Letters to the Editor	Letters Archive

Who's Marginal?

After reading "The Big Chill" [regarding Verizon's decision to shut off an edgy internet service provider; November 2006, available at Guidemag.com], I'm curious as to whether the author has actually seen the websites in question. I believe if they had, they'd realize that homosexuality has nothing to do with why Epifora.com's upstream was cut.

Firstly the boards that we're talking about are places like Boychat and Girlchat-- these aren't places for homosexuals, these are places for pedophiles. The purpose of these boards is to promote adult/child sexual relations. I'd hope the author of this article is well aware of the fact that children certainly aren't capable of consenting to sex with adults. So this in my eyes will always be classed as rape, as adults are easily able to manipulate children into doing just about anything.

P

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edophiles on these boards group to share videos of unsuspecting Youtube.com users' children for their sexual pleasure. Many users also hint at having child pornography.

As for Epifora.com, it hosted roughly 50 openly pro-pedophile websites; I think I can recall seeing only one site which wasn't pro-paedophile in content. This flew in the face of Verizon's terms of service, and being a commercial business they didn't have to provide complete freedom speech with their service. So they considered a network of websites promoting child rape inappropriate content and decided to terminate Epifora.com's service.

comment received at Guidemag.com

The writer misses the point about corporate censorship of legal speech on the internet. Squelching ideas always starts at the margins. The material involved here was undoubtedly controversial. But where is the line to be drawn? Most gay people aren't into, say, fisting, but a campaign to criminalize fisting as an intrinsic act of violence to which no one could consent-- and thus activity that must not even be discussed-- should concern everyone. Inscribed into law, such a dictum could trip up anyone whose finger ever tickled a partner's asshole. Categories such as "transgender" and "boy-lover" and "top" and "masochist" are fluid. What about a gay 14-year-old who likes other gay boys? Shouldn't he have a right to talk about his feelings online at a place like Boychat? How many gay men feel a little erotic frisson at youths of 16 or 17? By the standards you suggest, Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman were simply "pedophiles."

The attempt to distinguish people into absolute categories is always suspect-- especially when those groups are defined only to be vilified. Nor are questions of consent, even involving "children"-- a broad legal category that includes pre-school toddlers and 17-year-olds eligible to serve and die in the armed forces-- always black and white. Negotiating-- as individuals and as a society-- through these gray zones is helped by open discussion. Verizon's move to cut off free speech on the net means those discussions can't happen. All of us sexual "deviants" have an interest in resisting efforts to narrow what is to be allowed as acceptable.

Wants Bigger Type

I am not a fan of the smaller print in the MaleBox personals ads.

Chris
via email

Not All Inmates Scammers,

As an inmate, I am always saddened to hear of a fellow prisoner conning someone via a personal ad, pretending to be someone they're not. So, regarding the "Conned by... Con" letter [July 2006, available at Guidemag.com], I want to remind people that there are incarcerated people who are honest (although I admit there are those who will always think and function as criminals).

For those of us who are genuine and sincere, please attempt not to judge us by the actions of those who are not. Some of us seek real friendships with no strings attached. And although surrounded by many men, prison can be a lonely environment, and lots of us seek a friend on the other side of the fence to let us know there are those out there who care about us

Eric Shepherd
Wrightsville, Georgia

Small Towner Wants Mag

It has been over three years since I have seen The Guide. The only place I can get it is in Toronto, and the places there are out of copies too fast. I wish some of the smaller places would carry it since it is hard for us small-town gays to find gay magazines, newspapers, and such.

I enclose payment for a subscription; it is an old form, so let me know if the price has gone up.

L.P.
Ontario

Thanks for the new subscription (and no, our prices have not gone up). We're happy that magazines go so quickly; let your favorite bars and clubs know you'd like to see more; more advertising means we can send out more mags!

Editorial Inspiring

Your "Aim Higher" editorial [October 2006, available at Guidemag.com] is wonderfully articulate and principled. You gave voice to many of my own inchoate thoughts. This is an instant classic for me: an important, profound essay.

P.C.
Boston, Massachusetts