However, things are rather less open on its Arabic offshoot, Huffington Post Arabia, which launched in July.
Buzzfeed notes that the site instead takes a surprisingly hardline stance – with one columnist naming the selfie as a symptom of “the diseases and the viruses of the Western world” seeping onto Arabic culture.
Meanwhile, in a second column, an Egyptian columnist savaged the government for allowing “a press conference for gays in the heart of Cairo”, referring to gay people using derogatory words.
It has since been pulled from the site, which now states: “This blog should not have been published as it contradicts the Huffington Post’s editorial positions and guidelines which are based on encouraging positive dialogue and mutual respect. It has therefore been taken down.”
Commentators have been quick to condemn the offshoot, tweeting: “With this homophobic, vitriolic post esp @HuffingtonPost has let its Arabic site disgrace its brand.
Another added: “It is such a disappointment how @HuffPostArabi turned to be.”
Huffington Post’s executive international editor Nicholas Sabloff told Buzzfeed that the selfie article was “one opinion expressed by one blogger”, adding that “the views on the blog do not reflect HuffPost’s global editorial viewpoint, nor the viewpoint of our HuffPost Arabi editors.”
He continued: “In a region where the media landscape is polarized, we are trying to create a space where a diversity of perspectives can co-exist.
“Given the upheaval the region is experiencing, it is likely that articles which have a strong perspective or opinion may upset one group or another. But we want HuffPost Arabi to provide diversity and balance as a site.”
Sorry Nicholas Sabloff, just stating that Huffington Post Arabia is just trying to be diverse and show varied opinions, does not excuse anti-gay rhetoric, ever, period!
To quote Harlan Ellisson:
"You are not entitled to an opinion, you are entitled to an informed opinion, no one is entitled to be ignorant."
Huffington Post Gayvoices isn't devoid of anti-gay commentary and opinion either.
Recently I've noted, more and more of the articles turn into "cis gay male" attack rants.
First of all, I find the labeling of white gay men as "cis" insulting and take it the way it is aimed and directed, which is mostly meant to shame and blame.
Like being gay, I refuse to apologize for being born the color I am.
Color does not mean an automatic privileged status for gay men and to try and play this "I was more marginalized than you" nonsense, goes beyond mere ignorance and transcends into the absurd.
Gay Voices many times, fans the flames of division, which in turn only serves to further divide the LGBT community.
It's very much like the latest attacks on the NOT YET RELEASED movie by Roland Emmerich
about the Stonewall riots, blaming him of whitewashing and transphobia, merely because the main character is a young, white gay male.
Knowing what I know of Stonewall, I fail to see how having a gay white male as centrist to the story as erasing or diminishing any of those involved in the riots.
If one were to believe most of the articles attacking an as of yet released movie, what they are actually calling for is the complete erasure of white gay men at Stonewall, whom, in truth, were the dominate participants alongside a contingent of extremely brave drag queens (many of whom were men of color)
Though I doubt I will completely give up reading Gay Voices at Huffington Post all together, I've certainly found myself being a lot more cautious and selective about the articles I read there.
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1 comment:
I never could and I never will understand all the fucked up infighting in the LGBT community. It's fine to disagree on things but we have always needed to stick together to achieve equality. There is enough room at the table for everyone and we are better as a whole.
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