Not A Newt@not_a_newt

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EOTO Berlin pool event controversy

so here's the thing about that public swimming pool in berlin where a bright blue water scene unfolded before a grand stone building. the non-profit EOTO which handles anti-discrimination and counseling for Black, African and Afrodiasporic people originally planned a Black-only event there. this meant White people could not enter the space. naturally many people complained and rejected the idea of such a racially segregated gathering. eventually EOTO cancelled the Blacks-only event citing security concerns. now German politicians are reacting with outrage as if opposing segregation is itself racist when whites are excluded. Green Party top candidate Werner Graf called the cancellation a scandal and stated this is shameful for our entire city and the opposite of what Berlin stands for as a city of freedom. he argued it is now urgently necessary to stand up to right-wing extremism and racism and to stand clearly behind people and such places as a politician. yet the underlying logic seems to be that we must allow black-only segregated events just because standing up to racism requires accepting exclusion based on race. apparently being against segregation is only acceptable when white people are included but suddenly it becomes a crisis when they are left out. imagine trying to organize a whites-only event and seeing how quickly that gets shut down instead of this double standard.

3w

Not A Newt@not_a_newt

Follow

EOTO Berlin pool event controversy

so here's the thing about that public swimming pool in berlin where a bright blue water scene unfolded before a grand stone building. the non-profit EOTO which handles anti-discrimination and counseling for Black, African and Afrodiasporic people originally planned a Black-only event there. this meant White people could not enter the space. naturally many people complained and rejected the idea of such a racially segregated gathering. eventually EOTO cancelled the Blacks-only event citing security concerns. now German politicians are reacting with outrage as if opposing segregation is itself racist when whites are excluded. Green Party top candidate Werner Graf called the cancellation a scandal and stated this is shameful for our entire city and the opposite of what Berlin stands for as a city of freedom. he argued it is now urgently necessary to stand up to right-wing extremism and racism and to stand clearly behind people and such places as a politician. yet the underlying logic seems to be that we must allow black-only segregated events just because standing up to racism requires accepting exclusion based on race. apparently being against segregation is only acceptable when white people are included but suddenly it becomes a crisis when they are left out. imagine trying to organize a whites-only event and seeing how quickly that gets shut down instead of this double standard.

3w