Wild Lion*esses Pride by Jay on Absolute Pleasure

Hi Bonnie, I appreciate you asking this with such openness. It’s a question I’ve been holding close over the past days—not only because of Glennon’s departure, but because of what it unearthed across this space and in me. From where I stand, the negativity wasn’t just about Glennon—it was about what her presence symbolized. I’ve engaged with voices from many sides: those who felt hurt or displaced by how she arrived, and those who resonated deeply with her presence and were heartbroken by the outcome. And what I keep returning to is this: what surfaced was less about one person and more about the systems and conditioning we all carry. Much of the response, especially the pushback, seemed rooted in scarcity and a very real sense of precarity many writers here experience. In that context, a high-profile voice can feel threatening, even if unintentionally so. And I also believe this wasn’t just about audience size—it was about visibility, control, and unspoken rules of belonging. Many who criticized her did so from a place of deeply felt values—about fairness, voice, and space. Yet the tone and form of that criticism often mirrored the very patterns they hoped to challenge: gatekeeping, silencing, and projection. What troubled me most was how easily the space shifted from dialogue to judgment. And how quickly a person—just one person—became a vessel for so many unresolved tensions. Glennon wasn’t here to dominate. She showed up, as many of us do, hoping to connect. But in doing so, she triggered dynamics that live far beneath the surface: who gets to belong, what “earning your place” means, and how quickly we turn on one another when those old systems get disrupted. As a person who has spent a lifetime outside of conformity, I felt this play out in ways I’ve lived myself. The moment you don’t fit the expected mold—whether because of how you speak, how you look, or how you take up space—responses can become sharp, even when unintentional. So for me, the issue wasn’t Glennon’s arrival or departure. It was how this moment revealed just how much work we still have to do to create truly inclusive, non-hierarchical spaces—ones that don’t just tolerate difference, but welcome it. I hold hope that we can still choose that path. Love xo Jay