Hey everyone,
I wanted to chime and offer my two cents on the ongoing situation. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a former administrator for this website, and a transgender person myself. I also own and co-run the TransEra community discord. With that context out of the way, let's dig into things.
First of all, I think the mod post in this thread misunderstands what the actual issue is from the community's perspective. The community's issue is not with leaks. The community's issue is not with investigations. The community's issue is with how the situation was handled.
It is one thing to ban a member for leaking something that was private. I think most people can understand that logic, even if they don't necessarily agree with the decision. Where you lost people is when you decide to start talking about investigating the issue seriously, as if there was ever going to be any kind of chat log or read receipt in Discord that provided a smoking gun. The entire 'investigation' could never be more than he said, she said, for that's all that Discord provides you.
I am very frustrated to see that the staff has a willingness to take a swing at a banned member who can no longer speak for herself here in a thread about transgender awareness, no less. The sheer lack of awareness is mind boggling. To take a shot by saying, '
Ketkat understood the importance of privacy in safe spaces, as she has championed this herself,' isn't just low, it is quite frankly pathetic. Why would ever think it is ok to take a snide shot at someone like this in an official capacity? I cannot believe that there is an administrator on staff who approved this. It makes staff look like the pettiest people on the planet, taking a shot at a former trans member of the community loved by the community in a thread about the trans community.
The community doesn't care about how the ResetEra staff feels right now. It isn't about the ResetEra staff feeling comfortable, it is about the ResetEra community feeling comfortable. Ultimately, the staff serves the community, not the other way around. When I was on staff, I was always willing to make myself uncomfortable if it meant making the community more comfortable, even if it meant having hard conversations that lasted long hours. That's part of being a volunteer, and that is part of serving. It isn't about you, the staff, it is about us, the community. That is something that has absolutely been lost as time has gone on.
There's a lot more I could say on my feelings, but my feelings are ultimately moot at this point, and so are words. What really matters at this point is actions. ResetEra staff, whether you agree with them or not (and I hope you do), the community feels extremely wronged right now. People are hurting, and they're hurting because you've hurt them. Now is the time to show that y'all really are the good people I know and worked alongside for years. Do the right thing, and show it with your words, not with your actions.
I would suggest the following:
- The moderator who made the post that has been linked around this thread needs to resign. In order for the community to move on and to heal, sometimes it is necessary for oneself to step aside. In this case, it is time for you to step aside and allow the healing process to begin.
- An apology should be posted for this whole situation. In this apology, you should clearly outline the steps that you take when evaluating transphobic content or other content that is anti-LGBT. There are plenty of us in the community that are former staff and could as easily articulate these rules, but you need to step forward and tell the community what they are. And then, you have to let the community hold you accountable to them. That's how you will open the door for the community to restore trust in you, by enforcing this policy (that you already have) not with your words, but with your actions.
- There needs to be a greater diversification in the administration table. This is something that has been great in the past, but after most of the original administration left, is severely lacking now. Please correct this decision with serious administration changes that will result in better conversations in the administration room with voices who are more concerned about doing right by the community than doing right by the moderation rulebook.
- And, this really should be a given, but at this point, Ketkat should be unbanned. Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter how you feel about it. It will be a good starting sign to restorting the trust between the community and staff. If Ketkat breaks the rules again, that's on her, but right now, it doesn't really matter. What matters is keeping the community together and restoring the trust that has been broken.
This is by no means the only things that have to happen or the only things that can happen, but I would call this a good start. It is hard. It is going to not be particularly fun for anyone involved. But, at the end of the day, it is worth it because this community and ResetEra are worth it. I urge this to be done at all haste.
If you have any questions for me, my inboxes are always open. If others have suggestions or additions to this list they'd like to see, please feel free to mention them, this was simply the first few big points that came to my mind.
Thanks,
Nicole
edit: fixed a typo
