Specifically the "are ace people queer" discourse, but it was so big on contemporary Tumblr that it was just The Discourse.
Although The Discourse is often full of awareness of the existence and situation of the most vulnerable participants, it is also at times a vicious, vitriolic environment to exist in, one that presents its own methodological, ethical, and emotional challenges. The harassment and suicide- baiting that goes on in The Discourse is symptomatic of the pervasive mutual surveillance that is ongoing, but also illustrates the seriousness of the discussion for many of the participants. These people do not lack empathy or affect, unlike trolls who prod their victims hoping to elicit “lulz” -- when they engage in harmful behaviors, it is born of a desire to defend the sanctity of their vision of the LGBT community and fight those who would see it otherwise composed
