Comfort Zone and Writers Groups

My least favorite regular in a writers group said he’s been a fan of the comedian David Chapelle for years. He added, “Nowadays people are giving him a hard time.” This group member didn’t understand that it’s not okay or funny to belittle people who don’t have certain privileges that he does have. He believes that if someone is in standup comedy, it’s okay to flaunt their hate as much as they like.

My novel Skeleton from the Closet while I was proofreading it

I scoffed and said, “He’s a transphobic and homophobic bigot. He’s anti-LGBTQIA. Fuck him.” This bigot uses his platform as a comedian to give vulnerable people a “hard time” — people who sometimes are murdered merely for being themselves, especially trans women of color. I fit under the grouping LGBTQIA+, and here we are in an age when we’re under rising attacks not only from individuals but also from government policies as Christofascism escalates. Not that I mean to imply it’s ever acceptable to be on the side of the oppressors.

So yeah, I didn’t owe him politeness… even if I were capable of remain polite in reaction.

This member of the writers group is the same old cishet white male who once shared his bullshit rant against… well, people like me — he spewed a willfully ignorant tirade and stereotyped queer feminists.

Recently he even “assured” another member of the group, “You can say anything in this group. It’s…