Gatto Nero wrote:
2007/10/12, Sue Reed <sreed1234(a)yahoo.com>om>:
Either way, is
there any point discussing it any further?
Personally - and I underline "personally" - the problem is not the
choose of Alexandria as the venue of Wikimania.
The problem is what I read here in response of GLBT community's
complaining. Some phrases are just a bit homophobic. Things like:
* Don't be too gay and you'll be safe
* Don't be gay and you'll be safe
The actual way I've interpreted most comments (and I emphasise most, not
all) of this nature has been "don't overtly display your sexuality". This
applied to gay, bi, *and* heterosexuals.
* Don't take a double room
I don't know if it is as bad as that. Is it a case of the hotel staff will
look at you funny, or would it be worse than that?
* Ask a doctor to certificate you're ill
I have to agree this is ridiculous. A person's sexuality is not an illness.
* Don't flaunt your homosexuality
This goes with what I said above; anywhere in the Middle East you don't
openly flaunt any flavour of sexuality.
* How many who you are? (implied: "You're too
few to care about")
are really gross, and if WMF really thinks things like this, we have a
huge problem.
Very huge.
I don't care how many LGBT Wikimedians there are. Pigeonholing ourselves
into special interest groups with an axe to grind is counter-productive.
We're all Wikimedians.
So the 2008 Wikimania caught some flak, and the jury is in hiding from an
angry mob of homosexuals with torches and pitchforks. :-P Move on, factor
the concerns into the 2009 process. Do we have a list of candidates for that
yet? It would be far more productive to move on to critiquing the 2009
candidates than bemoaning an issue with the 2008 choice.
Brian.