Now Curating LGBT and Transgender Tags
Now that I'm a Dolphin,
I can do something about it.
I can do something about it.
Being transgender myself, I have a personal interest in seeing the #LGBT and #Transgender categories build up here on Steemit.
Even more exciting is that I'm finally in a position where I can start doing something about it. I know I'm not the biggest Steem Power holder, but I do have enough to start making a difference. For some weeks now I've already been curating these two tags myself, trying to add to payouts of posts I found touching, interesting, etc in there. I do view my upvotes as a message of 'I want to see more of this."
To take this a step further, two days ago I delegated 500 each to two different Steemians that are going to help me watch these types of posts and upvote accordingly. While a $5 payout may not look like a lot, with the Steem Dollars still selling around $8...the author would be getting at least $15 just from their SBD part.
I have also begun asking for new authors in various large, closed LGBT and Transgender groups on Facebook (many with 20,000 or more members) with this message, hoping to get some of them to start posting here on Steemit.
In case you're curious, this is my introduction post that you see included in the Facebook message: https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@sykochica/my-transgender-journey
Q: How can I help?
- If you would like to delegate and Steem Power toward curating these communities, it would be very appreciated. However right now I do feel an impact can be made without this...for now.
- Post good content and comments in the LGBT and/or Transgender tags. I guaranty I will be going through every new post that is made.
- Promote discussion and understanding between differing views. But remember some people are just looking to fight versus learn.
- Check out, read and maybe even vote for a post you find worthy in the LGBT and/or Transgender tags. It doesn't matter if we differ on what we find worthy!
A few important points:
- While I may not personally upvote things that I disagree with, I CAN guaranty you I won't be flagging these posts or comments.
- Everyone is more than open to be giving their opinions and what research they have gathered together. I'm not wanting to silence differing views, in fact I want to promote them and their ensuing discussions. However, I WILL tag abuse!
- With the LGBT and Transgender tags having few posts being created, I do feel I can keep up some decent curation as it stands. However if there is an influx of news posts in these categories, some things may get missed or have smaller upvotes given across more posts.
Q: Why not include the Gay and Lesbian tags too?
Because there is lot of NSFW in both of those and while I don't have a problem with it being there, I prefer to not have to sift through that myself. I'll likely revisit this should things grow, but for right now, having limited resources, I'm start with just the two tags.
[UPDATE: LGBTQ tag WILL be included in this initiative too.]
Image Sources:
Awesome! I write LGBTQ romance and am pansexual/genderfluid myself. Am excited to see this initiative in promoting the community!
Well if your gonna be courageous enough to go all in I guess I might as well join the club so to speak. Thanks a million for the reminder that I'm not alone in this world. Dealing with be transgender for me at least has been a lonely path and I'm still not certain who or what I am other than just a human being, feeling, loving, and being... Me. Bravo. Keep fighting the good fight and maybe one day we may all rise above our self and find harmony.
@sykochica, you're doing something I think is very important here.
I believe that the early movers in cryptocurrency will become the new ruling elite of the world. This is somewhat troubling, because the cryptocurrency landscape is dominated by the garden-variety cisgendered male libertarian. Cryptocurrency appeals to libertarians above all due to its decentralised nature and ability to remove power from the government. For one reason or another, however, most "libertarians" I know are right-leaning or just plain bigoted on many social issues.
It's a double-edged sword of sorts because on one hand, they are more likely to "live and let live" due to their political ideology, but on the other, they are more prone to make memes about how "there are two genders" and other things like that. Many are hypocrites who are okay with the government taking people's freedoms as long as it doesn't affect them.
I think the best way to combat bigotry is to break down barriers of communication. I was raised in a quite conservative and religious family. I always avoided gay people. I was taught to be polite to them, but to avoid befriending them and (by example) to discredit and illegitimise them behind their backs. When I went to university, I met and befriended a lesbian, though neither of us knew it at the time. When she came out to me, I had two choices-- lose a friend, or accept that these people I had avoided all my life were living, breathing people with lives to live, love to give, ideas to share, and feelings.
I am not a perfect person. I look back on my old views now with embarrassment. It was even a long time after that until I finally let go of the idea of homosexuality being "wrong". It took a longer time, but I eventually came to accept the transgendered as well. I see it as a part of my "growing up" that I had to do. I had to declare independence from the lies I was taught as a child.
However... after that first transformative experience, there was no going back. The seed was planted. I had seen the person behind the label.
Satoshi Nakamoto opened Pandora's Box when he created Bitcoin. With provably untraceable currencies like Monero in the mix, I believe the days of forcing people to be "kind" to one another are numbered. Most of the social protections enforced by government power will erode away over time. What we can do, however, is try and make people want to be better.
This is why what you're doing is so important. By onboarding LGBT people onto the Steemit platform and empowering them through your votes, you'll potentially be enabling so many of those "moral crisis" moments like I had... where someone's mind begins to change.
Lets be real. You could literally do anything with your time, your words, and your crypto$$$. You could be happily swimming your way to whaledom without this. But you have taken us under your beautiful sykochika butterfly wings. Not only are you helping members og the greater lgbtq community but you are also helping steemit --- of course not to mention #teamgirlpowa soecifically. Your joy, love, and energy are infectious. I hope you know how much you encompass GIRLPOWA!!! So here i am giving you and this post my official #humancertified originsl works of #girlpowaness!!!! Ps also i bisexual soo ;)
P.s also note that if you click this image you will find my personal curation mission as a #humancertified OW curator and a curie curator. Scholarly articles and indepth and engaging fiction pieces about feminism, bucking gender roles, and/or lgbtq nb living and issues should be dm'd to me! Steemit.chat lima.being discord limabeing#2123
Agsin thanks to sykochica for her amazing heart and skills!!!!!!
agreed, AND this place is so not the same without her comedic style on some of the podcasts, e he
and thanks to you @limabeing, you are strong, and brassy...the right people will be our vibe tribe , plus I like your purple hair, maybe I dye mine orange, I actually did, like flaming orange las tyear,
It’s the little things that leave the biggest imprint , that’s what I love about this community that gives back to others
Oh that's soooo true! And with as well as Steemit has treated me, this is one of the ways I truly want to try giving back! :D
I like how you're curating these tags, I think this way you will grow a different community and you might bring in new people into steemit overall. It's definitely not something that a lot of people would do! Taking part in curating specific tags is making the future of steemit seem even brighter :)
WELL SAID
Thank you!
I have seen some content to through there since I've started, but I have felt them to be under-served tags.
Just with conversations I've had with a lot of users here, I do know there are LGBT members and allies here..but I do know how it is writing for areas that just don't have the higher SP votes behind them. My fingers are crossed that this can start to change this and be helpful for everybody. :D
Yeah, I guess it can be quite hard for people to write in these areas if not enough upvotes are coming in and is not seen by anyone...
LETS STAND TOGETHER
Good work
Great step by you!! Really appreciate your work!! BTW can I join those groups on steemit chat?
Thank you..and thank you! Lol
There actually aren't any LGBT or Transgender specific groups I know of on steemit.chat or Discord (at least among the Steemit channels.) The ones that I mentioned I've been members or for years on Facebook. But If you're interested in these FB groups, I can see what I can do to get you list, get invites, etc. :)
oh okay!! thankyou for the info @sykochica and you are building a great community on steemit, thanks for that too.
any help needed feel free to ask im gay and think we should spreed LGBT WIDE AND FAR :-)
I'll def let you know...much appreciated! As I get my SP built up I hope to delegate some more to people...especially if we start seeing a lot more posts going in those tags. Also, I can't personally speak too much about being gay...always preferring to let those with the 'real life experience' do that instead. :)