Pretty Poison

Reposting from a comment I left elsewhere, for the record.

I agree that many in fandom have been behaving very badly over this. The cat macros? How exactly was that supposed to be helpful?

But I don't agree that the recent lj_biz post was clear. They still have not defined what is "questionable" in their eyes and the refusal to address clearly defined hypothetical scenarios indicates that they want huge grey areas in the policy that will allow them to do this again. And again.

Don't forget, after the first strikethrough they promised that no further journals would be deleted without warning. And promptly broke that promise. Now they have posted a policy which appears once again to promise warnings but in fact, if you read between the lines, allows them to delete without warning any time they feel like it.

What makes it worse is they continue to use the term "child pornography" when what they mean is "material that may or may not be obscene under the Miller Test" or, more accurately, "pictures we don't like".

Child porn is illegal in every western country (and many others, too). Child porn means stuff that hurts children. I used to work on the abuse team of an ISP: I know what child porn looks like because it was my job to view it. By continually (mis)using that term they are publicly equating two members of fandom to child rapists and there has been no hint of an official apology for that.

As a member of fandom that is what I want: formal recognition that they've lied about those two women. That is what it will take for me to believe Six Apart actually want fandom here.

Everything they've posted so far is just smoke and mirrors.

LJ want to operate a "two strikes" policy? Fine. So will I. Absent a public apology (and I do mean from the corporation, or its head, not from one of their employees), this was strike two.

So, now that LJ has given Fandom back our freedom of expression, what makes it okay for us to behave as badly as the nutjobs who tried to take it from us?

We don't get to pick and choose who is entitled to freedom of speech.

If individuals are using LJ actually to commit illegal acts, that's one thing and should be dealt with through the appropriate authorities. But, however distasteful it may be, if we are entitled to freedom of expression, then so are the folks we disapprove of. Fandom has been saying it all week: talking/writing/posting about a thing isn't the same thing as doing a thing.

Paedophillia is a sexual orientation. One that most people find repulsive but it's not that long since folks would have said exactly the same about my sexual orientation. Feeling an attraction to children is not a crime, people. Only acting on it is, and by demonising the people who feel this and don't want to, we only drive them underground. We deprive them of the support they need to fight their desires and that makes it more likely, not less, that children will be hurt.

I know it's terribly difficult to understand. But you know what? I fucking know what it's like to be subject to violence, persecution and hatred because of my sexuality. I was fifteen. I wasn't "out", even to myself. I'd never had a girlfriend. I never even believed, then, that I might be gay. And I was locked in a bathroom and sexually assaulted by a gang of kids who hated me because they thought I was a sexual deviant. I spent four years terrified of going to school.

Buy a clue, people. I know it's hard to understand, and ten times harder to accept. Especially if you're a parent. But not all paedophiles are evil. Not all of them are child molestors.

Talking ain't doing.

Protecting children is their parent's responsibility, not LiveJournal's. Not ours.

And witch-hunts make me sick.

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. And their right to say it, too.

And mine. That's my say. So go ahead. Defriend me. If you're gonna lead a witch-hunt now you think you're free of persecution, we ain't friends.

I think I went into every single store in Newport that sells clothing in my size. All I want is a new shirt. Not to much to ask is it?

Apparently, it is.

Oh, there are zillions of shirts out there. And every one that's my size is either so freaking short it'd show off my midriff (and WTF is up with that - no woman my size wants to show skin in that area!) or is bloody pink. I do not wear pink. Correction: I own one pink shirt - it's shot silk, so I love it despite the colour. One. That's it.

I swear to goddess, if mens shirts weren't so long in the sleeve, I'd just shop in menswear and be done with it.

Also, why are the shops suddenly full of that horrific large print stuff? It looks like something my grandmother used to wear. Don't tell me it's actually in fashion. I mean, there's a reason we call the 1970's the decade that taste forgot.

*shudders*

In other news... admiralandrea your package is on the way - posted Friday, so you should get it soon. Keep a drool bucket handy for ep 14, hon, you'll need it!