see him being a transphobe.

 

[Kyuuji]

It's weird you have people responding like 'huh I didn't know this, maybe it's an actual PSA' when it's not even true.

 

[beelzebozo]

when will conservatives learn that no one cares what they say in their little kingdoms of sadness and despair?

 

[Ocarina_117]

Yeah that is a very bad look.

I don't get how people are reading this any other way than it being offensive?

 

[davepoobond]

hmmm

i can see both ways, but because he said "TIL" -- maybe the person who "taught him" put it in the wrong context or something that made it sound like he HAS to say that?

i think if he was trying to be flippant about it, he'd be using more coarse language

 

[hachikoma]

Equally people who read posts like this from transphobes on a frequent basis will pick up on the similarities of language around "you can no longer say" and "you have to say" and present reasonable ground to question why if it is a PSA it's not coupled with any actual information.

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just wanna amplify Kyouji's point that this stuff is very familiar to trans people in a way that it may not be to cis people, so our pattern recognition for it is pretty well-calibrated.

 

[ThiefofDreams]

I feel like some progressives forget that a newsletter doesn't get sent out monthly with new approved nomenclature, and instantly jump on anyone who may not even know something like this.

Like, he COULD totally be being an asshole here, but jumping straight to calling him a transphobic piece of shit without any other supporting evidence to that fact, and instead ignoring a lot of the other really progressive stuff he posts is really missing the mark of being able to actually educate on the issue.

 

[ZeoVGM]

I am really surprised some people are not sure if he's being an asshole in that tweet or not

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It's good to be cautious about a single awkwardly worded tweet if the person has a history of generally being a good person and supporting thr LGBTQ community.

He very well may have meant it in a shitty way but given the discussion here, it's obviously not clear yet.

 

[MarioW]

"People want me to use a new word. But I already had a word. My life is ruined! Where are my freedoms!"

You know someone is living a cushy, privileged life when this sort of non enforced cultural norm "tweak" gets them so riled.

 

[Jakenbakin]

While I don't see evidence of a meme or particularly recent and relevant Breitbart article doing the rounds that explains where he's getting this, I did find this nice refutation of what looked like a trash article from the NY Times that included some points I wasn't familiar with, or had questions about eg the question of why breast feeding is considered non-inclusive when AMAB and AFAB all technically have breasts, that I thought was pretty insightful.

 

[Dalek]

I feel like some progressives forget that a newsletter doesn't get sent out monthly with new approved nomenclature, and instantly jump on anyone who may not even know something like this.

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There are some people on Twitter that are particularly vicious about this. A lot of us are learning every day and that's great. I want to learn. But everyday I'm learning something new so please be patient with me.

 

[Dan L]

I liked this reply

fuck transphobia into the sun, as a father of an amazing trans kiddo seeing people either make the one joke, or go out of their way to make anyone not feel included or themselves pisses me off so much.
🏳️‍⚧️💗

 

[hachikoma]

I feel like some progressives forget that a newsletter doesn't get sent out monthly with new approved nomenclature, and instantly jump on anyone who may not even know something like this.

Like, he COULD totally be being an asshole here, but jumping straight to calling him a transphobic piece of shit without any other supporting evidence to that fact, and instead ignoring a lot of the other really progressive stuff he posts is really missing the mark of being able to actually educate on the issue.

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we're posting on era, i don't think any of us ever expect him to read this. it's certainly not my expectation or goal to be educating him this evening. and i just want to flag that being "progressive" on issue x or y doesn't really mean much about someone's attitudes towards trans people. i doubt i'm the only one who's learned this (over and over) the hard way.

 

[skullmuffins]

Huh, didn't know breastfeeding was a gendered term

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I don't think it is, technically (like we don't call it something else when men get breast cancer, they have (small amounts) of breast tissue too) but I suppose the term can be dysphoria inducing or w/e for some people since it's so associated with female breasts, and I get why they'd want to use an alternative

 

[Teusery]

It's good to be cautious about a single awkwardly worded tweet if the person has a history of generally being a good person and supporting thr LGBTQ community.

He very well may have meant it in a shitty way but given the discussion here, it's obviously not clear yet.

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Fair enough, the wording seems more hostile than not to me but I don't know his tweeting history

 

[JaseMath]

Wait, is this transphobia or just an "Oh hey I learned something new today." tweet.

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This is what I'm wondering. I can see why someone would take offense but can also understand if he was posting an actual TIL

 

[kradical]

These days you get arrested and thrown in jail for saying you're breastfeeding.

 

[jerf]

May as well turn this into something feel good and related that might be news to people - did you know trans women can breastfeed?

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I did not and that is very cool.

 

[The_Iceman2288]

I do doubt he is posting transphobic memes.

Edit: He was supportive of Elliot Page coming out and has been supportive of LGBTQ people overall. Hence it's difficult for me to see him being a transphobe.

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It's the use of the phrase "you can no longer say". That's alt-right bullshit feeding into a narrative about an 'authoritarian left' who will come to your house and kick your ass for saying a woman is "breastfeeding". It's nonsense that he's feeding to his four and a half million followers.

 

[Thordinson]

It's the use of the phrase "you can no longer say". That's alt-right bullshit feeding into a narrative about an 'authoritarian left' who will come to your house and kick your ass for saying a woman is "breastfeeding". It's nonsense that he's feeding to his four and a half million followers.

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This.

It's easy to say it in a way that shows you actually did just learn it without feeding into transphobic rhetoric.

 

[-Le Monde-]

"No longer" reads like he's complaining about something being taken away. Hope he can clear that up. I admit, I don't know much about him.

 

[giancarlo123x]

Awaiting for the followup tweet where he doubles down or clarifies.

 

[ThiefofDreams]

we're posting on era, i don't think any of us ever expect him to read this. it's certainly not my expectation or goal to be educating him this evening. and i just want to flag that being "progressive" on issue x or y doesn't really mean much about someone's attitudes towards trans people. i doubt i'm the only one who's learned this (over and over) the hard way.

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Sure, definitely don't expect Era to be a daily reading spot for him. I was speaking more in a generalization that often people over react to "first offense" when someone might genuinely not know the-now proper or accepted way to address something. Often it's met with an instant backlash, such as the title of this thread and many people in it calling him a piece of shit, when in reality it easily could have been ignorance on the subject on his part, and just learning about it. A lot of language on subjects regarding trans and other ltbgq+ is really fluid and I think it's impossible to expect even the most fervent of ally to know every single new word/issue.

Again, not excusing him at all if his post is in fact bigoted, but much of his social media presence speaks to the contrary.

And I will 100% give you the "can't say this" argument, but also would suggest that some people may not see it as such or use it in the way that many here are taking it because they don't have that experience.

 

[Deleted member 13798]

So where's the transphobic meme?

This looks like a literal "Today I Learned" and nothing more unless there's a lot that's being omitted from this thread. At worst I'm seeing some clumsy wording as of right now.

 

[Budi]

It's the use of the phrase "you can no longer say". That's alt-right bullshit feeding into a narrative about an 'authoritarian left' who will come to your house and kick your ass for saying a woman is "breastfeeding". It's nonsense that he's feeding to his four and a half million followers.

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Sure, I get your meaning. There was similar hubbub here few years ago, when some official legal language was changed from mothers and fathers to person giving birth, pregnant person and just parent. It would read better if the wording in the tweet was "you shouldn't say".

 

[GringoSuave89]

Awaiting for the followup tweet where he doubles down or clarifies.

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About where I am, but I ain't very hopeful.

 

[Kyuuji]

And I will 100% give you the "can't say this" argument, but also would suggest that some people may not see it as such or use it in the way that many here are taking it because they don't have that experience.

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To which I'd offer that in which case it might be somewhat irresponsible to broadcast it to 4.4m fans, especially when it's inaccurate.

 

[Auros01]

Hard to get the "feeling" behind his Tweet but that's definitely not a meme. He's really riding that line between saying he legitimately learned something today and complaining about having to use inclusive terminology.

 

[PAFenix]

May as well turn this into something feel good and related that might be news to people - did you know trans women can breastfeed?

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This is amazing!

 

[BLEEN]

Has he responded back yet? He usually does on SM.

There's plural of 'memes' in the title here. Did he mention anything else? I don't follow that much on Twitter.

 

[Kyuuji]

This is amazing!

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I did not and that is very cool.

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💞