Twitter has a new policy of suspending accounts over ‘deadnaming’. Full transparency, this editor had no idea what that was but considering you can lose your account over it, probably something to inform oneself about.
Interestingly enough, Corinna Cohn wrote an entire (and EPIC) thread about what deadnaming is and why it’s BS for Twitter to suspend people over it.
Great thread.
Twitter revised its terms of service to ban “deadnaming”. I am trans and this is a thread on what “deadnaming” is.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
On its face, “deadnaming” is merely mentioning the christened name of a person as given by their parents if that person has subsequently changed their name as part of declaring a different gender identity.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
It’s considered rude to approach a trans person who would prefer to be known as Caitlyn and say to them, “Hey, Bruce!” Recently (last five years) this was coined as “deadnaming”.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Awful name for it.
With Twitter choosing to punish or ban the mention of a chistened name, “deadnaming” has now emerged as a highly privileged, extremely broad privacy right which removes others’ rights to speak about the past.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
This. ^
From the first time I heard the malapropism “deadnaming”, I’ve criticized it for promoting the idea that changing one’s name or pronouns is a form of death. It is’t. Changing your name introduces a new chapter; it doesn’t destroy the book.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Damn, this is an exceptional tweet.
There is not a unified position in the trans community on “deadnaming”. For Twitter to add it to its prohibited speech restrictions, it means that Twitter has taken a specific, ideological stance and is choosing to ban a wide swath of speech.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Typical Twitter.
A ban on “deadnaming” is categorically identical to a ban on heresy. If Twitter bans “deadnaming”, there is no distance from here to banning sacriligious speech. “Deadnaming” is a term from the most modern of theological movements.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
in practice, Twitter’s “deadnaming” policy will be a boon to anyone who wants to hide their past, particularly sex offenders and other violent offenders. This policy strips a victim’s ability to name their abuser.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Wow.
(As a side note, a former senior engineer at Twitter is now protected by this policy)
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Convenient.
Twitter has been cracking down on all types of challenging speech. Challenging speech is by its nature offensive because it attacks ideas or beliefs that one party sincerely holds and which another party passionately disagrees.
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Twitter is not a platform for discussing ideas. This new change to the terms and conditions proves that beyond a doubt. #FreeMeghan
— Corinna “Stop Breaking the Web” Cohn (@corinna_cohn) November 24, 2018
Boom. So much boom.
And we love that Corinna advocated to #FreeMeghan referring to feminist Meghan Murphy who was suspended permanently on Twitter for saying men are men, and not women. Corinna tweeting for her freedom proves there IS room for discussion.
Just not on Twitter.
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