the fag has left the building...

Over the last few months i've noticed an increase in anti-gay posters and postings on this board. Being gay, i've learned to just ignore ignorant people who talk without knowing what the hell they're talking about. Ignoring homophobes is just part of it all, and I accept that. But there is a huge difference between a homophobic person, and someone who intentionally verbally assaults another person.

I remember a while back when someone called one of the female posters a c*nt. That person was banned and the word censored, because this is derrogatory to women and fellow webmasters.

However, we gay webmasters are routinely called fags, faggots, fairies, fudge packers, etc and no one seems to care. We are constantly being attacked on a personal level, much like the aforementioned female colleague, yet nothing is done about it. I'm not asking for anything special here, just to be treated the same as anyone else.

We are told we're not normal. We're compared to dog-fuckers. We are made to feel less than human and are just treated like shit in general. Again, all very personal attacks, much like the person who attacked someone's kid a while back too. But since we're just "fags", it doesn't matter apparently.

Stupid things get this board into huge discussions about who is "right" and who is "wrong"... things like signatures. Those of you who I'm speaking of, believe its perfectly ok for you to put straight sex pics in your sigs and posts, but horribly wrong for us to post gay pics. If there is anything I can't stand, its an illogical hypocrite. But then again, hypocracy itself is illogical.

The whole attitude in general bothers me. If you can't stand to see me post on this board, what's going to happen when you see me at a convention? If I don't know who you are, and hand you a card, are you going to punch me? Are you going to call me a faggot to my face and try to start some shit? GFY is hostile, and that's part of the appeal, but you create a very hostile environment off the board because now I've got a list of people I have to avoid anytime I go anywhere on business, for fear of getting the shit beat out of me.

You think I'm being lame and paranoid? I've had my life threatened at least a dozen times on and off this board simply because I'm gay. Read through the posts, you'll see things like "they should just be lined up against the nearest wall and terminated" repeated over and over.

Oh, yeah, speaking of off the board.... Would those of you who ICQ me now and then telling me what a faggot I am and how I should be "put to death like the jews" and "shipped off to an island of faggots" please start using your real ICQ so I can figure out who you are? Especially whoever it was that messaged me today and told me that you "can't wait to see you in January so I can teach you how to be a real man you fucking freak of nature faggot." I'd really like to make sure I don't ever bump into you.

So, anyway... I could go on and on, there are tons of posts for me to reference to prove my point that this board does not care if someone personally attacks a gay guy, but goes crazy if anyone personally attacks a female webmaster or their kids, or anyone else for that matter. I've done my venting and I hope I've made my point.

My sexuality has nothing to do with business, yet anytime I post here I'm personally attacked. I'm even attacked when I don't post here and people wonder where I am. I'm sure this post will draw even more attacks and bullshit. But whatever.... I'm gone.