Tumbling dominos: A tale of internet hoaxes

[Stella_Omega]

The back story:

For the past six years Amina Arraf, an out lesbian living in Turkey had been blogging about her life there. About a week ago, her cousin posted to the blog saying that Amina had been kidnapped by the authorities. A lot of people started losing sleep, worrying about this woman.

As days went on, though, the news agencies started to report something odd: They could not find one single person in Damascus that said they knew Amina. Nobody. Nobody knew her cousin, either.

Somebody smelled a rat. And you know-- it was pretty rough on the rat smeller, because she was having to doubt that a victim existed. Seriously. She had to gather up a double dose of courage-- one, to start investigating which meant a lot of calls and emails to complete strangers-- and the investigator is not a healthy strong woman. Two, she was bucking the opinions of a lot of feminists and activists who were worried about Amina.

yesterday, the story came to light. Tom MacMaster, a 40-year-old American man from Georgia, admitted to being the writer behind “A Gay Girl in Damascus."

A lot of people have reacted with hurt and outrage, including a woman who thought she was Amina's girlfriend and was making plans to meet her in Italy this summer.

Another blogger, Paula Brooks of Lez Get Real had been championing Amina. She said that the news was "breaking my heart."

Brooks, who is deaf, said, “I don’t have a voice in real life. Lez Get Real is my face. It says what I wish I could say if I had a real voice, and Amina seems to be taking that from me.”

An apology for hosting Amina’s posts on the Lez Get Real site read: “Were we used by this person? Yes. Did we believe her? Yes. Did we care what happened to her? Damn yes. And that’s what hurts so much.”

The people who live in Turkey aren't real happy:

Some Syrian bloggers said they were worried that MacMaster’s hoax would delegitimize their writings. Andy Carvin warned of a “crying wolf scenario.” Other bloggers said the hoax showed that journalists were needed inside Syria now more than ever.

Syrian blogger Sasa, who writes the blog Syria News Wire, says that it’s an important lesson that “none of us know how much of the news coming out of Syria is fact and how much is fiction. With almost no international journalists allowed in the country, the speculation and allegations quickly become fact.”

Pretty fucked up-- Macmaster believes it was all in a good cause, though. You can read his apology here;
http://damascusgaygirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/apology-to-readers.html

I especially like where he says he wasn't hurting anyone.

*****

But wait-- there's more!

Paula Brooks, right? She's deaf. She couldn't talk on the phone, had to have her father speak for her. People asked if she had a TTY phone but she didn't. She hedged on some incidental questions. My investigative friend began to wonder if Brooks was the Amina hoaxer.

Guess what?

Paula Brooks, who has run a very successful venue for lesbian voices for four years now is a man.

A different man, who also was pulled in by the Amina hoax. Who was mighty damn hurt by Macmaster stealing lesbian voices, as I quoted up there.

Paula Brooks is actually Bill Graber, 58, a retired Ohio military man and construction worker who said he had adopted his wife’s identity online. Graber said she was unaware he had been using her name on his site...
...Graber said he started the site to write about gay issues after seeing the mistreatment of close friends who were a lesbian couple. He said the site was “done with the best of intentions.” As a former Air Force pilot, he also said he used the site to argue in favor of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal.

“I didn’t start this with my name because... I thought people wouldn’t take it seriously, me being a straight man,” he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...a-man/2011/06/13/AGld2ZTH_blog.html#pagebreak

Oh my Ghawd guys, this is just so... Rude. Appropriative. and what's actually worse, IMO, is that his lesbian pro-rights persona actually masks the fact that this straight air force pilot supports gay rights.

Please, if you're an ally, be a straight guy and support GLBT rights. Don't let people think that only GLBT folk are willing to fight the fight. Let there be straight role models for alliance and equality.

But if -- anyone has gotten this far-- You'll get a chuckle out of this punchline:

In the guise of Paula Brooks, Graber corresponded online with Tom MacMaster, thinking he was writing to Amina Arraf. Amina often flirted with Brooks, neither of the men realizing the other was pretending to be a lesbian.

 

[TE999]

Internet anonymity...you're doing it right.

 

[lovecraft68]

Oh okay. I don't want to keep misleading all of you. I am really a woman! The pic in my profile is my bad boy wannabe husband and the tattoos are fake! Not only that but I'm really a Poe fan and only use Lovecraft to conjure images of Cthulhu and get all the tentacle fetish people to pay attention to me.

There I feel much better now that that's off my chest. Now where the hell is my wand? Friggin' useless husband.

 

[Dual_Triode]

I heard this reported on NPR. It is quite difficult to drive with your mouth agape and your jaw in your lap.

Oh my Ghawd guys, this is just so... Rude. Appropriative. and what's actually worse, IMO, is that his lesbian pro-rights persona actually masks the fact that this straight air force pilot supports gay rights.

Please, if you're an ally, be a straight guy and support GLBT rights. Don't let people think that only GLBT folk are willing to fight the fight. Let there be straight role models for alliance and equality.

Message received and understood.

~Dual

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stella_Omega
Oh my Ghawd guys, this is just so... Rude. Appropriative. and what's actually worse, IMO, is that his lesbian pro-rights persona actually masks the fact that this straight air force pilot supports gay rights.

Please, if you're an ally, be a straight guy and support GLBT rights. Don't let people think that only GLBT folk are willing to fight the fight. Let there be straight role models for alliance and equality. [/quote]

One problem with a staight guy - such as I - being an advocate for gay rights, especially lesbian rights is that he may not be taken seriously. There are some lesbians, and I have read a few posts on this forum, who regard all men, especially white men, as enemies. Some men are, but certainly not all, and probably very few on this forum.

 

[Stella_Omega]

One problem with a staight guy - such as I - being an advocate for gay rights, especially lesbian rights is that he may not be taken seriously. There are some lesbians, and I have read a few posts on this forum, who regard all men, especially white men, as enemies. Some men are, but certainly not all, and probably very few on this forum.

This is unfortunately quite true. It's mighty rare that a straight man earns honors from the lesbian crowd-- especially in the political arena. It isn't as though the women have a screaming need for straight male input. Best, IMO, to back out of that quagmire.

But be a model for the straight community. When your straight dude friends start talking trash about the fags, tell them you don't go there.

yeah... right. MUCH easier to pose as a lesbian online.

I heard this reported on NPR. It is quite difficult to drive with your mouth agape and your jaw in your lap.

Message received and understood.

~Dual

Thanks, Dual

But guys, I have to confess... My name is not really Stella Omega. And I don't have a beard scribbled on my face-- at least not all the time.

Anyone else want to fess up? Bear, are you hiding anything from us?

 

[glynndah]

This is unfortunately quite true. It's mighty rare that a straight man earns honors from the lesbian crowd-- especially in the political arena. It isn't as though the women have a screaming need for straight male input. Best, IMO, to back out of that quagmire.

But be a model for the straight community. When your straight dude friends start talking trash about the fags, tell them you don't go there.

yeah... right. MUCH easier to pose as a lesbian online.

Thanks, Dual

But guys, I have to confess... My name is not really Stella Omega. And I don't have a beard scribbled on my face-- at least not all the time.

Anyone else want to fess up? Bear, are you hiding anything from us?

I'm not really Amish.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm not really Amish.

Ouch. This is a crushing disappointment. Too many of these confessions could drive me to drink...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

But guys, I have to confess... My name is not really Stella Omega. And I don't have a beard scribbled on my face-- at least not all the time.

Anyone else want to fess up? Bear, are you hiding anything from us?

I never barbecued anyone.

 

[glynndah]

Ouch. This is a crushing disappointment. Too many of these confessions could drive me to drink...

Wanna ride in my sparkly bubble? I can drop you off at the liquor store.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Wanna ride in my sparkly bubble? I can drop you off at the liquor store.

Better than me driving there for sure...

Honestly, have you heard a stranger story lately?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

It's too bizarre for fiction. Such things can only happen in real life.

 

[Stella_Omega]

And other news in the GLBT world: today, Judge Ware heard the arguments of the prop8 defense about whether or not Walker should have recused himself because he's gay-- even though they knew that going into the first trial.

Those who want to read the live blog cast can do so here: http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2011/06/13/live-thread-todays-june-13th-prop-8-trial-hearing/

read from the bottom up.

Also, a California court ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional in the case of a joint bankruptcy. The couple were legally married during the California window of opportunity.

If you're interested, http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2011/06/13/us-bankruptcy-court-rules-doma-unconstitutional/

 

[sr71plt]

And other news in the GLBT world: today, Judge Ware heard the arguments of the prop8 defense about whether or not Walker should have recused himself because he's gay-- even though they knew that going into the first trial.

Those who want to read the live blog cast can do so here: http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2011/06/13/live-thread-todays-june-13th-prop-8-trial-hearing/

read from the bottom up.

Also, a California court ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional in the case of a joint bankruptcy. The couple were legally married during the California window of opportunity.

If you're interested, http://www.prop8trialtracker.com/2011/06/13/us-bankruptcy-court-rules-doma-unconstitutional/

So, a straight judge shouldn't recuse himself on the same case--for the same reason? I'll have to try to remember whether I know any bi judges.

 

[3113]

Bear, are you hiding anything from us?

I've long suspected he's not really a bear but a raccoon. I'm planning on doing some investigating....

Oh, and I'm not really a number, but I do come from Pluto.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I've long suspected he's not really a bear but a raccoon. I'm planning on doing some investigating....

Oh, and I'm not really a number, but I do come from Pluto.

Nah, Ah'm not smart enough to be a raccoon and locks baffle me.

 

[3113]

So why did the Amina guy make up the story of her being kidnapped? And how was he planning on resolving this gripping drama?

 

[Boxlicker101]

So why did the Amina guy make up the story of her being kidnapped? And how was he planning on resolving this gripping drama?

My guess is he wanted to bring the hoax to an end, and disappearing seemed like the best way. What he did was not illegal, but a kidnapping hoax might be.

 

[sadangel]

*whispers*

I'm not really a sad angel.

I know, I've shocked you all. I'm so sorry.

 

[Stella_Omega]

So why did the Amina guy make up the story of her being kidnapped? And how was he planning on resolving this gripping drama?

He says:

I was going to end the story with having her be free, and get out of country — end of story. I didn’t expect the story to get so big .... I’ve been feeling for a while that it had gotten too big. I had been struggling for a way to let things up.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...y-to-get-so-big/2011/06/13/AGhnHiSH_blog.html

 

[The_Fool]

I've long suspected he's not really a bear but a raccoon. I'm planning on doing some investigating....

Oh, and I'm not really a number, but I do come from Pluto.

Better than Uranus...

You are not a number, you are one hot prime unique number.

 

[The_Fool]

*whispers*

I'm not really a sad angel.

I know, I've shocked you all. I'm so sorry.

Better not be sad, or Rob will spank you. Wait...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

"He says:
Quote:
I was going to end the story with having her be free, and get out of country — end of story. I didn’t expect the story to get so big .... I’ve been feeling for a while that it had gotten too big. I had been struggling for a way to let things up."

Uh-huh. When you ride a tiger, the hard part is getting off.

 

[Stella_Omega]

"He says:
Quote:
I was going to end the story with having her be free, and get out of country — end of story. I didn’t expect the story to get so big .... I’ve been feeling for a while that it had gotten too big. I had been struggling for a way to let things up."

Uh-huh. When you ride a tiger, the hard part is getting off.

Who knew, right?

Something else that now strikes me-- he had no idea how much the lesbian community rides the internet. He thought-- eh, a cute little lesbian, good creative writing practice. No one will really notice. He fucking stepped off the bus into Lez city, man!

When he put her in peril that first time--by having her kiss her girlfriend in public-- I wonder if he understood the warning tingles that sent up in so many women's minds? It made my stomach flip, honestly. And then-- you have to wish her well. Women really react to that. They rally around their own.

 

[3113]

My guess is he wanted to bring the hoax to an end, and disappearing seemed like the best way. What he did was not illegal, but a kidnapping hoax might be.

I was going to end the story with having her be free, and get out of country — end of story. I didn’t expect the story to get so big .... I’ve been feeling for a while that it had gotten too big. I had been struggling for a way to let things up.

Seems you were right, Box. Let this be a lesson to you children. if you want "out" just have the character die in some boring, common way. Like a car accident or better yet, a boating accident or a flood so the body is lost and they're washed away to sea. Then have the family tell everyone to send donations to some good cause in lieu of flowers. The end!

And other news in the GLBT world: today, Judge Ware heard the arguments of the prop8 defense about whether or not Walker should have recused himself because he's gay-- even though they knew that going into the first trial.

Actually, their argument is a little different (but let's face it, they're grasping at straws here and we know it; they'll go after anything they can if it holds a hope in hell of erasing what Walker said and wrote about the case)--their argument is that though they knew he was gay, they didn't know he was in a relationship. As he was in a relationship, the outcome of this decision could benefit him (l.e., he could marry his partner). He should have excused himself for this reason. He didn't, so erase his decision.

Haven't seen this much tap-dancing since Fred Astaire.

You are not a number, you are one hot prime unique number.

(if you're not that sexy guy in your avatar with a smokin' cigar--if you're really a little old lady at some retirement home...please don't tell me. Let me maintain the illusion!)