Fwd: [bmdc-discuss] Initiating discussion on this list



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Michael Heichman <michaelheichman@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jun 5, 2023 at 10:13 AM
Subject: Fwd: [bmdc-discuss] Initiating discussion on this list
To: lita Xú Líng Kelley <xulingkelley@gmail.com>, <michaelheichman@gmail.com>




Begin forwarded message:

From: "DAVID KEIL" (via bmdc-discuss Mailing List) <bmdc-discuss@lists.riseup.net>
Subject: Re: [bmdc-discuss] Initiating discussion on this list
Date: June 5, 2023 at 9:28:35 AM EDT

Mike,

I am sorry that you think I "brought pain" to the BMDC meeting last night. I would like to understand your concern better. Please consider adjusting your concern consistent with the following.

I spoke concerning ongoing BMDC campaigns, which of course include Pride Month and the Dyke March. I spoke in agreement with something that Lita had said about handling a group of anti-gay and anti-trans bigots. Lita's point was that we should respect the first-amendment rights of these persons while opposing their bigotry. I agreed with Lita, and also suggested that BMDC protect the First Amendment by joining others to oppose the threats and assaults on women who speak out on certain issues. Some of these acts of aggression, such as against Kellie-Jay Keen in New Zealand and the UK, and swimmer Riley Gaines in the US, have been in the name of trans rights. Of course this violence hurts the cause of the rights of trans people.

Also, in connection with the Dyke March, I said that I hoped that BMDC members could uphold the right of lesbians to state their same sex (as opposed to same-gender) preference or orientation. That right has been disparaged as "transphobia" by some.

One of Lita's points has been that events like the Dyke March are preferable to commercialized ones like the main Pride events. I appreciate that point.

If you view what I said as "anti-trans bigotry," please explain why.

BMDC can discuss these issues, like others, calmly and without splitting or expulsions. It is very clear by now that the two parties are using issues related to Pride Month divisively and to polarize the electorate, demonizing each other and the voters. The Republicans are demonizing women, lesbians, gays, and trans people. The Democrats are demonizing Republican voters and anyone with doubts about women's sports or the medical transitioning of children as "bigots" with "blood on their hands," and are using the gender issue to disrupt the left. Part of BMDC's mission is to resist this demonization and disruption by discussing the issues in a civil way.

David

On Mon, Jun 5, 2023 at 7:47 AM Michael Heichman <michaelheichman@gmail.com> wrote:
David,

Once again you caused a disruption and brought pain into our group.

This is what you have done in the GRP and this is what you have done in BMDC.

You attended the entire meeting last night. I was the notetaker. I can't remember you saying one thing at the meeting until you dropped your bomb.

The agenda item under discussion was the International Solidarity Series. Your ant-trans bigotry was not on the agenda. You hijacked our productive meeting and we rapidly ended our meeting after your disruption.

I oppose you using our meetings and our email lists to express your anti-trans bigotry.

You have been warned before. Once again you have demonstrated that you are incapable of stopping.

In order to protect BMDC, I support your expulsion from our group.

Mike

> On Jun 4, 2023, at 10:37 PM, DAVID KEIL (via bmdc-discuss Mailing List) <bmdc-discuss@lists.riseup.net> wrote:
>
> Let's use this list to discuss issues internally among BMDC activists. At the BMDC meeting tonight, I touched on a controversial specific issue that is probably better discussed on the list. I put the group in a touchy situation by making my comment near the end of the meeting. My comments were pretty narrowly limited and did not contain any words that would challenge anyone's identity. I didn't intend to spark a hostile situation.
>
> I will be happy to restate what I said at the meeting. I hope that others will comment and that we can have a comradely exchange of ideas.
>
> Maybe someone would like to initiate this listserv discussion by commenting more generally. Here is where we can discuss strategy and tactics for BMDC.
>
> David Keil
> ---
> To unsubscribe: <mailto:bmdc-discuss-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net>
> List help: <https://riseup.net/lists>

---
To unsubscribe: <mailto:bmdc-discuss-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net>
List help: <https://riseup.net/lists>

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fwd: [bmdc-wg] Trans women competing in women's sports

Image
Forwarded Conversation Subject: [bmdc-wg] Trans women competing in women's sports ------------------------ From: " john.r.harris@verizon.net " < bmdc@lists.riseup.net > Date: Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 9:32 PM To: BMDC Working Group < bmdc@lists.riseup.net > Hi Folks, The debate on trans women in women's sports is unfolding among many people whether any of us likes it or not. Canceling and demonizing people will not change this fact. To those of you who want to demonize BMDC, if you want to continue bullying us, then maybe you should be bullying Cornel West as well, if you have any consistency at all, which I doubt. Your lust for summary expulsions will not advance the debate in any way, shape, or form.  Cornel West has taken a position. It is described in the Karen Hunter Show on YouTube. His response is to have  3 categories in sports. He is asked the question at about 18:45 in the video and his response is at about 19:15 in this video:  https://www.youtube.c...
Read more

Fwd: [bmdc-wg] Trans women competing in women's sports

Subject: [bmdc-wg] Trans women competing in women's sports ------------------------ From: " john.r.harris@verizon.net " < bmdc@lists.riseup.net > Date: Tue, Jul 18, 2023 at 9:32 PM To: BMDC Working Group < bmdc@lists.riseup.net > Hi Folks, The debate on trans women in women's sports is unfolding among many people whether any of us likes it or not. Canceling and demonizing people will not change this fact. To those of you who want to demonize BMDC, if you want to continue bullying us, then maybe you should be bullying Cornel West as well, if you have any consistency at all, which I doubt. Your lust for summary expulsions will not advance the debate in any way, shape, or form.  Cornel West has taken a position. It is described in the Karen Hunter Show on YouTube. His response is to have  3 categories in sports. He is asked the question at about 18:45 in the video and his response is at about 19:15 in this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1HCAmx3xrc ...
Read more

Fwd: [bmdc-wg] I am leaving BMDC

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Michael Heichman < michaelheichman@gmail.com > Date: Mon, Jun 12, 2023 at 4:20 PM Subject: Re: [bmdc-wg] I am leaving BMDC To: < xulingkelley@gmail.com > Cc: John Harris < john.r.harris@verizon.net >, BMDC Working Group < bmdc@lists.riseup.net >, Stevie Downie < downie.steve@yahoo.com >, Robert Michael Pittsley < rpittsley6@gmail.com > Lita, Thanks for clarifying. Yes, I did ask for guidelines for the usage of our lists. Yes, I did not initiate discussion on the general list. Mike On Jun 12, 2023, at 10:19 AM, Lita Xú Líng Kelley (via bmdc Mailing List) < bmdc@lists.riseup.net > wrote: That's not true John.  We voted to create a discussion list.   Mike asked for written guidelines,   You refused and asserted yourself in your typical authoritarian manner.   POST THE WRITTEN RULES!  They do not exist!   It was JANE that posted transphobic rhetoric to the work list first and Mike responded,    On ...
Read more