Paula Brooks, editor of "Lez Get Real" website... is revealed to be a man.

[Stella_Omega]

During the furor over the false lesbian blogger "amina," who turned out to be a man living comfortably in Georgia-- Suspicions began to crystallise over the true identity of one Paula Brooks, editor of
lezgetreal.com

His name is Bill Graber, 58, retired Air Force pilot.

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.

Guys, this is jaw-droppingly bad form. It's distressing. It's appropriative. it's incredibly disrespectful. It's unnecessary, and it masks the fact that there are straight Air Force Pilots out there that think GLBT folk deserve equal rights.

On the other hand, this is fucking hilarious:

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.

 

[Etoile]

*facepalm*

WHY WHY WHY. I would have LOVED to see a straight guy supporting lesbians. Why do people think we don't want allies?!

Also, I thought MacMaster was living in Scotland, no? He was on vacation in Istanbul when the shit hit the fan, but isn't he a student in Scotland, though originally from Georgia (USA)?

I have NO problem with people writing fiction, even cross-gender and cross-orientation fiction, but for the love of god make it obvious that you're writing fiction. These guys are obviously great writers if they fooled so many people (how often do we get posters on here who are claiming to be something they're not, and it's patently obvious), but they LIED and that's the part that's not okay.

 

[Stella_Omega]

MacMaster has some interesting things to say about the WHY-- that his fiction sucked, and the most success he's ever had as a writer, actually, is this Rp as Amina.

Macmaster explains and excuses, waffles and rationalises

I get it-- but it shows the dangers of assuming you know everythign about a culture. Did he really think the lesbians of the world wouldn't take this young woman into their hearts? When Amina talked about kissing her girlfriend in public-- my stomach flipped over at the danger she was putting herself into. A dude might understand that, but I wonder if he'd feel it so viscerally. Or have any idea of how strongly other woman would feel-- wanting to help and protect her.

A young man was at my house last night, and the first thing he asked was: "is this guy an Aspie?"

 

[Wolfman1982]

I doubt the fake blogger is an aspie. If I have to put my two cents of worth into the shebang. Cause I am an aspie aka. a person with Aspergers Syndrome, and I think it is immoral to do such a thing that the fake blogger did. I did not follow the blog, heck I had never heard about before the fake blogger got "apprehended" .

So back to the last part Stella mentioned about the young man who asked Stella if the blogger was an Aspie... AS has become so easy/popular to put on people. When actually most Aspies, I have known, met, spoken too. Would never do such a thing, and that includes myself. But there are assholes every where, and some (me in this instance) can behave like one.
But is the blogger an asshole, or an Aspie ? I really do not know, but I would not like to be compared to a straight guy who fakes himself to be a lesbian living in a place, where the LGBT are living under constant death threats. Or worse.

 

[Etoile]

It IS an Aspergian trait to not know what somebody is going to think of what you do - that is, to not realize that your actions have specific and predictable consequences on others. I have an Aspie friend who's like that. Doesn't mean the blogger was, but he definitely exhibited that trait if he thought it was okay.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I doubt the fake blogger is an aspie. If I have to put my two cents of worth into the shebang. CauseI am an aspie aka. a person with Aspergers Syndrome, and I think it is immoral to do such a thing that the fake blogger did. I did not follow the blog, heck I had never heard about before the fake blogger got "apprehended" .

So back to the last part Stella mentioned about the young man who asked Stella if the blogger was an Aspie... AS has become so easy/popular to put on people. When actually most Aspies, I have known, met, spoken too. Would never do such a thing, and that includes myself . But there are assholes every where, and some (me in this instance) can behave like one.
But is the blogger an asshole, or an Aspie ? I really do not know, but I would not like to be compared to a straight guy who fakes himself to be a lesbian living in a place, where the LGBT are living under constant death threats. Or worse.

Stop making every post about yourself.

 

[thejdangel]

I know this is a sweeping generalisation and I may get lynched but generally those with Aspergers would not lie in this way! My limited experience of those with AS (3 people including a family member) tell me they generally don't pretend to be someone else (if they even lie) and would not care enough about others knowing who they are to bother with a fake persona! If they believe in a cause they believe in it fully and with their real identity no matter what.

(But then I may be mistaken as this is simply personal experience)

 

[Etoile]

Jeez people, just put each other on ignore.

 

[Wolfman1982]

Stop making every post about yourself.

double posting ?

 

[Etoile]

double posting ?

No, double posting is impossible between threads. It's obviously intentional.

But for the love of christ, can we please stop addressing each other's communication styles and address the ISSUES?

Be mature enough to use the ignore button on people you don't like. (This is to everybody!)

 

[Stella_Omega]

No, double posting is impossible between threads. It's obviously intentional.

But for the love of christ, can we please stop addressing each other's communication styles and address the ISSUES?

Be mature enough to use the ignore button on people you don't like. (This is to everybody!)

Nope. Sorry. letting an asshole go unchallenged makes other assholes think assholes are welcome.

 

[Etoile]

Nope. Sorry. letting an asshole go unchallenged makes other assholes think assholes are welcome.

Suit yourself. Assholes do have as much right to participate here as everyone else. And you have the right to challenge them.

I'm not going to be reading it, though.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I usually stay out of this section, actually, it's just wolfman's forum of horror.

It's just that there has been so much interesting news on the American GLBT front that seems to be worth sharing. I post these things for other GLBT folk.

Wolfman is not gay as he's said a million times, he's not American, he's not an activist. he's only interested in gay rights as they impact him. He wants to tell everyone how upset Americans make him. Why he happened on this particular bugaboo who knows or cares. But he does not have legitimate rights here. He's identical to this army guy who demanded equal time among the lesbians, because for some reason he believed they couldn't talk amongst themselves without his help.

To place the blame on everyone equally is not just or fair, Etoile. That's how bullies are enabled.

 

[none2_none2]

...
On the other hand, this is fucking hilarious:

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.

This has the making of a very interesting movie... Imagine two men falling in love each thinking the other is a woman. Through in some 22nd century internet mental where they put on a body suit and you would have two straight men getting as close to gay sex as you can get without them finding out the truth.