We at EFJBGC have been working over the past couple months on how we present ourselves publicly and towards our peers. Those of us operating have been attempting to ensure that our message and presence is communicated effectively and with intentionality.
Currently, the telegram channel we formerly operated is controlled entirely by a single individual whom the rest of us currently organizing are no longer associated with. The person behind the account has removed access from any of the former members of EFJBGC, and operates it solely from their own perspectives and intents. This person does not represent the ideals, opinions, or feelings of the more than a dozen current and former operating members, and is no longer
affiliated with EFJBGC in any capacity. What they say through this and other media they operate are solely their words, and often are directly contradictory to the intentions and desires of the more than a dozen current members, as well as many former members no longer choosing to work with us.
This person has been a sticking point for the organization for some time now, and has
perpetuated or directly caused harm to our members. Their attempts at singular control and their opinions have been the primary reason we had to take a hiatus from organizing as a group. Due to their lack of respect for the process of consensus and direct harassment of many of our current and former members, many members had to leave to emotionally recover from their behavior that was in direct disagreement with the vast majority of us. When we were more established and currently operating, a vote was held to move away from the methods and messages they were spreading on multiple of our active platforms. When the vote nearly unanimously passed against them, they heightened their abusive practices both on these platforms and internally to many of our members.
We would like to highlight here the specific lie that they have posted on the telegram as a currently relevant example of the harm they are causing through these socials. They have said on t elegram that “there is a group in DFW claiming to…” be EFJBGC, and that “this was formed without the knowledge of most of the former members and active organizers who made EFJBGC.” In truth, the vast majority of current and former members are part of this “new” group, and the account posting the statement is operated by at most three individuals who are no longer part of our working group. They continue to frame this from a hostile position, saying that we “should be regarded as a new group, with different goals, knowledge, and capabilities,” and to spread this lie “to avoid misinformation.” We would like to be clear that the more than a dozen of us currently active completely disavow this lie that they are continuing to perpetrate, and we have and will continue to speak about their abuse going forward.
If you have any concerns or doubts about the legitimacy of any of our continued public presence, please do not hesitate to reach out to efjbgc@protonmail.com or our Mastodon account @efjbgc@denton.social. We are aware already that they have made a BlueSky account representing EFJBGC, and that this is in no way tied to us or our values, and they did not consult any of the former and current members before establishing it. If this account posts under our title, it is not in accordance with us us as a group, and is similarly only their opinions and beliefs
EFJBGC has never been a group operated by a singular leader or a handful of dominant voices; we have always acted as a collective organization on consensus-based ethos. The actions and words of this individual are in direct violation of this consensus and the group’s intentions. We have no connection or involvement with the current telegram account, and do not intend to allow a single individual who has continuously perpetuated and enacted abuse to speak on behalf of us as a collective.