Comment on Risa>All the other communities in startrek.website
DroneRights@hexbear.net 1 year agoThe Borg referred to themselves as “we”, and use the third person pronouns they/them. The Borg refer to Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjuct of Unimatrix Zero One as “this drone”, and use the third person pronouns it/its. Seven of Nine also did not particularly enjoy being referred to as “Seven”. It was a concession made for the sake of efficiency and the comfort of the humans, but it voiced its dissatisfaction with the choice when it consented. As a nonbinary person, I have also consented to identifiers I didn’t like for the sake of others’ comfort. I recognise the experience and have direct empathy. Given that we are communicating in a text format, it requires negligible effort to refer to it as 7/9 and preserve the precision with which it wished to be referred.
Now as to 7/9’s stated preference and opinion of Janeway:
JANEWAY: I’ve met Borg who were freed from the Collective. It wasn’t easy for them to accept their individuality, but in time they did. You’re no different. Granted, you were assimilated at a very young age, and your transition may be more difficult, but it will happen.
SEVEN: If it does happen, we will become fully human?
JANEWAY: Yes, I hope so.
SEVEN: We will be autonomous. Independent.
JANEWAY: That’s what individuality is all about.
SEVEN: If at that time we choose to return to the Collective, will you permit it?
JANEWAY: I don’t think you’ll want to do that.
SEVEN: You would deny us the choice as you deny us now. You have imprisoned us in the name of humanity, yet you will not grant us your most cherished human right. To choose our own fate. You are hypocritical, manipulative. We do not want to be what you are. Return us to the Collective!
JANEWAY: You lost the capacity to make a rational choice the moment you were assimilated. They took that from you, and until I’m convinced you’ve gotten it back, I’m making the choice for you. You’re staying here.
SEVEN: Then you are no different than the Borg.
It allowed itself to undergo conversion therapy to become a woman because it saw no other choice. It was locked in a prison until it agreed. That is not consent, that is coersion. It is survival.
Stamets@startrek.website 1 year ago
Again, her name is Seven of Nine. Not 7/9. Considering you seem to be so pressed on her identity, I expect you to do the bare minimum to honor that.
Second, the borg collectively identified that one drone, sure, but that doesn’t mean the preferred pronoun is it/its. Especially when you’re neglecting the real world impact of 90s/2000s writers not wanting to touch pronouns for some reason.
Third, your entire argument falls flat for one single reason. Seven did not choose that. She was abducted as a child and forced to undergo assimilation. Her entire identity was destroyed and was replaced with a generated one by the collective. She was imprisoned because she was brainwashed and abducted as a child, a fact you are conveniently ignoring.
She allowed herself to become unassimilated because mental programming was broken. Calling it conversion therapy is a wild misnomer and misrepresents what happens. Moreover, she was locked in a cell because she was part of a hostile entity and was openly aligning with that entity. She was let out when she agreed to stop.
You have repeatedly tried to conflate being a borg drone with being trans. This is outright offensive to trans people who make the choice of their own free will. They are not brainwashed or forced into it. You comparing the two is revolting.
I am blocking you now because I do not believe you to be a good person who is acting with best intentions. I wish you the best of luck in your life but I refuse to allow yours to intersect with mine.
Goodbye.