I’m still not interested in discussing SSM in ATMB but perhaps 60% should be the cut-off for what we are allowed to discuss in general. If only 40% of the population hold an opinion on a topic, it’s ‘not worthy of respect in democratic society’ (Maya Forstater v Centre for Global Development, 2019 ) and certainly not to be discussed on the Straight Dope.
I think it drives people away who might otherwise engage. And, often, that’s the intention.
I’m not sure on the protocol for citing posts from other forums in ATMB but, just today…
My goal is that no bigots wind up posting here.
The poster clarified to say that a bigot is defined to include anyone who wants to discuss a topic that should not be discussed because to discuss it would be bigotted.
Kron said above that he ‘can’t think of any way way for being anti-SSM to be anything but homophobic.’ He conceded that the ‘transgendered-athletes-in-sports thing […] is a basis for reasonable debate’ but you might be pitted for expressing it. Discussing transgender use of bathrooms is ‘straight-up bigotry’.
I maintain that it is the explicit goal of many Dopers to drive away posters who express opinions that they disagree with.
In another thread, Kron wondered ‘how many racist beliefs must a person have before they are actually racist? Ditto for the -phobics?’. Presumably Kron gets to decide which beliefs are racist before he condemns them for holding racist views.
This is the ultimate veto. If an argument on a message board can be claimed to cause actual harm in the real world, it’s not a fit topic for discussion and should be banned.