From: gklein@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Gary Klein, bear at heart)
Newsgroups: alt.personals
Subject: Re: Its gay bashing IMO/ was IMPOSTER ABUSING MY ACCOUNT!
Date: 28 Sep 92 23:13:54 EST
Organization: Carlson Library, Univ of Toledo

In article <-97nbx+.tyger@netcom.com>, tyger@netcom.com (Kitty in the Middle) 
   writes:
> williamf@umbc4.umbc.edu (TheBigBopper) writes:
>>tyger@netcom.com (Kitty in the Middle) writes:
>>>gklein@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Gary Klein, bear at heart) writes:
>>>>affouj@aix.rpi.edu (Jason Patrick Affourtit) writes:
>>>>>I don't quite know who did it, but while I was away from my home terminal
>>>>>(I live in an apartment with several others) someone thought it would be 
>>>>>quite amusing to post an article that made me look homosexual.  I really 
>>>>>didn't find that terribly amusing, considering I'm about as straight as it 
>>>>>gets.  So please don't reply to the other posting made here under my name.  
>>>>
>>>>     It is one thing to have someone overtake your computer account, and
>>>>subject you to an e-mail overload, or be the object of a barrage of 
>>>>complaints logged against you when someone forged a letter under your name, 
>>>>but what is so heinous about being labeled as GAY?
>>>
>>>Come ON! Look around you a second! Homosexuals have made some social 
>>>advances, but there is still a stigma to being homosexual. He most likely 
>>>has gotten come-on's from some people, and flames from others, based on how 
>>>he was represented in the previous post. Sad as it may seem, he could even 
>>>have lost friends over this if someone really believed he was gay. Yes, 
>>>that's taking a dim view of things, but I've seen this happen.
>>>
>>  I don't think what you say is under dispute.  What Gary is upset about seems
>>  to be the perpetuation of the Gay is evil myth.  Jason's refutation of the
>>  ad. needn't have included any comment on the *contents* of the ad. save for 
>>  a listing describing it and the statement "I am not gay."

> I think that Gary blew the situation way out of proportion, and that was what 
> I was protesting. The statement "I'm as straight as it gets" is a far cry 
> from "I'm not one of those stinking faggots!". I don't even think it's in the 
> same league. As I see it, he has stated that he has no interest whatsoever in 
> a homosexual relationship, and what is wrong with that? If I posted saying 
> that I had no interest in a lesbian relationship, does that make me a 
> gay-basher? Not hardly!

     Who gave people the permission to speak for someone else?

     Where is Jason's voice, in response to my statement of being irritated by
the WAY in which he apprised the readers of a hoax that was perpetrated against
him.  

     I have never condoned phony postings, hijacking of computer accounts, or
the consumation of a hoax.  And when they occur, as in this case, I sit back an
hear Emily Latella's voice (character from SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHT played by Gilda
Radner) say to us all "Oh, Never Mind"!  I and do not hold anything against the
person who was the butt of the electronic pranksters.

     On the other hand, I certainly appreciate being informed by people when a
breech of computer privacy/pranksterism has occured & been stopped.  But what I
objected to was the gratutitous statement included in Jason's posting about the
fictitious posting of a personal ad over his name.

     Did Jason, or any other poster to Alt.pers.Ads have a gun put to their 
head, with the instructions "you have 2 nanoseconds to post an explanation of 
your earlier posting?"

     The fact that people TOOK THE TIME to compose their thoughts, before
posting it to an audience of tens-of-thousands says something TO ME when I read
words which INFLAME readers, instead of DEFUSING a problematic situation.

     (Though I may have lost track of the thread) why didn't Jason Patrick
Affourtit simply post an explanation saying something like "someone busted into
my account... and posted a personal ad that does not reflect my preferences in
a partner...I don't mean to slight anyone, but the preferences listed in the ad
do not reflect my personal taste..."

      Then if someone sent an HONEST reply to bogus ad under his name, Jason
would have sent a short (possibly a form letter) to that responder, pointing
out rather tersely, "Thanks, but no thanks -- not that it is a reflection on
anything you put in your private e-mail, but a full explanation appears in
Alt.pers.Ads under the heading of BOGUS MAIL UNDER JASON's NAME"

     There never is a need to say:
 
           "I really didn't find it terribly amusing, 
            considering I'm about as straight as
            it gets"

     In my book, Jason's statement about his straightness is more like 
"straight and narrow" as in narrow minded!

P.S.  I still stand by my original comment,
      What is so heinous about being labeled as GAY 
      by someone who has never met you, but only saw
      your name on e-mail!

P.P.S.  Can anyone who is heterosexual PROVE in a court of
        law that they are heterosexual?
--
                                               "Librarian, Leather bound"
Gary Klein,   Business Librarian,  (Univ of Toledo)           * * * * 
PO Box 12650                  Toledo OH  43606-0250            *   *   
(w): 419-537-2629      fac2813@uoft01                            *   
(h): 419-243-2740      fac2813@uoft01.utoledo.edu         B4 t+ w- g s+ k
Newsgroups: alt.personals