Letter to TYT, Owner, Staff, and Volunteers
We are sorry to say that we’re resigning from providing TYT with our unpaid labor. We had agreed to moderate for a strong progressive channel, who had strong core values. Over the past year hosts, mostly on the main show, have allowed their own core values to slip, making us question whether they even have those as values. Some specific ones include, every action we take is to support our mission, we participate with a positive and productive attitude, we are inclusive, we lead by example, we participate in constructive communication, we check our ego at the door, and we act with dignity.
Every Action we take is to support our mission - the mission is “To boldly pursue the truth, challenge the establishment and drive positive change” we fail to see how bad-mouthing, insulting and belittling the unhoused helps to drive any form of positive change, or how it challenges the establishment. Corporate media and the wealthy look down on the unhoused, and Ana’s anti-homeless rant is in direct support to that mission. Failure to provide any ideas on how to help that don’t include barbaric measures, only dog-piling onto the problems that the unhoused have across the nation by furthering negative stereotypes is the opposite of positive change for that community.
We participate with a positive and productive attitude - Failure to learn from one another and having an understanding attitude is what leads to issues like Ana’s recent transphobic remarks, and her birthing person meltdown. She’s refusing to learn from the immense pushback from the community and (former) fellow hosts such as Bennie and Sandee. Those positive hosts who help others outside of those communities understand and gain more insight, to leave the network punishes the audience by taking away that knowledge and life experiences.
We are inclusive - How can one be inclusive if they fail to learn from their mistakes, apologize for the lack of knowledge, and grow as a person. Ana clearly stated during an interview on another show “I’m uncomfortable talking with non-white people.” That is the least inclusive statement I have heard. Core tenets of progressive politics include fighting for the oppressed, ESPECIALLY when it is unpopular! We act based on values, not on what polls well. It’s incredibly harmful to marginalized groups, like nonbinary folks, to not be included in language that directly affects us. This is inherently regressive and exclusionary.
We lead by example - While moderating, all of us have had to get the chat under control over statements made by hosts, this tends to happen on the main show more than any other TYT live chat. The hosts make comments that are exclusive, sexist, racist, and transphobic. With TYT being such a large platform, and having a far reach, these toxic statements and views are heard by the viewers, who start to believe them, it continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and pushes the network to the right, not the left. We understand that not everyone will be in the same space, and we need to meet people where they’re at. How can we meet someone who doesn’t want us to meet them but just wants to pull us towards them? This has been making the network exclusionary to fellow leftists and those who are dipping their toe into the progressive sphere. There is a worry about the main show hosts being stuck in their own echo chamber to the point that they can no longer lead by example.
We participate in constructive communication - “We work actively to spread mutual respect, and to dampen aggression and distrust. We work outward and cohesively, not inward and divisively. We need diversity in our community and strive for it.” I understand wanting to be an ally, but if you don’t listen to those from the community you’re trying to ally yourself with, and try to understand why what you said was hurtful or wrong, that is on them for refusing to participate in those conversations that need to happen to promote growth and help spread those values.
We check our Ego at the door - There seems to be a serious ego problem with Cenk and Ana on the main show, neither is able to check their ego and allow themselves to be wrong, or to even be able to confront the possibility of them being wrong. Within three months Ana went from not having an issue with trans people to saying that they’re uppity, she has been in the media long enough that it’s hard to believe that she just got swayed by someone elses’ talking points. Despite this and the pushback she gave the saddest non-apology that was only lacking a ukulele, and placed blame on Twitter, saying that people pushed Bennie to quit. None of us have seen anyone talking about Bennie leaving, or needing to leave due to transphobia. Ana is refusing to take responsibility for her own actions and statements.
We act with Dignity - Refusing to own up to your own actions, statements, and the shows you go on and topics you discuss is a lack of dignity. If you want to go onto another podcast and state that you don’t like being around or talking with anyone who isn’t white, but you refuse to say it on your own show, you have no dignity and don’t care about the communities you’re talking about.
Thank You for Your Understanding, and we hope that this will help wake up either the hosts or the chat to these right wing talking points and hatred that is currently being spewed on the main
show.
Vightingale, Lindsey Robb, Adrienne Vixen, Roller Dragon, GoddessFourWinds, Forbezilla, Zero P.E., John Ross and spectraphonic