Black Lives Matter @BeerAdvocate

I normally try my best to avoid getting into these things here, but a few key points. First off, perhaps I'm oblivious, but I fail to see how this pertains to what I said. Second, you used to support LGBT community, but now you don't? Why? Because you volunteered for an organisation with known racist and homophobic ideologies, who lost a donor who also has serious racist and homophobic ideologies? I'm with the gay community on that one, I'm sorry. I was friends with a woman with a teenage trans daughter, and the two of them were denied financial support from The Salvation Army because of her daughters "illness", as they phrased it. I have no sympathy for the Salvation Army.

My buddy and I went to a Chick-Fil-A once and pretened to be a gay couple (We secretly filmed this), and we were escorted off the premise by security after placing our order. We're both very straight, but it was a social experiment. I have no love for companies who refuse service and help to people because their religious agenda is filled with hate and clouds their judgement.

I'm sure there are good people who just see it as a paycheck, but if one of my affiliates was as filthy as Chik-Fil-A, I'd have then booted too. Especially on Christmas.

Don't take it out on the gays, man. It's not them. It's everyone else who won't let them be them. I hope you can come around someday. Cheers

 

It’s like being at a real bar...all kinds of topics will surface once you tip back some suds!

 

Thank you, Todd! Here in Texas, as in plenty of other states, we have many folks who have somehow convinced themselves that racism is not a problem, and therefore no further cultural changes are needed. Luckily many people all over the country know otherwise. Thanks so much for being one of them. Cheers!

 

The kind of health care options someone thinks would best this country is an excellent political conversation that we should agree not to have here on BeerAdvocate. Save that for the HealthCareAdvocate subforum of PoliticsAdvocate.

Who we are and how we identify definitely affects our beer experiences. I'm not saying we need to start each review of a beer, bar, or brewery with our identifiers, but we should be free to discuss identity when identity and beer intersect, like, "Was the Sexual Chocolate Label Racist?" Definitively yes. The name is as well. That doesn't mean the brewers are bad people, just that the branding of this beer has some highly problematic aspects.

We can talk about it if we want to, listen to each other, and move on. I suspect most posts will continue to have little to do with race. If you don't want to be a part of that conversation though, nobody is making you. I say that again, if you do not want to be a part of a conversation about the intersection of beer and race/gender/sexual identity/anything really, nobody will make you. Having to scroll past a post is different from being forced to participate in a conversation. Telling other people they can't talk about race when it intersects with beer is very different and more damaging than you yourself just not participating in a conversation that involves beer and race.

Rather than not talk about identity though, perhaps we could make progress by trying to "get it" a little more.

So to that end, why do you think this shouldn't be something that can come up and be addressed from time to time?


Cheers!

 

Oh wow. Just saw this now. Thank you so much Todd and the team. This means so much to the BA family!

 

Not beer related, however directly relevant to this thread, and some of the comments others have already made here.

Shola Richards posted this the other day. We can all benefit from a calm, well reasoned, and sincere voice.
https://www.facebook.com/ThePositivitySolution/posts/2032308743580054?__tn__=K-R

Together, celebrating our differences, we WILL find our way and thrive as a community of many.

 

Come on now...prophesy or what?

 

Can’t wait to taste what Marcus comes up with!

 

Todd,
Thanks for your post
I appreciate you standing up for all Americans
Keith

 

Unfortunately, but perhaps predictably, some aspects of this thread have devolved from a simple affirmation by its founders at this critical moment that, indeed, Black Lives Matter and racism will not be tolerated on this website. Maybe it could not have been helped on a site whose users are significantly, if not predominantly, white and male (including me) that a reasoned, respectful discussion about race in America is a real challenge for some.

All I will say is what I’ve learned about this issue from my wife and one of my best friends, both of whom are not white: If we want to help, one of the most important things many of us can do is to stop talking and start listening.

 

Thanks, from one Todd to another. <3

Let's all stay safe, stay sane, and be humane to each other.

 

I also must add... I have never, ever dropped so many likes on comments in a single website thread, as I did just now. Thank you all for being that awesome. Makes me be super happy to be part of this community of beer lovers. <3

 

Thank you for this decision. It's necessary as racism is spreading dangerously.

 

Perhaps it would help to think of it this way.

When someone’s mother dies would YOU think it is appropriate to say everyone’s mother dies?

In my opinion when we’re mourning, in particular, however true the general may be, it is disrespectful and hurtful to point to the general.

We should ask ourselves if we intend, or are willing to be hurtful to anyone who is mourning.

 

many people have very strong opinions. So strong they’d go to jail or risk friends even family relationships.....injury and death for them. Including myself. Forums just another way to express for some. Who can’t or won’t physically protest. beer forums should be the escape from the politics and violence we have been seeing but no doubt alcohol is fuel and feelings trickle (or explode) out. Personally I try my absolute best to keep political opinions of myself away from the forums for these reasons. I know you are PA and have probably seen what Philadelphia looks like right now. If you are that area stay safe. Things have been getting out of control very fast.

 

Several people had mentioned they had never seen racism on this site. I was merely pointing out one of the most over the top threads regarding racism. I've also seen some latino trash talk here. Leftover crack said it best, gringos son puercos feos.

 

can not tell if tongue in cheek or what. I’m familiar with the song. Not saying I am offended I assume it’s your sense of humor but at a time like this even self deprecation can and probably will be taken wrongly. My father is white. My mother is Native American I’m sure you can see the confusion as a child about things that were done to my family but not all white people are terrible. Most care and those that do I hope are angry enough at this human rights atrocity to speak up.

 

Thank you, Todd. You're taking the right side of history on this stance. Black Lives Matter. Let's focus harder on a more welcome and loving community!

 

Agreed. We are alive at a time in which all of this will be a part of history. Taught in schools. Another civil rights movement. It’s 2020. There is absolutely no tolerance for racism.