From Alice Wong, Gregg Beratan, and Andrew Pulrang
With the 2022 Midterm Elections over, and the future of Twitter in so much practical and ethical turmoil, we have decided that it's time to rethink the #CripTheVote efforts we started in early 2016.
As a reminder, here is the tweet we have used to explain #CripTheVote since about that time:
What’s #CripTheVote?
Frequently Asked Questions
http://cripthevote.blogspot.com/2018/03/frequently-asked-questions.html
Why We Use “#CripTheVote"
http://cripthevote.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-we-use-cripthevote.html
#CripTheVote Blog: http://cripthevote.blogspot.com
Organizers:
@SFdirewolf
@GreggBeratan
@AndrewPulrang
Now that we are near the end of 2022, we recognize that despite the usual political ups and downs, ongoing threats, and the current crisis with Twitter, disability and politics discourse overall is much healthier, plentiful, and diverse than it was in 2016. So we don’t feel like organized #CripTheVote chats and other activities by the three of us are as “needed” in the same way or maybe to the same degree now as they once were.
So now seems like a good time to step back a bit, take some time to reassess, and see how the goals and approaches of #CripTheVote might evolve and be carried on by others in the disabled community. We are not "ending" #CripTheVote. But we will be somewhat less involved online as individuals. Here are the things we will try to do:
- We will continue to use the #CripTheVote hashtag on Twitter, for as long as Twitter exists in more or less the same form.
- We will stop doing organized, scheduled chats or live tweeting sessions, at least until the next major election cycle starts.
- The three of us will continue to check the hashtag every day, and post and articles we think are relevant to #CripTheVote. We will also keep posting relevant articles to our Facebook page. Link: http://cripthevote.blogspot.com/
- But we won’t engage beyond that … no threads, no replies, no prompting lengthy discussions, no organized efforts around particular issues or events.
- We DO encourage everyone interested and working in the overlap between disability politics, and policy to continue using #CripTheVote to get their ideas and work seen and engaged with, for as long as they think it’s helpful. As always, that includes any individuals, organizations, journalists, politicians, and elected officials interested in disability politics and policy.
- We will explore possible Twitter alternatives, and keep everyone posted on that, but without a lot of urgency. We don't feel the need to rush to a new platform.
We think that this mostly reflects what the three of us are currently doing with #CripTheVote already … except that we haven’t previously announced or explained these things until now.
As we said, #CripTheVote isn't over. But we are taking a step back. There are so many amazing disabled activists, organizations, and allies who have made it so vibrant, influential, and fun these last few years. Everyone is welcome to continue using the hashtag as they see fit -- or not, if and when they feel it's no longer useful or relevant.
Onward to 2023!
Alice, Gregg, and Andrew