# Is this the beginning of the end?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end/947060>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [July 22, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end/947060 "2021-07-22T15:36:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 65

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**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end/947060/65 "2021-07-24T12:55:47Z")

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This exchange between BigT and mikecurtis captures the essence of what I dislike about the Straight Dope in 2021 and what has been lost from the glory days.

> [@BigT](#):
>
> It definitely seems to me like allowing these assholes has caused harm, as you think it’s okay to defend at least two kinds of bigotry. Not things I think are bigoted. But just objectively bigoted statements.
> 
> If you think that shit’s okay, then we’re done here. You can’t tell me that cis women being scared of trans people and excluding them is okay. You can’t tell me that it’s okay to pretend to support gay rights but then want to deprive them of a right straight people have.
> 
> You want to act like that shit is okay? then you’re just enabling bigots and don’t give a shit about trans people or gay people. So, frankly, fuck off.

BigT has decided that certain topics are beyond the Pale and not suitable for discussion. Anyone who wants to discuss a topic where the population is still about evenly divided or, worse, where BigT’s opinion is still the minority opinion, is a bigot and ‘not worthy of respect in democratic society’ (_[Maya Forstater v Centre for Global Development, 2019](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Forstater_v_Centre_for_Global_Development)_).

> [@BigT](#):
>
> My goal is that no bigots wind up posting here.

As a result, folks like BigT left move in smaller and smaller circles and get exposed less and less to opinions that are different from their own. Fighting ignorance becomes so much more difficult if the only people you are willing to talk to are the ones that you already agree with.

Back in the day, I used to get angry hearing the frankly appalling view of folks like Shodan and Bricker but this _Burn the Bigot_ attitude and the assumption that anyone who disagrees with you must be a bigot make for very sterile debate. My sense is that folks like BigT are winning the battle for dominance here and the mission to fight ignorance has been cast aside. I think that’s a shame.

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