R2R targeted discrimination
- Thread starter ofzakaria
- Start date
TBH, the last 4 years have taught me a lot about our bubble in California, vs the rest of the country...
splitting_lanes
Supporting Member
I signed that petition around Christmas, as it was shared on the humblefish forum.
the way David Hammondtree (the owner of R2R) justifies his actions is disgusting, I have found other areas where he puts profit over people, and I don’t believe that is acceptable behavior for someone who claims to be a reverend.
i‘m glad to see others on this forum recognize his bigotry and intolerance for people that don’t meet his approval.
the way David Hammondtree (the owner of R2R) justifies his actions is disgusting, I have found other areas where he puts profit over people, and I don’t believe that is acceptable behavior for someone who claims to be a reverend.
i‘m glad to see others on this forum recognize his bigotry and intolerance for people that don’t meet his approval.
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ofzakaria
Guest
It will get worst. Wait till the SCOTUS rule on religious liberty cases.
R2r would not disclosed they are religiously motivated and keep collecting supporting fees and members, then they do shenanigans like this. Most of the group they abused in this topic were supporting members.
Total hypocrisy!
Flagg37
Guest
I can’t speak any further about this specific situation since I was not part of it. I just know I have not observed or had any direct knowledge of any discrimination on the site; nor do I see any discrimination in the R2R response to the situation or it’s policies.
I have not signed the petition because as I read it, the only thing it seeks to change is to allow, “non-sexual discussion threads dedicated to LGBTQ members seeking a common bond.” I don’t see how this is necessary to discuss reefing. Again, please, by all means, get rid of anything not related to reefing. You have to admit though, that some of that extra stuff not about reefing (cats, go carts), doesn’t have the same level of divisiveness.
I also think that boycotting the site would be much more effective than a petition. Start posting threads to start migrating people over to another platform. R2R isn’t the only national reefing forum. If Dave truly is a bigot (I don’t know him well enough to say one way or the other), by definition he won’t change his actions, so a petition will do nothing. Convince enough people to change platforms and it will decrease sponsorship and membership dues and he will lose revenue.
It is obvious that I hold a different opinion about this matter than many other members that have already responded, and that I am in the minority with my line of thinking. I hope that your view of me isn’t tarnished for having a different view point. The only reason I have continued to respond is because the conversation has not swayed to anything disrespectful. It sounds like this was not the case for some individuals on R2R and that is wrong. I would never condone disrespect towards anyone for any reason.
Coral reefer
Past President
Everyone entitled to their own opinion here Jon. We respect you no matter what your opinion is, and as long as the way you state your opinion doesn’t cause issues you are allowed to state your opinion here.
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Thales
Past President
It is not possible to see such things on that site because they remove them as quickly as they can - you only get the whitewashed/sanitized/make them look good version they present. It is not possible to see reality, when everything you see is controlled and cleaned. There is not conversation to be had about this, as the moderators over there don't respond, but constantly remove posts asking them to respond.
In my mind, this petition isn't just about putting pressure on Dave (though that would be nice), it is about showing LGBTQ+ reefers that they are not alone, that they are not second class citizens to be brushed under the rug, that they are seen and respected.
I think that other stuff has the exact same level of divisiveness - none at all.
That, and more, is happening
Thanks!
dochou
Supporting Member
Let's not lump all of us Christians together.
We do not all discriminate. You are correct in saying, "Christianity is about loving and accepting everyone no matter their flaws, viewpoints or anything. We are all sinners."
Rostato
Guest
I did not lump them all. I’m a Christian. I simply meant these specific Christians or maybe even just this one.
The problem is wide spread. We Christians are our own worst enemy. So many of us are the definition of hypocrites. This is why I believe so many people have left the faith, or have failed to even give it a shot.
I also realize that every person is a little bit of a hypocrite. The key is realizing it and adjusting.
Anyway, different topic for a different day.
treylane
Guest
The thing is, it's exactly as you say - go carts and cats have near nothing to do with reefing, and yet those threads ARE 100% ALLOWED, and there's a different standard being applied to threads where LGBTQ+ reefers are trying to connect with each other or share their perspectives with the community. There's absolutely no reason that threads about muscle cars or lady reefers are allowed while threads discussing LGBTQ+ reefers aren't, except the forum owner's personal prejudices. He's trying to marginalize and silence voices that he considers less valuable than a discussion about meatshakes.
The idea with the petition is to say that this guy does NOT speak for the community on this topic, and build awareness among the reefing community that this is happening right under their noses - the owner of one of the most popular reefing forums on the internet is actively deleting or locking threads on the topic, and banning users who confront him on this issue.
You're right that a boycott will be significantly more effective than a petition, and I have no doubt that that's in the works.
ofzakaria
Guest
Beautifully put!
Wlachnit
Past President
WOW...was off the the grid for a few days and just now catching up here!
Omar @ofzakaria, thanks for bringing it up here on BAR, and Rich @Thales thanks for speaking out about it. In reading Dave's post on R2R, his views are clear, his rationale for removing these topics is a joke, and (as I have learned somewhat recently) wanting to be silent on it only contributes to the discrimination. I signed the petition as this just pisses me off. I also believe that boycotting R2R would be impactful.
Omar @ofzakaria, thanks for bringing it up here on BAR, and Rich @Thales thanks for speaking out about it. In reading Dave's post on R2R, his views are clear, his rationale for removing these topics is a joke, and (as I have learned somewhat recently) wanting to be silent on it only contributes to the discrimination. I signed the petition as this just pisses me off. I also believe that boycotting R2R would be impactful.
As someone who falls in the "B" of "LGBTQ+", thank you for bringing this to my attention. No reason to continue going to a forum that's run by someone who holds those views.
ofzakaria
Guest
The more am learning about the forum and how its run by the owner the more I feel repulsed and disgusted.
- mods are ok with antisemitism rhetorics in posts, no ban, no red flag, owner quietly modified the posts and made it look good.
- discriminate against LGBTQ community
- delet and lock posts so he hid history and facts then he write his facts..
All that, yet they are such a big forum that represent the hobby and host most of the vendors of this hobby...
So bizzar and sad...
- mods are ok with antisemitism rhetorics in posts, no ban, no red flag, owner quietly modified the posts and made it look good.
- discriminate against LGBTQ community
- delet and lock posts so he hid history and facts then he write his facts..
All that, yet they are such a big forum that represent the hobby and host most of the vendors of this hobby...
So bizzar and sad...
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Kmooresf
Supporting Member
Well, I happened to log in today.........after many weeks of not checking in, and here is this post. Kinda crazy, and pretty damn cool.
A few of you know me, and have probably met my husband, Ron. I joined the club many years ago, and have to admit I was very timid about a group that was so far out of my comfort zone. We gays (said totally as a joke, as I certainly don’t speak for the gay community) tend to stick together to keep it safe and comfortable. Ron and I attended several meetings together, but it was mostly me that got involved. I believe that was a coping mechanism to make it easier for me to feel accepted in the group. Just a lifetime of fear and insecurities coming out in subtle ways.
This group was an incredible resource and sounding board as I built my dream tank. While my sexuality technically has NOTHING to do with reefing, it has a LOT to do with me, and how I feel entering a group of total strangers. What I found with this group, was that there were a lot of shy people, reaching out to total strangers. It was very comforting to see that not everyone can walk into a room and be completely relaxed. LOL!
Everyone was welcoming and forthcoming with information. As I got more involved, the inevitable started to happen. Reefers coming over to our house, to either help out, or trade coral, or borrow or bring equipment. It was tough for us to let people into our home without knowing there actual opinion about US. Ha! That might seem strange, but my house is MY HOUSE!! GET THE F OUT if you don’t like it. LOL! Don’t take this too serious, I’m writing this with a very appreciative and light heart. I’m just pointing out that it is a huge step for us to do this.
One particular issue was the first “Tank Tour” that came to our house. I was very stressed out that I might be letting someone in, that could potentially disrespect us in our own home. Luckily, we met some very cool people, who were always respectful to both Ron and I. It was a wonderful experience to share our hard work with people who really appreciated it.
Someone stated that the topic “Any LBGTQ reefers out there?” (I don’t recall the exact title) had nothing to do with reefing. I have to disagree....... I have no doubt that the thread would have formed friendships very specific to reefing. Knowing there are others out there would definitely make me more comfortable. It’s just a fact.
With that said, I happen to work in a situation that I am generally the ONLY one. LOL! This has been fantastic for me, because I have found that most often, it’s only me that cares about it. It has made me much more comfortable with who I am, and less worried about what others think. That is my personal journey though. Maybe it has taken me much longer to reach this point than most? Either way, I think this thread alone may have made others feel more welcome, just like it did me.
This is a very long winded way to say......
THANKS! [emoji120][emoji869][emoji3060][emoji41]
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
A few of you know me, and have probably met my husband, Ron. I joined the club many years ago, and have to admit I was very timid about a group that was so far out of my comfort zone. We gays (said totally as a joke, as I certainly don’t speak for the gay community) tend to stick together to keep it safe and comfortable. Ron and I attended several meetings together, but it was mostly me that got involved. I believe that was a coping mechanism to make it easier for me to feel accepted in the group. Just a lifetime of fear and insecurities coming out in subtle ways.
This group was an incredible resource and sounding board as I built my dream tank. While my sexuality technically has NOTHING to do with reefing, it has a LOT to do with me, and how I feel entering a group of total strangers. What I found with this group, was that there were a lot of shy people, reaching out to total strangers. It was very comforting to see that not everyone can walk into a room and be completely relaxed. LOL!
Everyone was welcoming and forthcoming with information. As I got more involved, the inevitable started to happen. Reefers coming over to our house, to either help out, or trade coral, or borrow or bring equipment. It was tough for us to let people into our home without knowing there actual opinion about US. Ha! That might seem strange, but my house is MY HOUSE!! GET THE F OUT if you don’t like it. LOL! Don’t take this too serious, I’m writing this with a very appreciative and light heart. I’m just pointing out that it is a huge step for us to do this.
One particular issue was the first “Tank Tour” that came to our house. I was very stressed out that I might be letting someone in, that could potentially disrespect us in our own home. Luckily, we met some very cool people, who were always respectful to both Ron and I. It was a wonderful experience to share our hard work with people who really appreciated it.
Someone stated that the topic “Any LBGTQ reefers out there?” (I don’t recall the exact title) had nothing to do with reefing. I have to disagree....... I have no doubt that the thread would have formed friendships very specific to reefing. Knowing there are others out there would definitely make me more comfortable. It’s just a fact.
With that said, I happen to work in a situation that I am generally the ONLY one. LOL! This has been fantastic for me, because I have found that most often, it’s only me that cares about it. It has made me much more comfortable with who I am, and less worried about what others think. That is my personal journey though. Maybe it has taken me much longer to reach this point than most? Either way, I think this thread alone may have made others feel more welcome, just like it did me.
This is a very long winded way to say......
THANKS! [emoji120][emoji869][emoji3060][emoji41]
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Coral reefer
Past President
Just think if we were crappy like r2r one of the best tanks in our club (probably my favorite) wouldn’t Be part of our club! Glad you took the risks and stuck with it kris!