Beloved:
I have wrestled long and hard about this. I am sick of having platforms, streams of revenue, and anything that benefits a Black trans artist be completely compromised by a couple different forces lately as we learn to use these social and quasi social platforms as a society.
For the record as a Black trans artist I assumed nazi’s were here. Industry insiders and friends told me about a new profitable way to get your work out, Substack. If there is money, the ability to create echo chambers and algorithmic political cyber hellscapes, and vulnerable people, you find Nazi’s. It’s really a law of the internet. Does Substack have this absolute dedication to the right of free speech, democratic principles, and a society shaped by vigorous debate?
They will argue: yes. This is about freedom of thought, speech, and the exchange of ideas. The problem with that is the people they are platforming don't believe in that. Not by definition of being a Nazi do these folks believe that all ideas are equal, nor should all ideas have equal time to be heard.
I would also like to raise an eyebrow at the sudden push by progressive white writers who have made a revenue stream that supports many BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers untenable.
I would remind y’all there are many platforms that are accessible to y’all and many less to us. The fact you finally either sincerely just noticed the nazi’s that have been here the whole time and were genuinely outraged by this news or more cravenly this as a way to raise your personal profile, know dear one your actions have consequences. I think a bit of both was present.
As a word of love: I am Black and have been my whole life. If I had to avoid white spaces or platforms that had no racist, or as a Black trans person, no transphobia, I would have nowhere to go. Your people are everywhere, and BIPOC communities, artists, and organizers tend to always pay the biggest cost when you unilaterally divest yourselves from shared community space . Good luck finding anything white america has built without your cousins fucking it up. I haven’t.
And yes, being verified on a platform that counted subscriber counts, not the nebulous rules and white controlled levers of power on what is a “trusted’ or “relevant” source worthy of verification was cool.
I have found another platform, Ghost. Let's see how long they can remain “oppression free.” I have uploaded my subscriber list myself and refuse to pay for Ghost’s concierge service so one of two results will happen.
1. all paid and free subscribers will either be sorted out with no change for all of you
Or…….
unfortunately I will be moving all my subscriptions to free and you all have a chance to re-op in as a paid subscriber, or opt out. For monthly folks, stopping the newsletter now saves you the charge if this happens, and gives you a chance to leave. No harm. No foul. Or stay on! That's so great! Thanks for supporting Black trans art, scholarship, and faith leadership. I will know which way my data upload fell in 72 hours.
Annual subscriptions if you email me I will look up your receipt and give you a free year or the time I owe you.
Substack has been good to me and at times a mess. Things like telling you all refunds are totally in my hands and a hundred other behind the scenes shenanigans that put the blame on the writer.
Nazi’s, thanks to the first amendment they do not believe applies to me, can stay here.
For the record: I actually get why Substack is trying to resist content moderation by committee. It’s not a great policy for freedom of expression. Nor does it foster reasonable or even new political or social thought and stifles growth and creativity the new limits claim to maintain. This has been proven over and over again.
But this isn’t a new or reasonable political or social movement. This is fucking nazi’s.
What I don’t get is why Substack would ignore history or humanity’s verdict on nazism. Laying aside the disrespect to the sacrifice of so many in World War 2 whether they were a solider, or an everyday citizen civilian at the time, we have wrestled with this. We have answered this question as humanity: is Nazism an ideology that has a place in modern world?
No.
The debate is over. Ask my grandfather and other veterans of the war against fascism.
Millions died, the entire world order was re-written too say no to this belief system. Not only no, the world said never again.
This is a barbarous, murderous, contemptuous system that should never happen again. Part of never again is not to give a platform too those who are openly organizing modern versions of brown shirts, creating fascist apologetics, rhetoric, and networks of support in intellectual circles, while denying the fundamental rights of other human beings based on their own ideologies of superiority. No matter how profitable. So fuck you for that Substack.
I unfortunately in good conscience cannot continue to churn content or algorithm for another corporation that thinks content moderation doesn't matter or that my utter annihilation from the earth is just “another point of view.”
This is my last post on substack.
Written in love and liberation-
lenny duncan
I'll see you in the new space.
Peace and thank you
~B
I will look for you there, Rev / Awo.