I agree...let's grow!

Jennifer, I think it's a nice idea to develop citizen journalism, especially for the diverse points of view. I think TBC would get more participation if they would enforce community standards at least to some extent. The online community does have it's own way of setting standards, but I've actually seen Bakosphere post content that encourages people to break standard rules of etiquette, not to mention use blatent hate language. Then what? TBC does nothing about it!  I've been called every filthy, vile name in the book on this community and rarely do I see an enforcement of the Terms of Service.  I've reported dozens of TOS violations on hate language, trolling, spamming and other things and TBC does nothing.

If this language were directed at a racial minority (which it sometimes is) what would TBC do,  Nothing? Using demeaning slurs against gays seems to be a practice TBC supports. It is wide-spread and hurtful. If you want to know what a black person thinks about a particular issue, you ought to ask a black person. When I give my gay perspective on various issue what happens? A dozen trolls drop into the conversation and hurl [edit.] balls at me and don't speak to the subject What-So-Ever. The just registerer their hatred and they get a free pass. Alternately, I had the experience of trying to keep that kind of conversation-destroying stuff off of a blog by deleting it.  What happens? Someone starts a new blog directed at me in which the question whether "outsiders" should be allow to participate on TBC and a dozen people jump on that blog and spew more hate speech that TBS simply lets stand.

Are gay people citizens of Bakersfield, Kern County, California and the United States?  You name the degrading slur, I've had it used on me here.  Does TBC thing gay people are just going to go away as the city grows larger? Do think one day they'll look around and there won't be any gays within the county borders? Does TBC uphold a policy by which any and all people are to have their lives sexually objectified every time they speak on an issue?

I'd kind of like to know right now. I do have a point of view about life that is informed by my sexual orientation. Can I or anyone who speaks about a gay issue go ahead and expect TBC to permit people to demean with vulgarity and sexual innuendo? If so, that pretty much cancels out a segment of the California population from participating as citizen journalists when the newspaper that is trying to encourage participation doesn't really take them seriously.  Good luck on finding people who would like to seriously fulfill TBC's goal. I anticipate it will be TBCs setup for it's own failure.

Local Idiot To Post Comment On Internet

husband, it could be worse. You could be gay AND a minority.

Before this blog gets hijacked (even I'm not immune, apparently) I will address the issue of slant/point of view/opinion. The huge difference between the blogs (People section) and the articles (Your Words section) on Bakersfield.com is that blogs are for opinions and articles are for facts. That doesn't mean that some opinions don't slip into the Your Words section, such as reviews and responses to news stories. But as the moderator for the Your Words section, I edit or reject articles that contain libelous or defamatory statements, make accusations against people or businesses, or otherwise go against our Terms of Use. All articles and photos submitted to the Your Words section are moderated. If I edit or reject a submission, I e-mail the author letting him or her know why, and how they can re-word their article to meet journalistic standards.

The blogs are different. This is your forum to write whatever you want. However, the blogs too have a certain level of standards and also must follow our Terms of Use, such as you may not make personal attacks against another blogger. Blogs are not preemptively moderated, but we do have someone (Jason Sperber) who keeps an eye on flagged violations and makes judgment calls on what to edit or delete. He also communicates his reasoning behind his decisions with the bloggers.

HusbandMaterial: I talked to Jason and he HAS acted on some of your violation flags. However, not all of them warrant action. We certaintly don't want to "micromanage" our blogs. We watch and "listen" and step in only when absolutely necessary. Now, as to your accusation that Bakersfield.com is anti-gay, I do not agree. Just like you, all bloggers are entitled to their opinions. But the people who are moderating the site do not have a bias.

Thanks Jennifer. I like people to state their opinion, too. I ran an online community for a decade that averaged over 30,000 comments per month so I understand the challenges Jason faces. I just think that while we as a society have developed a sensitivity to the language of hate toward racial minorities, open and strident bigotry toward LGBTQ people is the rule. It seems to me that if diversity of opinion is a goal for a publication that at least has a moral responsibility of educating people, there ought to be a little comfort space for the diverse opinion of gay people to be expressed. Well, since TBC tends not to be inclined toward having a gay point of view expressed in their print edition, and as far as I can tell, none in the online edition, that only leaves the "People" section to deliver that point of view and, of course, that's where "Local Idiot to Post on Internet" applies.

Marylee Shrider can tell all the citizens of Kern County that if gays can marry, there really isn't any argument against polygamy or incestuous marriage, and she can just leave that thought hanging there as if the issue of marriage rights for gays and the issue of polygamy and incestuous marriage at the same thing - when I know they they aren't.  Ms. Shrider gets paid to do that.  Doesn't TBC think that misinforming the public is wrong?  So, if I blog about it, the only people who will benefit from a correction are those online. The damage Shrider's words to to the lives of gay people is represented by the number of hateful slurs against gays in the People section.  And since TBC isn't going to correct what Shrider did, and since any citizen journalist who hopes to mitigate the damage isn't going to get any closer to having an impact than the People section, just who do you think will want to speak up for this small but significant group of fellow Californians who can only expect to be fodder for bigots running amuck on Bakersfield.com?  

Thousands only read the newspaper and Shrider has exclusive rights to their ear. Her words have a trickle-down effect just like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage's. Hopefully no gay person will get killed, but what DOES happen to gay people in Bakersfield is what happened to me in Fresno: property gets vandalized, their kids get harassed at school, guns get fired at the homes of gay people, cars get keyed by punks.  So Shrider does have an impact on the lives of gay people and nobody can speak against her on an equal basis. No. There's just the meat grinder called "People" where one can sharpen the ability to demean gays with more and more subtlety that passes the "Jason" test.

husband, let me ask you, do you have a rainbow bumper sticker on your car? You sure take this stuff seriously.

So did blacks in the South, Oldblue.  Geez, you'd think folks would develop a sense of humor about being denied basic human rights. 

HM, before you really go off on accusing TBC of being anti-gay, might I gently suggest looking at Jennifer's blog history? Also, Marylee Shrider is not the sole voice of the TBC and there are other columnists who have had pro-gay columns. Again, look at the archives before you go accusing. Whether or not you agree with Shrider's views, her columns are printed as opinion pieces complete with disclaimers. Like many opinion writers, she is paid to play to the readers who share her viewpoints, not to be an unbiased journalist. You may disagree with the opinions, but last I checked the 1st amendment was still in effect and she is free to express them.

Thank you Shwaine -- good response!

No. Never have. In fact, I've never put *any* stickers of any kind on my vehicles. The "rainbow" is no different from McDonald's arches. It's only real effect is for gay people to be able to find each other since we don't have rainbow-colored skin and there's no "gay pew" at any of the local churches.  And, yes, I do take it seriously and you apparently don't judging from the many time you've mocked and demeaned me in this public forum, all the while hiding behind an anonymous name so your next door neighbors won't know you are a bigot. If you really had the courage of your convictions like I do, you wouldn't have to masquerade.  Some people have mentioned that you're a retired policeman.  Well, it so happens that I've met policemen like you on the real streets of Fresno. I've had them come to my home to take pictures of the bullet holes in my house and car which were put there by people who didn't know me at all but somehow found out I was gay and they hated me for it. The results of their visit? NOTHING.  I've been stopped two dozen times by police hanging outside of a gay bar.  They *never* had a reason to stop me so I got four traffic tickets not for DUI, but for "weaving within the lane", which is the "charge de jour" when the breathilizer test fails to register .08 or higher. The citation, of course, was bogus, so it's a whole lot cheaper to just pay the fine than go to court, that is, until your insurance company increases your premium because you have a "history of traffic violations".

When my husband lived in Los Angles after WWII, he was arrested SIX times for the "crime" of being IN a place "known to attract homosexuals."  So, I know how the police work. I also know how a newspaper can bolster and encourage a climate of fear of homosexuals. TBC is doing it RIGHT NOW.

I have the utmost respect for Jennifer. I know exactly where SHE is coming from on a personal level. I applaud what she is doing to develop the online community and citizen journalism. I don't know if I'm communicating my deeper concerns very well. I'm really talking about the need for a little zone where people don't have to be fearful. I've been the victim of anti-gay hatred in my life several times and I didn't go looking for trouble. It came right to my front door and right to my kid's school room. It followed me around to known gay venues.

Here's what I know about me that none of you know.  If you lived next door to me, you'd never know I was gay unless you simple took the intuitive leap that two men living together probably means they are gay.  My husband and I are are conventional, ordinary-looking people, wouldn't dress in drag or leather if you head gun to our heads, and just lived the real life of the kind of people you would WANT for a neighbor. We keep our property in top shape, call the cops when something is amiss in the neighborhood, put our neighbor's trash cans away on Tuesday, give our time to community service that has nothing to do with gay community, pay our taxes in full and on time four times a year, and send thousands in donations to every charitable organization you've ever heard of and many you'll never hear of.  So why are we associated with polygamy, incest, pedophilia, the downfall of western civilization, the destruction of moral principles and every other sickness people can associate with us?

I know, those LAPD cops can be such big ol' sweaty brutes sometimes....