I mean, the answer is kind of in your post. 2020 BLM was the largest set of protests in the history of the country. There would be massive amounts of pushback from everyday people.

I actually think a lot of this stuff is best thought of through the lens of moral panic, in that the subject matter is almost arbitrary because it’s being used as a vehicle to express a deep-set anxiety about society. Another helpful connection here is how “sissy hypno” porn has been latched onto by anti-trans fascists as a demonstration of how the internet is “corrupting” children or whatever.

I’m sure right-wing spaces have had their own weird debates about it, but when I see people panicking about gooning in leftist spaces, I assume it comes from a sense of unease about the easy accessibility of pornography and how it might affect us. I have a much longer rant about how I think that is picking the wrong target to critique, but I should probably stop posting about gooning lol

I cannot emphasize enough that you are 100% correct and that some of the people assuming that there are large groups of people actually living out this niche fetish are on this website with us.

goon (v):

1. to masturbate
2. to near orgasm while masturbating but delay climax. see edging
3. to practice a sexual fetish in which one consumes internet pornography that portrays the viewer as a “porn addict” who cannot stop themselves. see hypno

It’s always tough attending a rally where you don’t know anyone! The only thing that lets me be outgoing at events is being able to recharge my social batteries by talking with comrades I know.

Liberal contingents at rallies are excellent opportunities for recruitment. Large groups of angry people who are motivated enough to go outside, but have no strong ideas about what they should be doing. I’m genuinely fired up after canvassing the May Day crowd in my town. I met a lot of people who only needed to be told how to get involved in making real change.

I know people who really swear by input-focused language learning like you’d find in this guide: https://refold.la/how-to-learn-spanish/

I suspect something like a tutor would probably be better if you can afford it.

Public speaking! It’s something you can teach yourself by reading a few articles and recording yourself with your phone. Depending on where you live, you may be able to attend Toastmasters or some kind of open mic night to practice. It’s very useful in almost any arena, but in particular is essential for socialists.

My org got pulled from the speaker list of a TDOV event explicitly because we were going to call out Democratic inaction on trans issues. It sucks, but I always hope situations like this push people towards more narrowly targeted actions that are organized by socialists and labor instead of these coalition-based mass demonstrations.