Ode to LGBTQ defamation on StumbleUpon...

[myprettycabinet]

I'm very angry, having just discovered the way that StumbleUpon lets users differentiate between what is Safe For Work and Not Safe For Work and anything LGBTQ-related seems to fall under NSFW. I've written to GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and I wanted to post my letter to them explaining the situation and I'd love this to get

Comments

[myprettycabinet]

Yeah, no, that's why I gave the "sex" ones one asterisk, and wrote how these are potentially understandable, but still reek of "Separate But Equal". But it is mainly the "Culture" categories being in the NSFW column, AND the absence of heterosexual versions of any of these things. Really, it's because StumbleUpon is literally nothing BUT culture.

StumbleUpon is like a "whole internet" version of the "Random" feature on LJ. Basically you click a button and it takes you to a random website based loosely on a checklist of items you tell it you like. So, you can see where it'd be important to not have porn pop up. But that is NOT an excuse for what is actually them poorly overseeing submissions to their website and stupidly giving a separate option for Gay Culture amongst all the other culture-related topics, like Art & Travel & Dating Tips.

[museme87]

I gotta say, hon, that this is total bullshit. The idea that legitimate NSFW images supposedly end up in the culture section goes back to the idea that our culture consists of nothing but sex. Welcome back, 1960s hate propaganda.

This is an intentional targeting of the LGBT* community. There's no "heterosexual culture" in these categories, but I'd say that there could very well be a lot of NSFW images in that category. And there's no various person-of-color category. I don't believe that either category that I've mentioned should be in the NSFW list, but their absence implies the targeting of our minority community in contrast to both the majority and other minority communities.

I think you were right to contact GLAAD about this.

[myprettycabinet]

Okay, whew! I'm glad that I've received supportive responses. Because I do know I have been known to blow things out of proportion, but this feels like the first step down the exact WRONG path. More and more social media is where people are getting their news, and if shit like anything someone decides is Gay Culture is marked NSFW, then that limits the exposure of potentially crucial information to a large amount of people.

You see exactly what I see wrong here. I've made further comments here about how they're basically equating LGBT Culture to Pornography. And then someone else started a new thread about it here and has had 2 employees give him bullshit responses.

I haven't heard from GLAAD yet, but it's only Monday. I really hope they write back.