Fwd: [bmdc-wg] 3 email lists, regular meetings and the current controversy

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Michael Heichman <bmdc@lists.riseup.net>
Date: Tue, Jun 6, 2023 at 10:42 AM
Subject: [bmdc-wg] 3 email lists, regular meetings and the current controversy
To: BMDC Working Group <bmdc@lists.riseup.net>, <bmdc-discuss@lists.riseup.net>, <michaelheichman@gmail.com>

BMDC:

We have 3 email lists. The two oldest lists are the larger announce list which are operated by a couple of active members and a general list. The new list is a discuss list which is a small list for those who are active members of our organization.

Near the end of our last regular meeting on 6/04, it was not even on the agenda, a male who has not identified himself as transgender, once again dropped his anti-trans bomb, which exploded the meeting and once again caused a lot of pain especially for our Transgender member.

This male has done this before and has caused harm to BMDC as well as other organizations.

The next day this male used the new discuss list and continued expressing his anti-trans views.

I was upset and called (once again) for his expulsion. Once again this person has caused pain and harm to our group.

I believe that I made a mistake. I do not apologize for anything that I had said at our 6/04 meeting or anything I wrote on email. My mistake was an accident. I posted my remarks on the general list. I meant to respond to that person on the discuss list. I did not mean to send my message on the general list. I apologize.

BMDC exists to address serious global problems and sometimes it is important to have debates.

-Wars are happening around the world. We have had vigorous debates about Ukraine.

-Our planet is being poisoned and we are living in a time of the 6th Extinction.

- The Working Class is under attack.

- People of Color are under attack. POC are being murdered. We do not debate Police Brutality!

- Women's Reproductive Rights are under attack. Women are dying. We do not debate Abortion!

- Transgender People are under attack. Our siblings are being murdered. We do not debate Trans Rights!

Except for 2 of our members. One of them has voluntarily removed herself from active membership. The other person has been the major instigator.

The appropriate behavior is to request that we request in advance that a controversial issue be placed on the agenda of a regular meeting. Then those present would decide whether or not this item would be discussed In the case of reproductive and trans rights, that has never been done. Instead that person once again dropped his bomb and continued his attack on our email lists.

I have been an active member of BMDC since about 2015. I am one member. I have one voice and one vote.

I believe that BMDC has important work to do.

I believe that racism, misogyny, anti-trans bigotry and other forms of oppression do not belong at our meetings or our 3 email lists.

Mike Heichman


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