After what I consider to be thoroughly disturbing developments in blogland, or perhaps more accurately Blogger-land yesterday, I'm more than a little relieved to find I've still got a blog this morning. Blogger have removed a number of blogs with GLBT themes, and while this is nothing new, particularly in the case of picture blogs (even those that come nowhere close to any rational definition of 'pornography'), the difference in this case is that at least one strictly news and opinion based site, 'It's Getting Better', has been targeted. Have we reached the stage whereby saying anything positive about GLBT issues is seen as unacceptable and grounds for a blog to be deleted? What's being suggested here? That if anyone says anything that runs counter to the 'party line' of homosexuality, bisexuality et al being 'evil', 'unnatural', or whatever other epithet might be chosen, there's suddenly going to be a mass exodus from the ranks of the 'straight', or that the fabric of society is going to collapse overnight? I doubt it, somehow. It seems to be utterly beyond the wit and understanding of the 'haters' that being gay, bi, or even a boylover like me, isn't some sort of lifestyle choice that's made to be deliberately provocative or rebellious, it's something that comes from within. No-one, I hope, in this day and age would seriously suggest that all left-handed people should be forcibly converted to being right-handed, so what, can anyone tell me, is the difference between that nonsensical scenario and trying to bully and censor people out of their innate sexual orientation? I'm well aware that my blog, in part at least, addresses a controversial issue, in that I'm open about my status as a (celibate) boylover and how that status impacts on my life, so does that mean I can expect my blog to be deleted? If that is the case, I'm afraid the 'thought police' are going to be kept busy, because I'm not prepared to supinely accept that kind of censorship. My blog is backed up regularly, and I'm willing to relaunch it as often as necessary to exercise what I consider to be my freedom of speech, as long as I remain within the law. If I had any doubts about whether I should leave blogland after recent events, yesterday's heavy-handed attempt at repression has convinced me to stay and fight my corner.
Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B
This happens every year/few months, it's automated and looks for certain words/phrases used a certain amount. It sucks, but people going on about the WestBoro' baptist church or KKK obsessively.
ReplyDeleteHey Sammy;
ReplyDeleteBoy, you said you were going to write on this today. You sure did! Way to go! -randy.
Hello JJ
ReplyDeleteIt may be an automated process, but the parameters are set by people, who've made a conscious choice to allow or disallow certain forms of expression. That, in my book, is censorship, as long as what's being said isn't actually illegal.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
Hello Randy
ReplyDeleteAs you can tell, it's an issue I feel pretty strongly about. As long as I stay within the law, I feel I should be free to say what I want to say, and any threat to that freedom should be resisted, IMHO. What happened to "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"?
Love & best wishes
Sammy B