Comments on: Grab a tissue http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sat, 18 May 2013 18:09:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Timothy Kincaid http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-94229 Timothy Kincaid Wed, 11 May 2011 18:06:44 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-94229 Elias, We do not filter out comments based on opinion. We do, however, filter out hate speech and attacks on communities. So a comment such as <em>"I think that homosexuality is bad for society and that this commercial furthers a social ill" </em> would be allowed, while something like <em> "Bunch of fags!! You deserve to be bullied"</em> would not be allowed. (And, by the way, we also do not allow hate speech towards Republicans, Christians or any other demographic.) Elias,

We do not filter out comments based on opinion. We do, however, filter out hate speech and attacks on communities.

So a comment such as

“I think that homosexuality is bad for society and that this commercial furthers a social ill”

would be allowed, while something like

“Bunch of fags!! You deserve to be bullied”

would not be allowed.

(And, by the way, we also do not allow hate speech towards Republicans, Christians or any other demographic.)

]]> By: Elias http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-94132 Elias Tue, 10 May 2011 13:38:20 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-94132 I was wondering why only gay views are posted and then I realized this is a gay site. Does this site filter out comments against the commercial? I was wondering why only gay views are posted and then I realized this is a gay site. Does this site filter out comments against the commercial?

]]> By: Timothy (TRiG) http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-94003 Timothy (TRiG) Sun, 08 May 2011 00:09:32 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-94003 Yes, Google is a commercial organisation. They produced this ad because they thought it would help the bottom line. So that means that we now live in a world where supporting lost and lonely gay or questioning kids helps the bottom line. That's a nice thought, isn't it? TRiG. Yes, Google is a commercial organisation. They produced this ad because they thought it would help the bottom line. So that means that we now live in a world where supporting lost and lonely gay or questioning kids helps the bottom line. That’s a nice thought, isn’t it?

TRiG.

]]> By: Timothy Kincaid http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93815 Timothy Kincaid Thu, 05 May 2011 17:04:41 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93815 Jarred, Savage's "It Gets Better" campaign is designed in coordination with the <a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/" rel="nofollow">Trevor Project</a>, a nationwide suicide help-line for gay kids. Jarred,

Savage’s “It Gets Better” campaign is designed in coordination with the Trevor Project, a nationwide suicide help-line for gay kids.

]]> By: Jarred http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93813 Jarred Thu, 05 May 2011 16:46:10 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93813 I'm certainly not going to criticize Dan Savage for trying to do something to encourage gay kids. At the same time, however, I do think that promising a kid that it'll get better eventually may not be much encouragement or help when said kid is at their wit's end right now. I am thankful that there are organizations (and I grant you that I wouldn't be surprised that Savage supports them as well) that struggle to get gay kids the help they need right now. I'm glad that new GSA's and gay youth centers are being established all the time. Because in the end, I think that "it'll get better, and here's where you can go to get help in the meantime" is better than "hang in there, it'll get better eventually." As for Google using clips from the campaign in its ad, that's just awesome any way you slice it. I’m certainly not going to criticize Dan Savage for trying to do something to encourage gay kids. At the same time, however, I do think that promising a kid that it’ll get better eventually may not be much encouragement or help when said kid is at their wit’s end right now. I am thankful that there are organizations (and I grant you that I wouldn’t be surprised that Savage supports them as well) that struggle to get gay kids the help they need right now. I’m glad that new GSA’s and gay youth centers are being established all the time. Because in the end, I think that “it’ll get better, and here’s where you can go to get help in the meantime” is better than “hang in there, it’ll get better eventually.”

As for Google using clips from the campaign in its ad, that’s just awesome any way you slice it.

]]> By: Paul J. Stein http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93811 Paul J. Stein Thu, 05 May 2011 15:47:32 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93811 I can't be the only one who gets the impression that the FOX network is Bi-Polar. The news end would like to see gay strictly in the background of the service industry making everything elegant and tasteful. the entertainment end is like a branch of the family with a closet jock and drag queen mated to a volleyball coach lipstick lesbian breeding a pack of off the wall kids. Which is not a bad thing at all! I can’t be the only one who gets the impression that the FOX network is Bi-Polar. The news end would like to see gay strictly in the background of the service industry making everything elegant and tasteful. the entertainment end is like a branch of the family with a closet jock and drag queen mated to a volleyball coach lipstick lesbian breeding a pack of off the wall kids. Which is not a bad thing at all!

]]> By: Priya Lynn http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93810 Priya Lynn Thu, 05 May 2011 15:18:18 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93810 Paul said "That was an ad for Chrome, piggybacking on Dan Savage.". I didn't notice anything referring to Google Chrome, all I saw was the "It gets better" message. Paul said “That was an ad for Chrome, piggybacking on Dan Savage.”.

I didn’t notice anything referring to Google Chrome, all I saw was the “It gets better” message.

]]> By: Kate http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93802 Kate Thu, 05 May 2011 12:54:41 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93802 I think it's a wonderfully subversive piece - on the surface, it shows how the Internet community responded to a crisis, how people took up the message and added their voices, how the connectivity and media choices made the message multi-dimensional, and yes, how you could use Google Chrome to search out these things...it also showed people who might not have known about It Gets Better that this message is out there, and where to get more information. For viewers who may have been sheltered from the information we take for granted, by ignorance or by interference from family and community, this could be a lifeline. Bravo, Google! I think it’s a wonderfully subversive piece – on the surface, it shows how the Internet community responded to a crisis, how people took up the message and added their voices, how the connectivity and media choices made the message multi-dimensional, and yes, how you could use Google Chrome to search out these things…it also showed people who might not have known about It Gets Better that this message is out there, and where to get more information. For viewers who may have been sheltered from the information we take for granted, by ignorance or by interference from family and community, this could be a lifeline. Bravo, Google!

]]> By: MKYLL http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93761 MKYLL Wed, 04 May 2011 22:42:22 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93761 Eddie 89 : Thanks. Eddie 89 : Thanks.

]]> By: Sean Santos http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2011/05/03/32261/comment-page-1#comment-93734 Sean Santos Wed, 04 May 2011 19:31:21 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/?p=32261#comment-93734 It bears repeating that not everyone is exposed to the same messages. A TV ad is going to reach a different audience than Savage's column, or a bunch of gay blogs. Although I do have to admit that it's a bit late (not only have such a variety of famous people already done these videos, but I also suspect that people who are watching Glee are predisposed to have already heard of the It Gets Better project). And Lucrese, I know that "Tough it out" is not the ideal advice, but there are a lot of 14-year-olds who aren't emotionally, mentally, or socially equipped to start a personal crusade against oppression. In fact, those are precisely the people that these messages are trying to reach, the young people who not only feel too overwhelmed to fight back, but are being driven into self-destructive behavior. Back to the ad: I think it's important in that it's a completely unapologetic message from a corporation which (for better or for worse) is something of a cultural institution, and not just a tech company. People expect pro-gay messages from certain groups (for example, the sort of people who are involved in writing Glee). They don't expect it as often from private corporations, which would only tend to take such a stand if they believed that a pro-gay reputation will be a net gain for them. Which is also an important thing to take note of here. There are a lot of companies which were known to be pro-gay within the liberal centers where they were headquartered, or in an unofficial way, or in matters related to their employees and recruiting. Taking such a stand nationally and as a matter of course is something rather different, and it's increasingly common. It bears repeating that not everyone is exposed to the same messages. A TV ad is going to reach a different audience than Savage’s column, or a bunch of gay blogs. Although I do have to admit that it’s a bit late (not only have such a variety of famous people already done these videos, but I also suspect that people who are watching Glee are predisposed to have already heard of the It Gets Better project).

And Lucrese, I know that “Tough it out” is not the ideal advice, but there are a lot of 14-year-olds who aren’t emotionally, mentally, or socially equipped to start a personal crusade against oppression. In fact, those are precisely the people that these messages are trying to reach, the young people who not only feel too overwhelmed to fight back, but are being driven into self-destructive behavior.

Back to the ad: I think it’s important in that it’s a completely unapologetic message from a corporation which (for better or for worse) is something of a cultural institution, and not just a tech company.

People expect pro-gay messages from certain groups (for example, the sort of people who are involved in writing Glee). They don’t expect it as often from private corporations, which would only tend to take such a stand if they believed that a pro-gay reputation will be a net gain for them.

Which is also an important thing to take note of here. There are a lot of companies which were known to be pro-gay within the liberal centers where they were headquartered, or in an unofficial way, or in matters related to their employees and recruiting. Taking such a stand nationally and as a matter of course is something rather different, and it’s increasingly common.

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