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Slate Article on Gay Libel Laws

Gabriel Arana

February 27th, 2009

I wrote a while ago on Box Turtle Bulletin about defamation suits where someone is falsely accused of being gay. I have a longer piece in Slate magazine about the issue, please read: Queer Eye for the Libel Guy: Should stars really be able to sue for libel if someone says they’re gay?

I made sure to mention BTB in my bio, too. Happy reading!

Comments

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Jim Burroway
February 27th, 2009 | LINK

Congratulations, Gabe!

I hope it generates as much discussion there as the earlier piece did here.

Timothy Kincaid
February 27th, 2009 | LINK

Well written. Thanks.

Regan DuCasse
February 27th, 2009 | LINK

Perhaps being mistaken for or called gay, might not be a reason to feel shame or that it’s a factor in one’s life that doesn’t DESERVE stigma or shame.

But the fact remains that it (anti gay stigma) DOES compromise careers, family cohesion, parental rights, life itself.
And those who want to sue for libel, feel a threat from that stigma.

But that they’d FEEL that way means that the threats out there against gay people is REAL.
Something that is denied all the time.
The Yes On 8 campaign was libelous unto itself, and it worked.

Duncan
March 2nd, 2009 | LINK

It seems to me that such libel suits would be legitimate if there is at least the possibility of suing if someone says you are heterosexual.

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