Yeah that’s basically why my writing so far hasn’t been coherent. I tried to explain what I meant and address specific cases where I do think it works as you mentioned, but as of right now I haven’t quite nailed down how to explain what I’m thinking.

On the topic of inclusive spaces, I think that’s a valid project that the internet is uniquely positioned to address for many marginalized groups. When it’s done right, it’s a beautiful and empowering thing. There’s a weird contradiction here, though. Marginalized groups could really use more private spaces online to discuss their own issues without having to constantly hedge and explain what they’re saying to the dominant group. At the same time, you can have all the hard conversations behind closed doors and it still gets you no closer to achieving the goals that you set during those conversations. So I guess this particular issue for me centers around allyship and how dogshit a lot of self-appointed allies are at creating those spaces in the first place. And I think the way those spaces are created is by enforcing norms on an individual basis because we have no centralized power online.