Eating Crow

Looks like there’s a brouhaha blowing up online around the Troth.

Someone who is trans posted the upsetting realization someone they counted as a fellow heathen and friend was a racist transphobe, they were attacked by that person. They were I think in need of venting in what they thought was a safe online space, the r/heathenry community on reddit.

Not reading the room, a Troth Elder (reddit u/thatsnotgneiss, others have identified this as Lauren Crow, President and CEO of the Troth, recently interviewed by CourtTV as an expert during discussion of Richard Allen and the Delphi Murders) replies in comments by not addressing the situation, nor in expressing commiseration or to reassure there’s inclusive spaces. No, she posts to nitpick vocabulary choice, it was rather pedantic. 🤦‍♀️

And it starts to snowball from there.

Prompting this TikTok calling her out:

The original thread is locked down, prompting the creation of this r/norsepaganism thread in another subreddit. Around the time it posts, she posts in r/heathenry an apology.

The blow up makes me feel like this was a straw that broke the camel’s back. That supposition seems to be correct, as when I read through comments in this thread there’s some other incidents brought to light.
The Troth presents as an inclusive organization, so this level of tone-deafness has made a lot of people upset.

I’m not a member of the Troth, now or at any time in the past. But for a marginalized person who had been attacked to be ‘schooled’ on a term, when they were dealing with the aftermath of a situation that had been shocking is in incredibly poor taste. There’s a time to be petty vocabulary police, and a time to show kindness and concern for someone’s well-being.

Immediately, I see some among the 2500 or so membership of the Troth expressing their displeasure, some in a wave of cancel culture demanding removal from leadership. How this shakes out in the Troth long term, only time will tell.

I want it to be clear, anyone who approaches the gods with respect is welcome, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Although I reserve the right to ignore the assholes. And to the person who was attacked  /u/bytheleavesaroundus, I hope you are genuinely ok and hope you’re not harassed as this blows up.