I learned a lot of things in very quick succession last night, and would like to apologize.
While at FC2020, a group of trans folks gathered around Sonic Fox to take a picture, and since I was feeling cheeky, I decided to play that dumb Circle Game, where you make a ring with your index finger and thumb and show it subtly so what, when people notice it, you can say “got ‘em” (and sock them in the shoulder, depending whether or not you’re still in middle school).
It was brought to my attention that making that hand-shape — the ‘Okay Hand’ — is something that 4chan recently co-opted to be a symbol for ‘white power’. You can imagine my growing horror at learning this. I was absolutely humiliated.
I am sorry.
This is something I did not know, and now that I do, will never, ever do again. I carry no sympathy for racists, and to use one of their symbols, however accidentally, is unacceptable. I have made a donation to the Trans Women of Color Collective as a part of my apology.
I will continue to do my best to help stamp out racism and all forms of bigotry as I work to become a better person.
