To beat transphobic trolls, you have to understand them
Dissecting the bully mentality and finding some efficient ways of handling trolls.
In an essay published over at Crossdreamers I argue that transphobic trolls online should not be treated as sincere participants in a debate. Their aim is not to find the truth - it is to dominate, exhaust and silence trans people and their allies.
Trolling is part of broader patterns of bullying, where aggression is used to enforce status, police gender norms and win approval from like-minded people.
Understanding the fears, shame or internal conflicts that motivate bullies is not the same as excusing them, but such an understanding does help when it come to handling them.
I recommend that you support the person being targeted, avoid direct debate, provide factual information only for the benefit of undecided observers, and block or ban persistent abusers early.
Above all, protect your mental health and refuse trolls the recognition they crave.
Read “On how to handle transphobic trolls online”
Trolling is about power
For most of the bullies the “discussion” is not about finding the truth. It is about power, about having their world view confirmed, about making sure that anyone who threatens their understanding of life is invalidated and forced to shut up.
Moreover, if they can undermine your credibility in the eyes of others, they hope to bring more people down on their side, especially those who have never taken the time to study transgender issues and who are therefore more likely to believe so called “common sense” arguments (i.e. prejudices presented as folk wisdom).
Still, the power of the troll does not lie in their power of persuasion. The main reason trolling works, is that it wears the victims down. There may come a point where the target can take no more verbal abuse and social invalidation, and they withdraw from public spaces.
This is how the system wins: by enticing the sick and frustrated into waging its war against the ones who threaten the current power structures and the myths that uphold them.
And yes, the bullying has the added bonus that it scares cis people from fighting the good fight.
Image from the Norwegian movie The Troll Hunter.
By the way, take a look at my friend Joanna Santos’ blog Starting Again and her short reflections on culture, politics, trans issues and life in general.