Ah yes, the impotent control freak’s favourite pastime; policing other people’s language.
Labelle is one of my faves for this because in the same breath you’ll get « You don’t get to decide if something you said hurt me » (one of the AM single panel comics, I’m on mobile though so I can’t dig it up) and « Cis isn’t a slur, you CIS! » and when you point this out you just get a lecture about how trans people are marginalized so your opinions are invalid.
We’ve compared this flavour of trans movement to a cult before but what I find incredibly interesting is how both use language to subtly manipulate. Obviously Labelle swings it like a mace at people like us, but for followers it’s about two things; making them feel special, but also keeping them off balance.
The special part is pretty simple; using language and terms most people don’t know or recognize makes your group feel smart, important and part of an intimate circle. It helps them recognize one another and affirms their place amongst their peers. This happens pretty naturally in any closed group, including the farms. We have a shared language with other boards but also those exclusive to kiwi farms. We’ll both complain about how newfags should an hero, but over there they do so while because they’re blog posting without sageing, and here it’s because they’re powerleveling alogs.
(And to further this point, my normie autocorrect hated every second word there).
But keeping them off balance is actually more important to most cult leaders. By redefining existing terms or creating brand news ones, the leader can seem to have access to some hidden knowledge that you don’t but if you stay loyal and keep doing as they say, you too may understand one day.
It also means that they’ll always have something they can get angry at you about, humiliate you with and even threaten expulsion from the group with.
Need to stir up some drama to keep your followers on the defensive?
Follower 4 is brought up in front of the crowd. « This person. » says the Leader « said they don’t like the winter because it’s too cold. Can you believe their transphobia? » the crowd murmurs a bit in agreement even if they don’t see an insult there themselves. « Follower 4, dont you know there are those among us who enjoy the cold? And more insulting still those of us who were born during winter?? So you’re saying you hate them too? » Some people born in winter in the crowd start to get angry, why is follower 4 saying everyone should hate them? « You hurt your brothers and sisters with your violent language. Your ignorance shows your true transphobia. You should say you enjoy all temperatures equally and expose yourself to the cold to overcome your hateful ways. »
Language can also be used to break down people’s natural defences or aversions. EVERYONE agrees that sexualizing children is wrong, but let’s replace « children » with « cubs » and let’s not call it sexualizing, but indulging in a kink and NO not all kinks are sexual, you TERF! (Even though this one clearly is). See? That’s not so bad, is it? They’re not sexualizing children but indulging in a kink (and kink doesn’t mean sexual all the time!) that involves naked cubs.
Isn’t that much better? Much easier to mentally justify and now. And when the leader starts to push those boundaries more and more, you can always look back on the first justification and go « that was okay, so this is okay too. »
okay I’ve rambled enough for now about language but i suggest anyone interested in the topic not only look at cults, but listen to how your friends in different industries talk. Someone who works on film sets will have different lingo to someone who works in a kitchen. When they use an acronym or word you don’t know, ask them what it means. If they want to educate you (like Labelle claims to want to do) they’ll happily explain it. If they want to feel superior (like Labelle actually does) they’ll smirk and tell you to figure it out for yourself or that it’s not something you need to know.
