Is it dead yet?

This is my party, so this is my problem too. Do we call out these victim-blaming bullies directly, or do we try to help them become better people? It's exhausting, but we've got three days to figure this out before we vote for party leadership. #utpol

And I'm not seeing much pushback on any of this. Someone just introduced me to DARVO this week - deny, attack, reverse victim and offender. It's how people avoid taking responsibility. Basically the adult narcissist version of 'I know I am but what are you?' #darvo

From what I can tell, there's one situation that's still actively happening. I'm getting most of this secondhand, but I saw emails last week that ranged from tone-policing a caucus chair to what looked like straight-up threats. That's the one that's really concerning me right now.

It's fine for disabled people to have cultural norms that don't fit your narrow definition of 'proper' behavior.

It's perfectly fine for women to build power together. It's fine for Black and brown people to support each other. (God, it's exhausting that I even have to say this out loud. Why isn't this obvious?)

So how do you teach grown adults that the world doesn't revolve around them? We can't just smack them upside the head (apparently), so what are our options?

The problem is their personal issues are bleeding into our spaces and hurting people. Their dysfunction becomes our dysfunction when it affects the work we're trying to do.

Instead of just kicking these people out, maybe we need to help them (and us) understand that they're struggling with not being the center of attention anymore. Their pain at losing their default position is real, but it's their responsibility to deal with it.

Hold up - looks like we've got some narcissism issues going on here. Sadly, we all have become more aware of narcissism in the past 6 months/ 10 years. And yeah, I'm still talking about the privileged and aggrieved in the Utah Democratic party. #utpol

If you want a quick, sharp, transgressive read that'll make you laugh, check out Hunchback. It was longlisted for the Booker, bestseller and prize winner in Japan. Translated from Japanese.

Wait... maybe this isn't actually about me at all. Crazy concept, right? It's not about me. All of us can learn about other people's experiences without making ourselves the center of it.

I mean, I don't insist books have to be physical - I read this one on my Kindle. And I definitely don't think someone whose body is literally working against them should have to struggle with holding a heavy book. So maybe I'm doing okay as an ally? #aita

Screenshot of text from book review. Shaka "calls out the exclusionary machismo of physical book culture for not taking readers like herself into account"

Now I'm sitting here thinking: I love books. Am I part of the problem? Am I the asshole here? (Honestly, probably.)

Book cover of Saou Ichikawa's novel Hunchback. Blocks of purple, yellow and orange, orange abstract figure against a grey background.

So I went ahead and read the whole novel. It's short - took me maybe two hours yesterday. There's this whole section about book culture and how inaccessible it can be.

New York Times book review post about Saou Ichikawa's novel Hunchback. Woman sitting on a piano bench, wearing a white jacket and a green skirt.

Between all the family chaos over the long weekend, I decided to treat myself to actually reading full news articles for once. Came across this NYT book review of Saou Ichikawa's novel Hunchback and it grabbed my attention.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/b...

Damn, that's heavy. I've seen those emails targeting you - it's ridiculous. Someone needs to shine a light on this. How do we expose people who are acting like they're the ones being wronged? This needs to be a major discussion for the whole party.

What's DARVOd?

omg that's so awful

Honestly, I think we're only scratching the surface here

I'm sorry about the one that is personal.

I just heard about another: some guys starting a 2nd amendment caucus in the Utah Dem party. just why?

It's been 5 years since George Floyd and we're sliding backward with everyone else. This ain't it, y'all. #utpol

Candidate attacking the Disability Caucus chair for... being disabled? Calling it a "tone" issue. Like, have you met autistic people before?? What's next, a White South African Refugee Caucus? #utpol

MRA guy harassing women at the county convention about excluding men (because old straight white dudes are SO oppressed in Utah 🙄) Former party officer complaining about Black/brown women supporting each other. Classic White grievance. #utpol

5 Years After George Floyd’s Murder, the Backlash Takes Hold

Seeing some troubling stuff in Utah Dem circles lately. A drumpian grievance politics creeping in. I read this NYT article on George Floyd yesterday and I'm seeing patterns. #utpol www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/u...