Via InstaPundit, I see that more controversy (see last night’s post) has developed over the use of the expression “gay terrorist“:
Gay activist Michael Rogers, of Blogactive.com, continues to target critics in an ongoing saga of an online jihad within the blogosphere.
This time the target was LimeShurbet.com, a blog whose site was taken down overnight by the site’s commercial service provider. According to sources, LimeShurbert had taken GayPatriot’s “WANTED: GAY TERRORISTS” post and created his own “wanted poster” targeting Michael Rogers and John Aravosis (Americablog). Rogers alerted the service provider which then shut the site down.
Here is a message from LimeShurbet.com’s blog author, Robert Shurbet:I will be back, content intact one way or another. Michael Rogers has tried to silence a voice of dissent. He will fail.
UPDATE 3:16PM – Robert Shurbert posted the following on Haloscan:
Show your support for GayPatriot by placing the “WANTED” banner from my sidebar on your blog.
GayPatriot deserves to have his voice heard! All gay conservatives have a voice that needs to be heard too! The gay community is not a “liberals only” club any more than the Republican party is for “straights only.” It is high-time gay conservatives and those that support them speak out against the terrorist tactics employed by Michael Rogers!
Don’t let Michael Rogers silence a voice of opposition. He can try to silence one – he cannot silence many.
[Robert – Haloscan – 03.29.05 – 1:29 pm
This whole matter intrigues me. First of all I think outing is a monstrous, grotesque violation of human and sexual freedom (and I say this as someone who knew the original founder and many members of the Sexual Freedom League). Second of all, I dislike restrictions on speech as much if not more than restrictions on sexual activity, and I think those who want to tell us what to say or how to say it are at least as bad as those who tell us what to do with our genitalia.
Third, I enjoy satire. And I think the poster in question is quite amusing. Plus it’s art!
All good reasons for displaying it here.
BTW, I refuse to be “outed!” (The term has no meaning to me anyway.) I’m staying right here in my hard-earned, openly public, closet!
Good luck making me come out! And good luck making me take it down!
MORE: Via Michael Demmons, here’s some very entertaining reading.
Whee!
UPDATE (03/30/05): Michael Demmons reminds us that free speech lovers (as well as those opposed to “outing”) should go right ahead and copy the above “WANTED” poster without fear of recriminations. While I can’t vouch for other ISPs, I am delighted to see confirmation from Michael that Host Matters (also home to Classical Values) is not easily intimidated:
Content cannot be defamation by definition unless it can be shown that the content is inherently and deliberately untrue. In your particular case, a simple google of ?michael rogers gay? brought me to an article by The Independent (UK) about the very bullet points you have listed in the graphic, with quotes from him related to that subject. Further searches reveal other stories by regular journalistic outlets as well, with and without quotes. Suggesting people email him to voice their opinion of his actions is also not an actionable offense, since a look at his own site has links for email to the addresses you have listed – since he is inviting contact via email, and lists available addresses, your posting of them poses no violation of any of our policies or of any statutes. It is your opinion that his actions are as you describe them, and people are free to agree or disagree as they see fit, and post their own opinions, if they?d like to do so. In addition, there is nothing in your graphic that urges any violence against anyone – it reads, in fact, more like the sort of online boycott calls that go around from time to time. Therefore, we would take no action related to complaints by the individual about this item on your page other than to suggest he take it up with you.
Regards,
Abuse Investigations
Hosting Matters, Inc.
http://www.hostingmatters.com
Go Host Matters!
UPDATE (03/30/05 — 08:30 a.m.): Both the GayPatriot site and that of its current author, Christian Grantham seem to be down as of this morning. (No idea why….)
UPDATE (03/31/05): Here’s more on a guy whose name I didn’t think was worth mentioning at the time . . .
Comments
8 responses to “No closets for free speech !”
Prudence
Christian Grantham and IGF have interesting comment threads going over GayPatriot’s…
Don’t Let Gay Intimidators Win
Show your support. Add this image to your sidebar. Remember, make a copy for yourself. Don’t hotlink it.
ter·ror·ize
tr.v. ter·ror·ized, ter·ror·iz·ing, ter·ror·iz·es
To fill or overpower with terror; terrify.
To coerce by intimidati…
Excellent post. Also, has anyone noticed that if you put a dirty, scruffy beard and glasses on Rogers, he is indistinguishable from Michael Moore?
Michael Rogers is not terrorist. He’s just a miserable, bitter old fat-f*ck whose only joy in life, apparently, is bringing others down to his level of misery. Ugly is as ugly does. Beauty may be only skin deep but ugly runs deep into the marrow. And Rogers is grotesquely ugly to the absolute core of his soul (assuming, arguendo, he’s got one.)
However, I think that the Michael Moore comparison is inappropriate and unfair. To Michael Moore! Michael Moore is a propagandist, a liar, a hypocrite. Mere “eighth circle of hell” evil in my opinion. Rogers, however, is ninth circle evil, directly targetting individuals for destruction. He’s a traitor to the gay community.
Strange Bedfellows
Jerry Falwell and Michael Rogers both use their political influence to attack gays, and both have tried to stifle the First Amendment rights of those who disagree with their radical views.
Blind fanatical hate makes strange bedfellows indeed.
That last line should read: “a traitor to the civilized community.”
Of which gay folk are a part.
The friendly amendment from B. Durbin is accepted.
More Squishing of Dissent?
(Via Classical Values) Of course you’ve now all seen the new poster on the right, outing Hamas-sexual Free Speech Hater Michael Rogers for the slimy, fat turd he really is. Well, it looks like the site we got the thing…