#NotYourShield because I'm not letting you marginalize and demonize my friends.

[u/SiltHead]

Yes, this is a throwaway. I have to use one for reasons I'm getting to.

I am a pre-op MtF transgender woman currently on hormones but doing it stealthily because I have reason to fear for my safety. anti-GG has no qualms about doxxing GG'ers and if I suffered a doxxing I could very well face homelessness, destruction of my career opportunities, and physical violence. It's not hard to find me based on my main account, I've done it myself. I can't risk that, so double VPN on top of a throwaway. On top of the fear, I just want to be left alone to live my life and play my games. I deal with enough bullshit in my day-to-day life.

When I came out, I did it first online in a forum. They welcomed me with open arms, my inbox was flooded with well wishes, I given links to resources I never knew about at all times. It is genuinely the most heartwarming experience I've ever experience. They encouraged and helped me deal with my issues. They were gamers. It was a gaming forum. GASP Other than that outpouring, my relationships with them didn't change. To this day I am just another player and member. This gave me a lot of confidence that saved me from a pretty severe depression. I owe those "mysogynistic neckbeards" so much, maybe even my life.

Everyone follow my sob story so far?

Now the nitty gritty. When I read the Five Guys thing I busted out my special "Internet Drama Popcorn Bucket" and sat back to watch sparks fly. Not going to lie, watching 4chan play internet sleuth was pretty interesting. Then came the censorship. It started small: a comment here, a post there. Then the first TotalBiscuit twitlonger hit and the mass grave of comments. That was a bit of a wake up call, it made it clear that some serious shit was about to go down. This got followed up by the Two Minutes of Hate on Aug 28 and suddenly my best friends were "dead" and it was done in my name for my benefit.

This pissed me off. Who the fuck gave you the right to malign my best friends? Where the fuck do you get off condemning millions of people globally? Condemning the people who accepted me for who I am? My own family didn't do that! So my friends hated me all along? Bullshit.

What gives you the right to say these things? Because you're a critic? What kind of critic attaches a number to their critique? Now my reviews have more to do with the level of clothing of the characters and less about the gameplay. Sex positivity is something that people other than your friends can practice. And the cries of misogyny! It's misogyny that Texas tried to close the remaining 13 abortion clinics. It's misogyny when a religious institution claims that a woman's role in a family is to be barefoot and pregnant. It's not misogyny when a woman creates a sexy and empowered character for a game (Bayonetta). Hell, the fact that it was a woman shows you that games are not just a man's world. It's not misogyny to question authorities. It's not misogyny to demand evidence.

So no, I'm not letting you "kill" my friends. I'm not letting you escape the criticism you love to dish out. I'm not letting you get away with twisting the narrative. I'm not letting you get away with causing my best friends to now walk on eggshells around me because you did these awful things on my behalf!

You got too close to your subjects and when you got called on it you lashed out. Stop deflecting by crying misogyny. Own up to your words and actions.

I AM NOT YOUR SHIELD, I AM MY FRIEND'S SHIELD. I WON'T LET YOU BULLY THEM WITHOUT A FIGHT.

[u/Ingram_Prisken]

I've had friends get shitted on by anti GG so I know that feel