We need to talk about how quote-dunking makes you complicit in bigotry, racism and misogyny, a thread.

Whenever you like, reply to, retweet, or quote tweet someone, ESPECIALLY when you have a larger audience than them, you're responsible for the outcome.

@LozzaFox's tweet about @BenInLDN is being argued as "not racist." Hunte said the tweet resulted in racist and homophobic abuse sent to him after Fox's tweet.

It was dog-whistling. While it wasn't overt, people interpreted it as an ok to pile-on https://twitter.com/BenInLDN/status/1331948508023312388

Recently, @moorehn, @KarenAttiah and @RokhayaDiallo were also attacked for talking about structural racism in France. I can't and won't speak on behalf of them, but when you dismiss their voices, what you're really saying is that you think women and POC should not speak at all.

As they highlighted an important issue, they were branded as attacking people with "extreme verbal violence" and accused of libel. I can't say I saw any verbal violence in what they were saying, but there was definitely some in the replies to them.

These three women are incredibly resilient to this shit, but that's not always the case. At least twice a week I speak to women who tell me some variation of "oh to have the confidence of a mediocre white man" as they explain how they were pushed aside for literally just existing

I know of plenty of women and people of colour who are dismissed because a white man has an ego that he won't reflect on, and he won't listen to people who have different experiences. Those snubbed are almost always more knowledgable, experienced, insightful and considerate.

Another instance of this on Twitter: a black man with fewer than 500 followers was trying to call attention to and highlight the deaths of black and Arab people in Paris in a Twitter conversation.

He tweeted clearly figuratively, making a salient point, then was quote tweeted by a journalist trying to correct him by, wait for it, just offhandedly dismissing his point. No discussion, no real correction, simply sarcasm.

After calling him out, the journalist told me he was correcting misinformation. I'm a specialist in mis-/disinformation and this passed NONE of the tests for needing to be refuted, not that this was a refute, it was sarcasm.

His quote-tweet resulted in a pile-on.

The assistant Editor in Chief of one of France's state-owned and prestigious news channels joined in. Picking apart the same line. It was explained to him by the original tweeter, and he doubled down.

Being dismissive, dunking, discrediting people and making off-hand comments, instead of listening and engaging in good faith discussion, enforces structural oppression.

You may think that sharing tweets, even to criticise them, is ok. Think about it. When you share, more people see the original tweet. When you like, more people see it. When you reply, more people see it. If you have a large number of followers, people will jump in to defend you.

Those jumping in won't read the whole thing, they won't try to understand the context. It quickly metastasizes, resulting in more and very real abuse. It silences people, it makes them feel they shouldn't have an opinion—or at least not talk about it.

This may not be intended by the person sharing it, but it happens. If you have a following, at all, if you have any kind of platform, you need to know that your actions have consequences and you have a responsibility to not cause brigades against other people.

This is especially true if they aren't public figures. If you're about to dunk on a small account, sit and have a good long think about the effect you'll have on that person's life. There's a human on the other end of that account. This affects them. Remember that.

Following a conversation I had with Heidi, I also received messages. They were heavy-handed, accusatory, and condescending. Reading them, a female friend said "I think men are so used to other men backing them up. It’s like he half expected you to be like 'yeah she’s crazy'."

I explained all this to one of the men who messaged me about this. A prolific and respected journalist with a large following on social media *should* know this. The original quote tweet may not have been racist, but it enabled and emboldened racists. The replies show that.

This, from the "Oxygen of Amplification," a guide to best practises for reporting on social media antagonists and manipulators should be required reading for every journalist on here. This doesn't only apply to your articles, it applies to your tweets. Your tweets are your work.

I can't in good conscience know that my female and POC friends receive rape and death threats for simply existing without calling out the men who cry of "verbal violence" after people tell them they're enabling bigotry online. Get a grip, gain some perspective.

This happens so regularly, and I believe not talking about this leaves me complacent. My dudes, consider the consequences of your actions. Think before you tweet.