To clarify: I do not view orientation or sexual identity as politics.

In the sense of /r/place and their arrangements: that is politics, or more so rather diplomacy. They have common grounds and worked together, that's all.

Well, having (or lacking) a sexual orientation or identity is not politics, it just is. But expressing it, identifying with others who share it, forming groups and alliances and a shared sense of community is precisely what politics is. I think we pretty much agree.

No, it only becomes political when it comes to forcing other groups to change or support your cause.

My meetup dedicated to showing off old hardware is not political. If I tried to force a tax on everyone through a referendum to support my group, then I've made it political.

You can also be forced to become political - if someone tried to make it illegal to show off old hardware for instance. It's why the NRA is a political group, as are most LGBT groups.

> My meetup dedicated to showing off old hardware is not political.

Can you be absolutely sure? How do you decide who shows and tells today? Who is the meetup "leader", and how did they get that position? What do you do about that old software meetup that always meets across the hall from you at the same time and steals your donuts and coffee? Almost anything groups of people do entails politics, without necessarily even going to the obvious case of forcible taxes.

Besides we were talking about staking out pixels on a limited canvas, which is a zero sum game, involves other groups and the need to consolidate efforts, a decidedly political affair.

> No, it only becomes political when it comes to forcing other groups to change or support your cause.

I am having trouble understanding why you think this. Care to explain why?