UltravioletClearance

UltravioletClearance t1_j0h98yg wrote

That's a problematic take. On the one hand you're right queer people need more ways to defend themselves. But the pro/con is far more nuanced than telling us to buy guns.

  • Queer people are far more likely to use a gun against themselves than a Proud Boy. The reality is mental illness hits marganized communities hard and people with mental illness are far more likely to die by suicide if they have easy access to firearms.

  • This isn't the southwest. We don't have Stand Your Ground, we have a duty to retreat before using deadly force. Groups like the Proud Boys know that and are pretty careful with their intimidation tactics to avoid creating situations where the duty to retreat cannot be satisfied. If you use your gun against a Proud Boy you're probably the one who will end up in jail.

  • Many of the places where queer folks need protection the most are places you can't bring guns and for good reason. Gay bars and clubs? It's against the law to carry while drinking, which is what goes on in clubs ans bars.

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UltravioletClearance t1_izv9ctp wrote

I remember the absolute hell that was driving from Southborough to New Bedford during the first snow of the season in 2020. What was predicted as a dusting turned into 3 inches of snow, no roads were treated, and 495, 24, and 140 all had a solid sheet of ice on them. It took 3.5 hours to get home. Decided then and there I'm working remote for the rest of my life.

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UltravioletClearance t1_iuibyqw wrote

Sex / kink stuff is a grey area in most states, save for maybe Nevada. The city just never recovered from the destruction of the Combat Zone. The "adult entertainment district" runs for one block on Washington Street from Stuart Street to Boylston Street / Essex Street. It's so heavily gentrified it'd be impossible for a sex club to turn a profit and pay rent in that area. Luxury apartment complexes now occupy a good 75 percent of the zoning district.

Boston's kink scene got forced underground after a police raid in the early 2000s and stayed that way ever since. In my opinion, a lot of the legal issues aren't particularly relevant in 2022, but finding a venue for a "technically illegal but unlikely to result in legal action" activity is difficult. And I think people like the underground nature of it and resist attempts to make it more mainstream and accessible.

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