CompuServe(s) up a Direct Homophobic Hit
Dateline: 08/1/97
The CDA is dead, and hopefully buried, yet there are still a wide variety of movements seeking to, in a wide variety of ways, control what is accessible via the Net.
This issue concerns me, and should concern you as well. Too often GLBT issues are hidden behind a screen of voiced concerns over "the children," premised on the fallacy that orientation itself is sexually "explicit."
There are many sites out there that I wouldn't want my 13 year old son to see. This site isn't one of them.
When I first sat down to write this article I was going to take an in depth look at the various software on the Net that parents could use to limit their children's access to material and information on the Web. Then I read that Compuserve is going to create an "adults only" area as part of its service.
I'll wait while you read that article.
::waiting::
You back with me now? Good. Do you see why I'm angry?
Just in case you missed it:
"Only adult members with passwords and proof of age will be able to access the area, which contains everything from lingerie catalogs to a gay and lesbian lifestyle forum."
Okay, I don't see why a "child" would have a need to purchase lingerie... (although I certainly don't consider most 17 year olds, and many 16 year olds a "child" in that sense of the word) - and I do believe that some people wear lingerie because it makes them feel good, not because somebody else is going to see it.
Most important however is that it seems clear that Compuserve is making its distinctions based upon what it considers sexual material, using the code term, "adult-oriented material."
Somehow "Gay and lesbian lifestyle forum" falls into this classification.
"Lifestyle." Such an all-encompassing word.
I don't know about the rest of you, but my lifestyle consists of earning a living, doing marketing, making sure my son does his homework, watching way too much T.V., and cruising around the Net finding information and resources that I believe are of value to the GLBT Community.
In my spare time I engage in physical acts with my better half that express our love for each other.
Okay, before everybody laughs at me, I'm the first to acknowledge that there is a lot of open and blatant "looking for somebody" online. I don't suggest that there are no sexual overtones or sexual activity in GLBT chats.
But that's not all there is.... and.... based upon my many years of online chat experience, it is the people in the chat themselves who are most careful about not stepping over any boundaries and protecting children from sexual content.
But Compuserve isn't saying that they're going to put sexual information out of the reach of children, they're saying they're going to put all Gay and Lesbian materials out of the reach of children.
Materials such as the information I have here, resources for youth, which includes journals, self-discovery and help/advice lines and information. Materials which may save a gay/lesbian youth from killing themselves, or a non-gay/lesbian youth from learning enough that they don't feel the need to harass or bash their gay/lesbian classmates.
These "children" are going to be "protected" out of material that may save their lives - or at least keep them from believing that they are the "only ones who feel this way."
A more acceptable, and honest, solution for Compuserve would be to put clearly sexually explicit materials in a "segregated" area.
Their breakdown could look something like this:
| Open | Adults Only |
|---|---|
| Politics | Dating Zone |
| Teen Chat | Sex Toys |
| GLBT Youth Chat | Hot Sex |
| News Talk | Gay Romance |
| Movies! | Romance Channel |
| GLBT Issues | Slave Gallery |
I certainly didn't cover all the possibilities, but I think you catch my drift.
There would be a clear delineation between sexual material and non-sexual material, instead of the absurd implication that gay and lesbian forums are exclusively sex driven.
By the way, it's stated in the article that AOL has no "adult" content. That's far from accurate. AOL's own "keywords" include "Sex." AOL however does have a form of "Parental Control."
Note the difference. Compuserve is choosing for its Members, AOL is allowing Parents to determine what their children see. Also, on AOL the general controls either limit children to specialized "kid" zones or parents may block all Chat and/or all Forums. (By way of disclosure, I've been a remote volunteer for AOL for over 6 years)
I'm not certain what MSN's policies are, but as they are strictly Web based, I suspect they, like other web-based services, rely on parents to make use of the various "screening" software available on the Net - which we will take a look at in detail in an upcoming feature.
We haven't even touched on the issue of "What constitutes a child?" I don't place the same restrictions on my 13 year old son that I did 3 years ago, nor will he have all the restrictions he currently has when he's 16.
Most people find it natural that their children start dating around the age of 16 or so.... should not GLBT youth who are self-aware, have that same option to enjoy their adolescence?
If nothing else, Compuserve can rest easy knowing that Discover Card is not going to deny Compuserve's customers the ability to subscribe using that card.
There is much more that could be said, but I think I'm going to say it directly to Compuserve. Why don't you do the same?
In pride,
Deborah
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