I really dislike the posts that go around that basically say it’s wrong to ever exclude people from a group. I think that runs a very huge risk of overshooting.
And I also think it’s kind of disingenuous. There are plenty of groups we want to have firm borders, for SJ style reasons. No one wants white boys crashing into WOC spaces, to use an obvious example.
So the idea that we all have to get past “being gatekeepers,” in some hugely sweeping general way, is just dumb to me.
Yes, some communities should be open and amorphous.
But no, not all of them.
A+, Would Reblog Again.
I will add: this means that some groups out there will exclude you, and the people you like best. And you just have to learn to be OK with that.
(…you can always argue that certain groups shouldn’t have gatekeeping, or shouldn’t have certain kinds of gatekeeping. Especially, y’know, groups that are centrally located in the public commons, groups that play key roles in social advancement, etc. But unless you’re prepared to let every one of your political enemies into your dinner parties, you’re going to have to give up somewhere…)