my love letter to tumblr
Hi @staff, my name is Larry, and people on here know me as FireSignPalatine. and I know a lot of people are saying a whole lot of things and they’re probably saying them better than I am but I…I need to say my two cents. Much like pretty much everyone on this site, especially those under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, I feel betrayed. I feel let down. I feel robbed. Robbed of a means of expression. Robbed of a safe place. A place to express myself and my sexuality.
Yeah, I’m 41. 42 in a couple of days. and I’m a cis, white, gay male. And as much as it’s taking something away from me, it’s taking away much more from those younger than I am. as I understand it, and correct me if I’m wrong, Tumblr’s userbase is mainly in their 20′s, and majority female or female identified. and maybe it’s just me living in my bubble, but it seems like there’s a whoooole bunch of queer people, and a whoooole bunch of People of Color, a whole bunch of people of different genders and gender expressions, a whole bunch of differently abled persons, and yes, a whoooole bunch of us who have alternative body types (yes, that includes my fat body). Yes, Porn can be found many, many places on the internet. But you know what can’t be found? Representation. Here on Tumblr, I don’t just see hot, white gym bodies. I see them, but many many other types of people. I see all kinds of people expressing themselves and their sexuality, people who have trouble expressing that side of themselves anywhere else. and by taking that away, you’re taking away a part of them, an important part. And honestly, that’s a side that people need. Sex and sexuality are an integral part of the human experience and Tumblr is a safe haven for consenting adults to express that part of themselves. Come December 17th, that will be taken away. Yes, the internet is full of adult content elsewhere, but nowhere has the community, the representation, that Tumblr has.
so, I’m sure my voice won’t matter in the end, and no one else’s will either, no matter how many petitions we sign. You will still make the change to the user policy and people will leave the site in droves. I mean, it’s already started. Just know that while it will take us awhile to rebuild, and we will rebuild without you. just remember when your site dies, and wherever we land starts flourishing, you forced us to rebuild into the next great thing, and you did it to yourselves.
