An open letter to Bronwyn Schuster, regarding “Aug 10th Grapevine Article – Threats, Lies, and Misuse of Public Funds”
You tossed a bomb into the community on Facebook and then you’ve hidden behind blocked comments. This isn’t about who’s opinion is the “correct” one, whether it’s yours, mine or anyone else’s. It’s about your actions. You chose to use your position, which includes disbursement of public funds, to go after people who hold a different personal opinion than you. I think this is about as toxic and damaging to a democratic community as it can get.
I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community and so I have some sensitivity to certain issues. I don’t get triggered by people having opinions on these topics; in fact I welcome and respect them and I welcome hard discussions with people whose ideas are different from mine. I like to think that is what a free and open society is about.
You did something that I think is very egregious and damaging. At the very least you should consider expanding your critical thinking so that you’re not so easily triggered into committing such unprofessional acts as lashing out and cancelling others simply because they hold an opinion that is challenging to you (not to mention committing libel by publicly accusing someone of being a transphobe with no supporting evidence). If you can’t do that then I fully support the Grapevine’s call for you to resign from all positions that give you authority over disbursing public funds.
The Grapevine doesn’t need a “sensitivity reader”. Maybe a better approach would be for people to learn to think for themselves and develop the critical thinking skills that seem to be in such short supply these days. I am willing and available to speak to this situation in person.
Steve Christensen
 editorial, Threats, Lies and the Misuse of Public Funds.){kind=link}