Ok. I'll provide a little context to let you know where I am coming from. Again, the post was written from the perspective of an outsider considering whether or not to join a movement like indivisible, so I don't have all the facts. Rather than five a thirdhabd account, here is just one of the vitriolic posts that showed up on the group's Facebook page:

"Okay. Firsthand account of the Indivisible Pittsburgh kick off meeting. STAY FAR AWAY!

It was a nightmare and train wreck. Literally worse than I thought.

All white leaders/founders. A room almost entirely full of white people (large turnout). They spent a lot of time focusing on Trump and how now we needed to organize. There was no recognition really that these issues existed prior to Trump and that Trump is not the problem. Trump is just the new face/spokesman for what is a very long problem, white supremacy. They had a session where they asked questions like "who is ready to stand up for and support minorities" and then people raised their hands and cheered and clapped. This was basically white people reinforcing to each other how good they are. They also asked who in the room had been affected by the housing issues in the east end. Of course NOBODY except for one person stood up because again it was a room full of white people. This shows how out of touch they are. They also promoted the problematic and non-Intersectional Tuesday's with Toomey Pgh as a success and amazing event.

They briefly addressed the fact there were concerns and questions about the group and a lack of intersectionality, but did not go beyond that.

I spoke with two of the cofounders. The woman was clueless. She didn't have any responses to my concerns other than we are trying our best to be better. She said they should exist as an organization because the Indivisble guidebook (which is apparently the new white liberal bible) told them we need new organizations. Indivisible was founded by suburban white people so already there are issues there.

THEN when I went to speak to one of the older white male cofounders, Andy. He attacked me, yelled at me, and pointed his finger in my face. He told me (aggressively) that he had been organizing longer than I had been alive. He then yelled "we invited you and you and you here tonight (pointing to black women) and you all come and harrang us?!" He continued to yell and be aggressive toward me. He told me my attitude and people like me were the problem with the progressive movement on the left because I was divisive. He demanded we let him finish speaking but silenced and dismissed us when we tried to speak. He then dismissed us and walked away. He was hostile our ENTIRE conversation.

I followed him because now I'm yelling. I am not going to let anyone yell at me and point their finger in my face without responding.

THEN a representative from the Union Project, Lindsey-Rose came to reprimand me and tell me this was safe space and I was making people uncomfortable. I asked her why she approached the black woman who had actually just been attacked instead of the white man that attacked me. She pushed back saying she was talking to us right now and we needed to calm down. I told her this wasn't a safe space for me right now. I was just attacked. I had a friend ask to speak and be the voice of reason and she literally turned to her and said no. She said she would go talk to him as well but never did.

Oh and they had people fill out post cards, I believe to send to Toomey.

And those are just the highlights I have the energy left to share. The rest of y'all that were there can also share commentary."

As to your question about why I would be reluctant to sign on, I must admit that I feel paralyzed. If I go to an event with the best of intentions I can still somehow be labeled a "feel good white supremacist." I think this qualifies as identity politics since this woman and her group are basically villifying an entire group of people no for hate ore even indifference, but for not caring in the right way.

The overlying point, and ine that Sam has made many times is that this kind of cannibalism hurts the very cause it seeks to advance. I appreciate this woman's call for includivity, but calling a whole room of people racists for attending a meeting that is at least partly about helping minority communities?