@msk

I'm exhausted over there. I wish it wasn't this bad. And I don't know quite how to replace it yet really. Things aren't perfect here. But it's still 9x better in so many ways. I just need more people to trust me and move over here.

@PlanetaryKnight it's definitely better

i feel like some people are reluctant about moving over because they have large amounts of followers on twitter, which doesn't even matter as much here

@msk

I think it's that and also just general unfamiliarity, maybe? And let's face it, it's getting better here, but when I joined last year I was entirely overwhelmed because of how different it is!

@PlanetaryKnight yeah, the only function I wish I had was a pinned toot function so I could pin my patreon or newest album or something

@msk

Also need Tusky to fix issues with searching for friends account from other servers, AND add a translate option for other languages since I'm pathetic and only speak English and a little Spanish 😂

@PlanetaryKnight yeah that'd be cool, also tusky needs push notifications already

@RussSharek

So I can't show the ones that have been blocked because the people who get it blocked can't screencap it because it looks normal on their end? But here's a link to a tweet showing what's happening when Twitter is flagging. In addition several accounts have been shadowbanned, or outright banned, just after posting LGBT+ content. Some have decided not to come back.

https://twitter.com/FxSql/status/877448726486278146

@PlanetaryKnight You convinced me...I'm sharing, I'm sharing!

@RussSharek

Haha. It's just been a frustrating couple of weeks on there. It started off gradual around June 3rd or 4th but it's happening more and more. And Twitter says they "don't know" but it's been WEEKS of this.

@PlanetaryKnight That's horrible. The irony of course is that the term "queer" is being more typically used by the more civil end of the discussion.

@RussSharek Well I mean yeah definitely and it's been used since the 80's at least to represent the educational side of things like Queer&Gender Studies/etc so it's all just... Bizarre. Only word I can think of for it all. Between that and them doing zip about harassment the past several years. Twitter is more trouble than it's worth to me at this point.

@PlanetaryKnight

I'm sorry that's been your experience. Mine's been largely benign, but then my social media is largely for promotion of my circus work.

As a sometimes traveling performer it is something (like facebook) that has become a defacto part of our mobile industry.

Drives me nuts, to be honest.

@RussSharek Really my Twitter experience has been a mixed bag. I work with LGBT+ teens and we've had so much good support from social media at our youth center, our centers library flooded last year and peope send over 500 YA books, it was amazing.

There's just been so much harassment from too many random people too though. Facebook has been quicker for awhile about resolving it, with Twitter I worry about it escalating further from people&that's the problem.

@PlanetaryKnight

I've worked with at-risk kids and teens and it was an incrediblly rewarding experience. What sort of work are you doing with the teens?

I suspect Twitter's ability to remain anonymous factors into people being harsher than they are in real life. It's part of the reason I try to make a commitment to being "me" online as much as possible.

@RussSharek We have a drop-in center! We're located in southern Illinois which has like ZERO resources for LGBT+ youth. It doesn't sound like a lot but we're in a rural area and consistently see 35+ kids come in every time we're open and it's amazing. It's literally just a space for them to have mentors and support. We do HIV Testing and give away clothes and provide food as well. My dream is eventually we can afford to be an actual LGBT+ youth homeless shelter.

@PlanetaryKnight

That's amazing! I'm so glad you're out there helping. Community is incredibly important.

In ye-olde days, I believe things like religion (not advocating) had a huge hand in bringing communities together.

In the absence such accepting social structures, you have to make them for yourself.

I founded a variety show in Dallas that ran for five years. It acted as an ad hoc community for local weirdos. I know it saved me and countless others.

@RussSharek Ah! Amusingly wrt olden days we were initially founded by two churches who wanted to support LGBT+ youth somehow and give them a place to be safe if their family wasn't supportive, anf this was about 17 years ago, kind of amazing really.

And that is amazing too! Community is definitely important, finding those spaces where you belong and fit, that's an amazing space. It does so much for so many people.

@RussSharek Also obviously 17 years ago isn't olden days but when you hear 13 year olds talk, it's ancient 😂😂😂

Nothing makes you feel older than "I love listening to like SUPER old music. Like from the 90's."

@PlanetaryKnight

"Did you know Paul McCartney used to be in a band before Wings?"

"What's Wings?"

Yeah, I know from old. :)

@PlanetaryKnight

Nice to see some social progress out in the sticks. ;)

Most of my work has been either educational or performative in nature. Improv workshops build confidence, theater games remind people to play and trust each other.

@RussSharek Haha that's exactly how I felt when I found out about it about 4 years ago! WOULD/DO you do one night improv class type things/travel? (Website?) We have some kids interested in improv and they love having guests so I'm thinking some things haha

@PlanetaryKnight

I absolutely do travel to teach and perform. Last year I did a national tour where I worked with local circuses and theater companies across the US. We did a few smaller stops as well, and they were incredible experiences for everyone.

Our troupe website is http://circusfreaks.org/

All of the contact information goes directly to me. Pick up the phone and give me a call. Would love to chat at length about it.

@PlanetaryKnight

Let's make this happen so we get to brag that kvetching about queer visibility on mastodon led to a helpful creative project. :)

@RussSharek Will give a call probably tomorrow if that works for you? Have some errands to run this evening and would like to block some time out haha

@PlanetaryKnight

I'm available in the afternoon. Performing that night, so any time between noon and 4pm is ideal.

@RussSharek Alright will call around 1:30ish, are you in central time?

@PlanetaryKnight
Thank you for doing this!
It is so important to meet real other LGBT* people, especially during your coming out.

@Trill 💖 I'm happy to help out however I can, I wish I would have had better resources when I was a kid.

@PlanetaryKnight
So do I, which is part of why I am so happy you are helping ☺

@PlanetaryKnight I'm now in a debate between posting a test on Twitter myself and simply continuing my casual move to more open social media.

I realize on some levels that's the social cooling effect in action there, and it outrages me. Mind you, my @RussSharek on Twitter is really there for fans of my performance work more than anything else.

I suspect my identity may get a little fractured online as I sort it out.

@RussSharek

And another https://twitter.com/SlayZeKyriarchy/status/877924539468050432

There's been a ton though I just don't have links to all right now

@PlanetaryKnight issues currently https://twitter.com/adrienneleigh/status/850061121184604160

@LottieVixen Yeah! Definitely agree with all that

@PlanetaryKnight also nice to see you more active here <3

@LottieVixen 💖!

@PlanetaryKnight @LottieVixen I'm not sure I understand this. I can write a script that saves every birdsite user's posts now, what's the difference they're trying to point out?

@LottieVixen @dedbees I'm mostly agreeing on the points about being copied/faked on other instances (which, yes, has also happened on Twitter, although the # of instances here might make it take longer to notice?) And also the point about an admin with ill-intent (though, lmao, not like Twitter's admins are better, but due to advertisers they are less likely to write a really aggressive script undoing blocks...)

@PlanetaryKnight @dedbees the difference is private profiles on twitter, im pretty sure you can't access those without following them, where as on masto, as long as one person on your instance follows someone, you can get all of their "followers only" toots

@dedbees @LottieVixen I thought if your account was private here you couldn't, either?

@PlanetaryKnight @dedbees an instance isn't sent your private stuff unless one of your followers is on that instance. then anything you toot to "followers only" is known to that instance, if they have a rogue admin or chose to ignore privacy (and change a lot of code) they could make your profile look like it was public

@LottieVixen @PlanetaryKnight Ah okay. Just trying to see if there was some huge technical risk I missed :3

@dedbees @PlanetaryKnight no its nothing new just normal (I think) to decenteralisation.

@dedbees sorry for the misunderstanding!

@Trill NP! It's been a bizarre few weeks.

@cjd I've been trying to figure that one out. I don't have any concrete answers to that though. I just know the environment on the site just seems to get more and more hostile each passing day.

@Bigkafka That would be an excellent idea.