GLAAD Reaches Out to Blog That Dehumanizes Transgender People

[Shana A]

GLAAD Reaches Out to Blog That Dehumanizes Transgender People

June 26, 2009 by Andy Marra, Senior Media Strategist @ GLAAD

http://glaadblog.org/2009/06/26/glaad-reaches-out-to-blog-that-disparages-transgender-people/

As the result of constituents contacting GLAAD, we have reached out to the site owners of a blog that dehumanizes transgender people and their experiences. ->-bleeped-<- Alert is a website that posts pictures of people who are perceived to be transgender and encourages readers to submit photos of perceived transgender people for the blog to publish and provide commentary. It is unclear whether the site's subjects have provided consent to have their pictures taken and published in this context.

GLAAD has reached out to the blog about the defamatory nature of their content with their problematic language including the words "->-bleeped-<-," "->-bleeped-<-" and "he/she." We also expressed our concerns about the potential danger the site's subjects could face as a result of having their gender identity and gender expression shared without their consent.

[Sandy]

The website and blog have been taken down, though the twitter space is still there.

Could we actually be making a difference in peoples minds?  I can only hope and prey.

I am a proud woman who was born with a transsexual condition.  Why on earth would that ever be funny?

-Sandy

[tekla]

OK, let me ask a question then.  How many people did it take to bring down that site because they were 'offended' by it.  Then, how many people would need to be 'offended' to take down this site?  Make sure you're not drawing a blueprint for your enemies.

[Sandy]

OK, let me ask a question then.  How many people did it take to bring down that site because they were 'offended' by it.  Then, how many people would need to be 'offended' to take down this site?  Make sure you're not drawing a blueprint for your enemies.

It violated blogger TOS statements.  They went over the line.  The complaint was valid.

-Sandy

[tekla]

Valid can be construed in many ways, and if all that happened was it was off one site, only to be put up on another, not much of a gain.