“We’re proud of Medium’s role in promoting intelligent viewpoints and new ideas no matter who they’re from.” Tell that to Svetlana Voreskova, banned from Medium for her uniquely well expressed conservative views on social issues, delivered with reason and humour. I think her crime was to have over 1000 followers while saying things like “The feminist manifesto is deeply insulting to women.”
For a woman to be banned from Medium on International Women’s Day because some Social Justice Warrior disagreed with her exercise of free speech goes well beyond irony. I have viewed her posts and the most “offensive” comment I have seen was this:
“I live in a country where I enjoy equal rights and equal opportunities under the law. I am a strong, independent and educated woman. I don’t need whining feminists claiming they speak for me. If someone commits a crime against me then I will go to the police. If someone says something that offends me then I will either respond, or I will behave like an adult and get over it.
I am tired of members of the most privileged, pampered, cosseted demographic in the history of human civilisation constantly whining about how oppressed they are, and it annoys me when these people claim to speak for all women. They do not.
Far from being strong, empowered women demanding equality, feminists are weak, insecure people who cannot handle equality.”
Telling the truth to feminists does risk offending them, but this is well within the bounds of civil debate. If you believe what you say about promoting intelligent viewpoints and new ideas no matter who they’re from, you should find out who banned Svetlana, fire them, and restore Svetlana’s access.