When you get the urge to play devil's advocate, stop and ask yourself if you're really just wanting to feel like you have the power to demand free mental labor from someone you've already decided not to respect.
Is it gendered? You're damn right it is...and I can only imagine how much worse it is for women of color.
Back on the birdsite I changed my profile pic to a nondescript white dude for a few weeks last winter and OMG the difference. No harassment. People respected what I had to say, engaged constructively, and generally made me feel appreciated.
I changed my pic back and POOF the harassment and 'lol just playing devil's advocate, honey' came zooming back.
People who say, 'oh, it'll be better on mastodon don't really get it.' They don't get that this shit happens to us every day, on every platform, on every street, in every faculty/staff/board meeting, at every family gathering, in every courtroom.
Women are automatically assumed to be coming from a place of emotion, hysteresis, sensationalism, and must be questioned. Usually (but not always!) by men.
When you see this happen, call it out. Please.
@DrTCombs Excellent post, I hate this idea that
1. Women are more emotional than men.
2. Being emotional somehow stops you from understanding facts and using common sense.
3. Men have a terrible track record as far as running things, so I'm going to need them to cite at least 6 sources as to why they should be allowed in positions of power, no Wikipedia.
@DrTCombs rage inducing.
@DrTCombs I don't supply them with anything. No stranger is going to demand I do their homework for them, lol!
@DrTCombs
SeaLioning I think this is called, in addition to gender infuriating crap
@jamesbicycle @DrTCombs
indeed!
(One of the delightful parts of the internet is when we can literally point directly to the origins of a term—like this:
http://wondermark.com/1k62/)
The pattern is all too common
Her, an actual expert: Here's a thing I know
Him: I don't believe you. Is there evidence?
Her: Yes
Him: But what these strawmen?
Her: Here's why those are strawmen
Him: LOL Just playing devil's advocate but I need proof
Her: Here's a pile of publications I found in 6 seconds on google scholar
Him: I still need to see the data
Her: [sends link to publicly available data]
Him: Ok thanks I needed this to reassure myself you weren't hysterical
Stop it.