GAYLORDS AND PANSIES

I love a good writer fight. There is always so much drama and poison - and you know how I love the drama. 

Recently, I have been entertained by a very public spat between "Quiet riot girl" (anarcho-fem-blogger) and "Paul Burston" (officially the unofficial voice of gay London.)

There has been all sorts of name throwing, rallying around of friends, ganging up, blocking, bitching and outing - It's almost as funny as the time that Julie Burchill faxed Camilla Paglia the legendary, "fuck off you old dyke!" (or words to that effect)

I do feel a few things have come to light that are worth ranting about:

1 - Ownership of virtual space. 

Why on earth is an interactive, international medium suddenly becoming an extension of personal space? It's the internet, do you own it?

Example: Quiet riot girl posts many opposing and irritating comments on blogs/articles by, for example, Guardian, Time out, feminist and queer writers. 

Feminist/Guardian/Time out and queer writers get so offended by said comments that they block her and her comments. 

Quiet riot girl then becomes more obsessive. Apparently she sends e-mails, messages etc, harasses people beyond the call of duty. Many of the people she messages are seeking legal advice and considering it harassment. Perhaps it is, but surely if you put something on the internet and invite comment, you can't expect everyone to agree with you. Can you?

What totally shocked me was the hideous Facebook campaign, which I witnessed, headed by Paul Burston and his fans. It included outing "Quiet riot girl's" true identity. Paul's "friends," left comments giving her name, address, age, education, company name, they even gave details of how much she paid for her house.

It was funny when Maddox did it to his "hatemail" victims. However, that was different. Maddox didn't whinge about the hatemail for months and play the victim, he just posted the hatemail persons work address. Paul has been littering the internet with the most juvenile justifications for his bitchy behavior. I'm not sure why, but this doesn't seem quite as funny as Maddox's hatemail. In fact it's all slightly disturbing. I suppose because Piers Morgan, the chinless cunt, got away with moral misconduct; every hack in London thinks they can do the same.

In short - if you are a writer for Time out magazine, it seems you are perfectly entitled to publish the personal details of a single woman all over the internet, without any regard for her personal safety. Even if she is a mentally ill, "homophobe," is it okay for a columnist from Time out magazine to publish her address on the internet? What if something happens to her?

Is this the policy of all Time out columnists?

I'd like to know. 

2 - Cheapening homophobia

Having read "Quiet riot girl's" blogs and postings for some time now, it is painfully queer (Freudian slip hahahah - might leave that in) that she is not homophobic. If anything she has a tendency to like the gayers a little too much? 

True, she has been leaving inflammatory remarks on other people's profiles/blogs, etc, etc. Most of the time it is with tongue firmly in cheek. She wants a reaction. Paul Burston has been relaying these "insults," on his facebook account and frankly it is embarrassing to think that any gay man in the world over the age of 12 could possibly be offended by them. I mean "Pansy?" "Gaylord?" Really? Here's a better one, "I'm too busy for this shit. Get a real job!" Oh sorry, that's from me.

Homophobia is not a good thing. To think that Paul equates the  complex and problematic issue of homophobia to something so trivial completely astounds me. It belittles the problem. It makes a mockery of the term. I am angry to see the term hijacked by one of the most wealthy and privileged elite groups currently living in London (namely Attitude reading urban gay men) for the purpose of quashing any opinions contrary to their beliefs. That  is Bullshit. Hang on, I might just use that. Anyone who has a bad word to say about this blog can fuck off! Fucking Homophobes. 

To sum up:

1 - DISAGREEING WITH SOMETHING WRITTEN BY PAUL BURSTON MAKES YOU A "HOMOPHOBE."

2 - IF YOU ARE A COLUMNIST FOR TIME OUT MAGAZINE YOU ARE ENTITLED TO PUT SINGLE WOMEN IN REAL PHYSICAL DANGER.

3 - RAISING OBJECTIONS TO THIS MAKES YOU A "RADICAL GAY."

Rant over, long may the melodramas continue. x