Karnythia states:
I also see people talking about the need to give Amanda Marcotte a safe space from which to respond. Maybe it’s just me, but why exactly is it that WOC aren’t entitled to the same calls for safe space? If we’re supposed to be sisters then shouldn’t safety for us be a priority? AFAIK there is exactly one community devoted to safe space for WOC on the internet and I created it. My co-mod and I work very hard to keep the voyeurs, trolls, and bigots out and the community members guard the space jealously from anyone that might slip past us. And I wish we didn’t have to do that, but I look at this book and the responses to it and the original Seal Press fiasco and I think that we are operating in very hostile territory and the only choice WOC have is to pull back and operate our own spaces in our own ways because we can’t expect anyone to fight for us. And yes, I know many of the people reading this are truly allies and I’m not saying this to hurt you. But we’re going to need you to commence cleaning up your house before you can help us clean up the world.
Yeah, I can recall several occasions on which safe space for WOC has been interpreted as “reverse racism” and “divisive.” By women who have no trouble understanding the concept of safe space for women.
But who don’t get that what may be safe for us white feminists may not be safe for WOC.
But what I don’t get here is what “safe space for Amanda to respond in” even means. Safe from what, exactly?
Criticism.
I don’t get what a safe space for Ms. Marcotte would be either. Even before this latest imbroglio she had experienced some pretty rough criticism and nasty language from people who disagreed with her on various topics — how much worse does she think it could get?