Zain · @ZainNaghmi
2nd Jul 2020 from TwitLonger
Thoughts
Sorry if this sounds like rambling, but I need to get some thoughts out.
Since I joined the smash community in 2014, I’ve always had the mindset of just focusing on the game. Focus on the game, ignore the external. In 2020, it is painfully evident to me that this way of thinking was wrong. In a time where there are people who cannot feel or be safe in the same environment which I enjoy, it is abundantly clear that the community needs to focus all of its efforts into making active changes in the way that we handle predatory behavior, as well as discrimination.
The news coming out makes me sick to my stomach. It makes me sick to think that the place where I’ve felt so safe for the last six years is the same place of fucking nightmares. It makes me mad at myself for narrowing my field of vision to just competition, and ignoring the fucked up shit happening all around.
To everyone who is speaking up, your bravery is unparalleled and I’m so sorry that the community has failed to protect your safety. My only hope is that we do better. I’m hoping we can come together as a community to make sure EVERYONE feels safe and never has to experience that what the people who courageously shared did.
Moving forward, I’m going to use my platform to help fight against the plight of pedophilia, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny and racism that our community faces far too often. By not using my platform to outwardly condemn this behavior, I feel far too complicit in the shaping of our community for the worse. Additionally, from early 2019 to May of 2020, I’ve used my platform to elevate bobbybigballz, who has had a past of transphobic and homophobic behavior, and more recently, misogynistic behavior. This ended up hurting many disenfranchised members of the community who saw Bobby on my stream and on my twitter. I denounce this behavior and hold myself accountable to its elevation. For the past month, Bobby has not been on my stream and will not be in the future. To Bobby, I ask that you hold yourself accountable to your past and take active measures to mend and reshape the foundation of your following. I know that you can do and be better.
Just playing the game is not enough anymore. I implore everyone in the community, especially those with a large following, to speak out more actively against anything that taints the integrity of our scene. Thank you all for taking the time to read. I know and have met a lot of good people in this scene and know that we can make a safe community.