just watched the Jessicur documentary over the community, and let me just preface by saying that its very interesting how a trans woman (someone who is often targeted by bigots on the basis of being seen as a predator) makes a video covering radqueers who are subjected to the same arguments that terfs and transphobes use to punch down and call us predators. I'm just going to go point by point with analysis because I think it's important.
Also the documentary is very biased and you can tell that she wants to paint us with this very broad brush that makes us out to be predators. For example, she features "ex-radqueers", but not any of us that are in the community for this video. Wouldn't it be good to show your audience a bigger perspective (aside from that one person from the past interview)?
Her definitions are slightly correct. I like how she didn't only mention anti and pro contact but also neutral, complex, etc, but you can absolutely see the direction of the video. Like, when she mentions paraphilias it would have been nice to cover what they are and the attraction ≠ action ideology I usually see here.
Also her trans identity section is laughable. Obviously she will spotlight trans race and trans disabled because those are eyebrow raisers, but ignores that many of the beings that identify with these have dysphoria or that we all aren't a monolith when it comes to accepting some sorts of labels. We literally had a mini civil war over trans Nazi / NIN.
Also let me just add that I am a grown ass woman that's employed and educated. The radqueer community isn't just youth. And the way Jessicur discusses (usually teenagers) joining the community is vaguely similar to how bigots view children coming out as queer and joining the lgbtq+ community. It also makes it seem like most radqueers aren't vanilla queers ourselves. Like I knew I was lesbian before I knew I was radqueer; that cant be separated. Also many of us are cis poc, disabled, mentally ill, etc. Fake claiming is always bad.
I'm not even gonna get too deep into pro-ship vs anti ship. Fiction does not affect reality. Propaganda is different because of pre-existing prejudice and obviously government run campaigns will affect people more than some randoms fanfic on ao3.
I won't clown on ex-radqueers who "escaped" because I just don't think that's fair. They had a reason for leaving, but I DO think its weird of Jessicur to use it to further this agenda of depicting this community as a Cult. We don't have figureheads or a hierarchy. We argue on this damn site almost every week. Nobody is in danger if they choose to leave. Now I can't deny that there are many traumatized beings that join this community, but it's the same with the lgbtq+ and plural communities. Are they cults too?
I honestly feel like I just scratched the surface of this and there is SO MUCH that could be said as an argument. Posting this documentary at the beginning of pride month was also nefarious as fuck lmao. Anyway, keep being accepting of others no matter how weird or contradictory, block trolls they're not worth your time, and keep being you.