[Gendergap] Hardcore images essay

[Ryan Kaldari]

On 2/14/11 4:59 PM, Sue Gardner wrote:
> So the question is: female editors, have you come across explicit
> material on the Wikimedia projects that you find offensive, degrading
> or discouraging?
>    

I think this discussion is missing an important point—the context of the 
explicit material. While most people are not surprised or offended to 
find explicit images in articles about BDSM or pornography, I've seen 
plenty of women (and men) upset about explicit material being featured 
on the Main Page of various projects. A few examples include:

Women objecting to porn on the Main page of Commons in 2009:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons_talk:Picture_of_the_day/Archive_1#POTD_for_October_5

Female admins objecting to the following DYK hook (with picture) 
appearing on the Main Page of English Wikipedia:
"Did you know... that after [[Melina Perez|Melina]] ''(pictured)'' 
stripped [[Torrie Wilson]] to win a bra & panties match at '''[[The 
Great American Bash (2005)]]''', referee [[Candice Michelle]] stripped 
Melina and herself as well?

Various people (including Jimmy) objecting to the vulva photo on the 
Main Page of the German Wikipedia:
(Don't have a link, but I imagine it's easy to dig up if you speak German.)

I think if there is an issue to pursue, it is the use of explicit 
material in non-explicit contexts (which unsurprisingly seems to always 
involve female nudity rather than male nudity).

Ryan Kaldari