2020-07-23

I Have Trouble Trusting You Motherfuckers 

From “Trash Life” by Kevin Livek

So oftentimes people ask me, they ask me, Kevin if you don’t trust your family and you don’t trust the government and you don’t trust the corporations, Kev who do you trust, do you trust your friends and loved ones? And the honest answer is…


No, I don’t. Especially not my friends and loved ones. Are you fucking kidding me?!? Do you know how many times I’ve been spat on, left out, tossed out, kicked out, just left to die on the streets? Do you even get what that does to a person? Do you know what  it feels like? Oh yeah sure we’ll build a life together. Oh yeah sure we’ll all be one big happy poly family. Do you have any idea what a crock of shit that seems to me at this point?

You know there was a time when I had honest hope, but that’s fucking dead, baby. That’s gone. Nobody gets it and nobody gives a shit. We’re all just struggling to survive. It’s the same thing as 30 years ago. Except the white queers have tech jobs and drive nice cars now. But everybody else? We’re left the fuck out to rot. We’re left out to die. It’s all sandcastles that sink under the incoming tide. 

Except the difference, the difference between you and me is that you have a fucking motorboat. You have a fucking exit strategy. You are perpetually living the life your parents denied you while I’m wondering how my parents, fuck them anyway, are going to fair in this political climate, are going to survive in this financial situation

You can afford therapy, I went to a triage clinic. You can afford to take a day off of work, I can’t. You can afford to get unemployed or let go or take three months because you’re working or worked for Amazon or Google or Microsoft and you have all the money and you can go to conventions and you can travel the country and you can commission artwork and you can meet people and fall in love and throw board game nights for your friends and you know what I’m stuck with? You know what I’m fucking stuck with? 

I’m fucking stuck with my life, the real life, the life that most of the people on the planet have. I worked my fucking ass off and all I got for it was gifted kid burnout and a shitty job. I don’t work at Google, I don’t work at Microsoft, I don’t work at Amazon. I don’t have the life that makes up for all the shit I went through. I have a life. An average life, a mediocre life. And it’s the only life I have. And it sucks. 

So go fuck yourself, random asker. I don’t trust my friends, I don’t trust my loved ones, I don’t trust society, and I sure as fuck don’t trust you. 

~Kevin Livek

Rabble-rousing

From Crossed Swords by N.E. (Elysian Nocturnus)

Occasionally, I get sent a blog post from Kevin Livek. I’d like to announce something that may make me unpopular to some of you. 

I don’t read “Trash Life”. And, while I would never be presumptuous enough to tell you, dear reader, what to read; aside from the very few areas that I do consider myself an expert on and am happy to provide guidance in…

I do think that Kevin Liveks’ blog does reveal a sort of, weakness of many people when it comes to interpreting arguments. Quite honestly, when I see his posts getting shared week after week, I have to wonder how many of you really pay attention to some of the things I talk about here and how many just give lip service. 

This isn’t about recent controversies, whichever ones may have jumped to your mind, Kevin’s reputation is irrelevant to this conversation. What is not irrelevant is the way that they attempt to persuade. It is all anger and frustration. As someone who has frequently written in defense of the rage of the marginalized against injustice, I have no problem with wielding a pen like a sword. Indeed I think it’s one of the better uses of such. 

But Kevin Livek’s pen is a burning hot fire of rage, and that’s it. 

And as someone who prides myself on my ability to craft a sharp argument with a keyboard and my wit at my side, I just cannot abide it. Not because there’s nothing there besides anger and frustration, but because Kevin Livek evidently either thinks (or believes you will think) that anger and frustration are the only things needed to make up a compelling worldview. 

His most recent post, “I Have Trouble Trusting you Motherfuckers” is an unfiltered look into his world view, or lack thereof. While Livek’s writing cloaks itself in the vein of saying something coherent, it says nothing except that Livek is angry and that, in his mind, that makes him right and you should fall in line behind him.

Unfortunately, there is a pattern of behavior that points to this being Livek’s main, and perhaps only, worldview, and his primary purpose for writing and engaging with revolutionary activism.

 

We can see from the various compilations of his tweets by those who have watched him harass their friends, from his YouTube videos, from his podcast, and from his writings precisely what Livek believes. 

And it is, to summarize Kat Bayol

“That emotions in and of themselves convey rightness and wrongness. In his world it is the person who screams the loudest who has the right to be heard, because they have the most desire to speak and therefore must be the most legitimate speaker. “

I should not have to say why this is wrong, but I’ve written(hyperlink) extensively(hyperlink) about(hyperlink) it over the years. 

Their work is satisfying to read, I won’t deny them that. They have a focus when it comes to tone and a persuasiveness that comes from years of experience. But I challenge you to find, anything besides unfiltered rage screaming into the ether cloaked in a silver tongue. And I and others have noticed that moreoften than not that rage is directed, against other marginalized people. 

We’ve all seen this pattern before. 

Those who defend him assert that his writings and the cult of personality that has formed around them form a coherent and compelling framework for justice, that they empower direct action and community responsibility. I believe that the evidence is firmly against that, and I thoroughly disagree with the notion that we will find justice through the anger of one individual. Justice is communal. It cannot be obtained from the rage of one man and one man alone. 

Hey Glasses Wearing Tea Sipping Fucktress, Fuck You

From “Trash Life” by Kevin Livek 

“Hi there I have a bad British accent and I’m going to passive aggressively tell you about how Kevin Livek is all anger and no substance while larping as a dommy professor on Twitter” 

Oh do kindly fuck off

You know it’s my goddamn job to dig up dirt right? It’s what I do. On the rich and powerful, and on people like you

So get the fuck off of my case before you get on my radar. I don’t care how many common enemies we share, how many life experiences, or even whether you’re criticizing me or you’re criticizing my writing.

Guess what, you sold out. You are the epitome of selling out. You speak at industry conferences, your words are published in the mainstream media, and then you play up this act on Twitter like you’re still one of us. Like others, who you’ve left in the fucking dirt, have pointed out: you’re a hypocrite. And worse than that, your brand is all about convincing people that you’re not. Well guess, what I’m not fooled and I don’t care. 

Go ahead and pretend you’re just another trans woman of colour struggling to make it in this industry while you bump up against your famous pals and chat with the other blue checkmarks, nobody gives a shit about people like you, you’re a dime a dozen. You’re part of the endless machinery that holds the system in place and you know it and you fucking like.

And guess what? That means that if you’re not with me, then you’re fucking against me, and I’m fucking destroying you.

Later, Bitch.

~Kevin Livek

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“.@KevinLivek Hey, here’s a thought, how about instead of threatening other transgender people who have the audacity to criticize you because you poison every well you come within five feet of, you grab a sign and get out into the streets?” -@NoBarkLeftMarf 

“.@NoBarkLeftMarf how about you tell your wonderful 150K+ followers to get out of my fucking mentions. Or failing that, tell them about how you and your polycule left me to die at the hands of a bunch of fascists.” -@KevinLivek

“@KevinLivek Wow that escalated quickly. Hey real bold of you to get my account temporarily suspended  for confusing your follower count on your personal account. My bad, I was more distracted by you trying to start a harassment campaign against anyone who criticizes you, to the detriment of every individual unfortunate to be involved not to mention causes in justice for general! Next time I’ll take your follower count (lol) into careful consideration so I’m not ‘harassing you’ by trying to pull aggro off of the highly visible marginalized people you attack.” -@NoBarkLeftMarf

“.@NoBarkLeftMarf Hey pupper, see the stick? Go chase it off a fucking cliff” @KevinLivek  

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Hey Huskyboy

You really tick me the fuck off.

You know that? 

You and your whole goddamn polycule really tick me the fuck off. 

And let me tell you, and everyone else, why: 

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So last week you all saw me get into a bit of a twitter fight with some fucker called Ryke Summers, or “@NoBarkLeftMarf”, or “that douchebag dog with the aviator glasses who always shows up in pictures of the Seattle protest scene.” And when I say scene I mean that. See, if you don’t have the displeasure of knowing Ryke Summers you might think that he’s just a particularly dedicated activist. But if you do know him you know that he’s fucking addicted to being a submissive slut. To the entire protest scene apparently.

Heather James, BLM Seattle organizer?  Yeah he’s fucked her. 

Thomas Alberos, That Twink running for Mayor? Spotted at a date on Cap Hill a couple of months ago.

“Mimi” ‘Pink Cheetah’ Fink? If you look at her Twitter you’ll find that there’s someone who started following her right after Ryke spoke for the first time at the DNS protests in August. Oh hey, @NoBarkLeftMarf. I take it that @ScrewsLikeASledDog is your AD? Which, I guess would mean you’ve fucked them too. 

Oh and that’s just the (red, swollen) tip of the fucking red rocket. Here’s the links to the rest. It’s incredible not just how corrupt and interconnected the Seattle protest scene is, but just how many of these people are fucking each other, funding each other, and in general creating a clique so thick that new activists who aren’t a part of the Protest Fuckpile have to glad hand (in the non sexual way) their way in like. Oh. Oh like politics. Like a. Huh. No wonder so many of these people are running for office. Sorry Thomas. Hope I didn’t derail your campaign. Not that it matters, but uh, that’s a nice business relationship with The Stranger{Hyperlink}. Nothing shady about positive press from your cousin. 

Anyway back to the spunk dog (My pet theory readers is that while most Huskies grow up with a nose deep in snow he grew up with his nose stuck you know what never mind). While I can’t prove that he fucked Sawant, I can prove that the person who put that lovely little tag on him is none other than…

*drum roll please* 

Sawant! No I’m kidding. 

It’s Ross Melbourne. Currently employed by The Department of Nonhuman Services. 

Oh, oh. What’s that? Dismantle the DNS. 

“I’ve broken off relationships, I don’t talk to those people anymore. I’d welcome them back with open arms if they, some of are my best friends but. They’re doing harm, real material harm, to our communities. And, it’s not enough for them to pledge for reform, they need to quit. They need to quit their jobs!”

So, you don’t talk to them anymore. Yeah, I guess that’s technically true. Ross probably doesn’t allow you to speak when she gets home. Probably doesn’t allow you to stand on two legs either. 

You know, I know how this is going to go. The Usual Suspects are going to say that I’m out here kinkshaming and I’m out queerbashing and I’m out destroying things and burning things down and smashing all around with no care about what it does to the “””cause””” and I just have to say fuck your cause. Fuck your tweets. Fuck your secret relationships you have in the middle of the night with each other. Fuck that. Fuck all of that. 

God why are these people always hypocrites? You’re out there in front of that building day after day after day after day holding up that sign wearing those stupid shades and then you go home and you literally kiss her boot. 

Wow. What a stand, man. How brave! Really kicking it to the fascists there! 

I suppose it’s not that much of a surprise I mean after all no matter how many months you served in jail, you were still one of them. And you evidently still are one of them because you go home and you fuck them and then tell the people out there protesting with you that you don’t even speak to any of them anymore. 

Wow. Such bravery. Much antifascism. Very social justice! 

Hey Huskyboy, I hope Ross throws your tennis ball off of a fucking cliff. 

You’d follow it wouldn’t you? 

- Kevin Livek, courtesy of Twitlonger. Twitlonger, when you talk too much for Twitter.

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The texts below were uncovered by the Seattle Times as part of its investigative reporting on this issue. Click here to learn more about how we choose to publish personal communications and how we’re able to obtain them legally and ethically. 

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206-323-2424: Hey. Are you there?

425-321-9853: Yeah, I am. What’s up?

206-323-2424: I’m… Really scared.

425-321-9853: What’s going on? Do you need me to be there with you? I can drive over.

206-323-2424: Oh. You, didn’t see it yet did you?

425-321-9853: See what?

206-323-2424: Livek. He outed a lot of people dating you, Ryke.

206-323-2424: Including me.

425-321-9853: Oh fuck. Shit. Okay well. I know you’re scared. But we can handle this. I’m looking it up now. That little fucking bastard.

206-323-2424: Ryke. He sent it to my parents. He outed me to my parents.

425-321-9853: Fuck. I’m coming over.

206-323-2424: Thank you.

206-323-2424: I, understand if you might be a while. Given you’re probably seeing he outed your relationship with Ross, too…

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Trash Life Podcast 

“Episode 383: I doxxed some fuckers and white tech queers got mad again”

Yeah so all of a sudden. They’re telling me, “Oh you outed him, you outed him to his parents you can’t do that.” And I go “Yeah I know, I sent the email remember.” And they’re just fucking shocked like big bug eyes and I tell them, these spineless fucking suits, “Hey look, if any of you aren’t queer, but the fuck out. If you stay and talk to me, I’m going to assume you’re queer. And if you’re queer, you should get how much it hurts to not have someone willing to even own up to loving you. So really, I did him a favour. So get the fuck off my back. And they all leave the room. Guess none of them were queer.