Last week, Sophie LaBelle’s website was hacked, and much of the art was replaced with Nazi imagery. Her home address was posted on a variety of neo-Nazi forums, and she began receiving literally thousands of death threats. She was targeted because she’s a trans cartoonist, who draws a webcomic called Assigned Male about being transgender. It’s a cute and enlightening comic; I’ve been reading it for two or three years now and it’s highlighted for me many of the social issues that transgender people deal with.
And that’s really all LaBelle was trying to do with her comic. She was just sharing with others her experiences. Sometimes it dealt with overt discrimination and bigotry, sometimes it hit on more subtle institutional problems. But that’s all she was doing with her comic. She wasn’t blaming others, or calling individuals (or even groups) out. She was just saying, “Look, I’m a decent person just trying to live my life, and this is some of the stuff I have to deal with.”
And these hate-fueled, pig-ignorant, asshole fucktards decided that she shouldn’t be allowed to live her life. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t doing or saying anything against them; her very existence scared them so much that they feel compelled to destroy her. I honestly cannot think of an insult derogatory enough for these shit-for-brains.
Look, the thing about fandom—any fandom—is that it’s a group of people getting together to share their passion. In LaBelle’s case, she’s part of a group of people who love to draw cartoons. You don’t have to feel that same passion for that same thing; there’s nothing wrong with not liking what somebody else likes. But to attack it? That just smacks of fear and insecurity. Their passion doesn’t invalidate yours; just enjoy your own thing.
And to go the step further to literally attack the person themself? You’d have to be an incredibly small, petty, and generally worthless excuse of a person to do that. To be so fearful that you think someone’s very existence threatens you? That’s a really shitty way to live, and brings nothing but awfulness on you and everyone around you. Living with that kind of fear and hatred just makes you a miserable, pitiless joke.
If you don’t like something or someone, fine. Just let it go. Live your own life; let them live theirs. Go find something of your own to enjoy. Just don’t be a dick to other people.