Why isn't there more uproar about this?

LegacyUser

http://www.mayoecho.com/online_edition.htm

Basically it insinuates that gay people are paedophiles, and uses terminology like "Gay Perverts". Not only that they threatened to sue Castlebar.ie because the forums had people pointing out how homophobic it is.

There's a thread on PROC about it: http://www.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/~peoplesr/forums/showthread.php?t=133110

But quite frankly it kind of sickened me, one of the local gay guys there said how it didn't matter, we should just ignore it and the next ten pages or so is defending him against someone who pointed out what a stupid thing to say that was.

Are all Irish gays these days so naive? Or are there still some who don't bemoan others for standing up for their rights. It seems people fall into the trap of thinking getting on with your life is the mature thing to do, when really, historically, it's achieved nothing.

So why don't we kick up a fuss about this?

swiss

Sensationalist tabloid trash at its worst.

Cokehead Mother

As far as the "all gays are pervert pedos" thing, they have every right to publish that (or at least should imo) and I have no problems with them doing so. But I think it was completely out of line to out individuals as child molesting homosexuals.

Marshy

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

As far as the "all gays are pervert pedos" thing, they have every right to publish that (or at least should imo) and I have no problems with them doing so.

Yeah seems fair enough seeing as every single gay person is a paedophile and inherently perverted. :rolleyes:

That piece was written like something I'd expect to have seen 50/60 years ago.

Cokehead Mother

Marshy wrote: »

Yeah seems fair enough seeing as every single gay person is a paedophile and inherently perverted. :rolleyes:

I didn't say that. But if people want to, then dammit they should be allowed to, especially if they want to do it in a free newspaper called the "Mayo Echo".

Marshy

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

I didn't say that. But if people want to, then dammit they should be allowed to, especially if they want to do it in a free newspaper called the "Mayo Echo".

So they should be allowed to insinuate that all gay people behave like this and are perverts and paedophiles when their reports on the cruising is sketchy to say the least. Any self-respecting paper wouldn't make such rash generalisations.

karen3212

I think most people think the article is too stupid to be offended by it. Absolutely ridiculous piece, sounds like the person writing it hasn't let themselves come out yet, I can feel the hatred. As for showing people's faces, isn't that slander, if the people haven't been proven guilty of anything yet?

Rev Hellfire

Amazing Sock wrote: »

Basically it insinuates that gay people are paedophiles, and uses terminology like "Gay Perverts".

Thats not the way I read it, it was refering to those gays cruising at that park in daylight hours as perverts not gays as a whole.

And assuming the article is based on fact and people are indeed engaging in such activities during the day and propositioning random male adults and teenagers then the term pervert seems perfectly acceptable when referring to their behaviour, the same would be true if it was straight males doing it to random females.

Amazing Sock wrote: »

Not only that they threatened to sue Castlebar.ie because the forums had people pointing out how homophobic it is.

Perhaps the users of the forum have indeed posted defamatory content about the editor and his publication.

Amazing Sock wrote: »

So why don't we kick up a fuss about this?

Perhaps because you're better off not highlighting your dirty laundry in public.

Manofthewest

Its a horrible article indeed and there has been alot of comments made on it. This has resulted in www.castlebar.ie having to close because of a threat of legal action from the Mayo Echo!!!!

iosfra

I hereby formally call on you to ensure the following:

That the offending postings are removed immediately

That at the first opportunity, a mutually agreed full and unequivocal apology be made to myself, and to the Mayo Echo, admitting that the comments made are unsubstantiated, untrue and are withdrawn forthwith.

I am also seeking any information or data that might identify those persons that contributed these postings, such as time of posting, IP address etc. I am also requesting the identities of the moderators that monitor and vet the postings.

Unless I hear from you satisfactorily by return with an indication that you are prepared to undertake the above, I shall instruct my legal advisors to seek a court injunction against the display of the defamatory material, without further notice.
Yours Sincerely,

___________________________
Tony Geraghty.

Ridonkulous!

Rev Hellfire

It would be tragic indeed iosfra if a someone mistook your above post for an actual post by you and you earned yourself the automatic siteban which goes with legal threats

is your friend

cotwold

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

As far as the "all gays are pervert pedos" thing, they have every right to publish that (or at least should imo) and I have no problems with them doing so.

They do not have every right to publish that. They have rights to hold that opinion but not express it, not when the expression of that opinion encroaches on the rights of others.

sitstill

This is on Joe Duffy now!

The_Minister

What page is it on?

Rev Hellfire

The_Minister wrote: »

What page is it on?

first page and fourth page of the link given at top.

iosfra

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

It would be tragic indeed iosfra if a someone mistook your above post for an actual post by you and you earned yourself the automatic siteban which goes with legal threats

Quote is your friend

Ah yes quote my long forgotten friend.....thanks Rev

mehfesto2

Link seems to contain no info on the topic. Has it been changed or am I missing it? It's about a wasteland as far as I can see.

Though from what I've read on these forums and others, it's sad to think some people see gay people as paedophiles. It's a general ignorance toward broader society. I'm surprised this thought pattern still exists, though. I thought we were long past that!

These views are controversial in a publication (Mayo Echo), but it seems sad that they can write these points freely, but take legal action agaisnt those who express theirs in their chosen media. Power of the media?!

The_Minister

It's on page five.

And slander is a little bit different from political discussion.

mehfesto2

Page five?! That's just an ad...
http://www.mayoecho.com/this%20weeks%20edition/pdfs/MAYO05.pdf

Marshy

There's a response from the editor to the criticism the article got on pages 6 and 8. The actual article doesn't seem to be there any more.

billy the squid

Page 6 and 8 carry an editorial piece on the story which was in last week's issue,

Stark

Someone I know got this e-mail from OutWest:

Allegations Made by Mayo Echo are Unfounded Says OutWest

In response to the article by the Mayo Echo (May 28th) on alleged sex in public in Castlebar, OutWest confirmed that it has had constructive meetings with Castlebar Garda management and that allegations made within the article are unfounded.

A garda superintendent confirmed that no one has been arrested regarding the alleged activity, that there are no reports of anyone being physically assaulted and that the Gardaí have not started an undercover operation in the area, as reported.

The group also stated that it regarded the article as grossly irresponsible and that it could have serious implications for the safety and welfare of the people targeted in the piece, gay and lesbian people in the Mayo area, as well as the many local people and tourists who walk along the lake every day.

OutWest said that many people, both gay and straight, had contacted the group since the article’s publication, distressed at the language used and allegations made in the article. In addition, a number of local representatives have also expressed their disapproval of the article and its unfounded allegations.

Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne stated that he was appalled that a newspaper was making allegations which had no basis in fact whatsoever. He also considered it a serious matter that there were allegations of a Garda investigation when in fact there was no such investigation taking place.

The group said that the Mayo Echo article was particularly disappointing given the huge progress which has been made in addressing discrimination and promoting inclusion of lesbian and gay people in society. Nowhere is this more evident than in the West, where members of the lesbian and gay community, their families, friends and neighbours have recently celebrated the 10th Anniversary of OutWest.

Outwest informs people who may be concerned about any of the issues raised within the article to contact its helpline at 094-9372479. The helpline operates on Wednesdays between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

mehfesto2

Has anyone got a link to the original report?

It'd be stupid to take sides without reading both arguments. I've read the editor's response and the views of members upon this forum and many others. But it's a pointless debate without the original copy.
Anyone?

Annasopra

You can read the original article in this blog - but also it should be pointed out there were pictures of clearly identifiable faces and car reg plates

http://www.theangryhedgehog.com/2008/05/perverts-in-disguise.html

JupiterKid

There has actually plenty of uproar over this. The article mayo Echo posted was nothing more than a vile piece of homophobic bigotry dressed up as an "expose" with little or no facts to back the slanderous and outrageous allegations up.

It has got to the point where the Castlebar.ie massage boards were forced to close down over legal threats from the editor of the vile rag itself. This shows how panicked they are and I sincerely hope that it will end in curtains for the "publication" in question.

We must challenge all homophobic hate-mongering wherever and whenever it arises.

StandardDeviant

I've emailed my local T.D. and the T.D. for Mayo, Beverley Flynn. I urge you all to do the same. Here's what I said:

I recently came across this article online which I'd like to draw your attention to, if you haven't come across it already. It was published recently in the "Mayo Echo", and purports to uncover a ring of "gay perverts" who frequent Lough Lannagh in Co. Mayo.

This article goes beyond the realm of tabloid sensationalism, and I found it extremely offensive and distasteful. I also fear for the safety of the men who they photographed in this "expose", and strongly believe that the writers of the article and editors of the newspaper should be prosecuted for incitement to hatred. It is not explicitly said, but it is clear as crystal that the subtext of the article is a call for a vigilante response. The writer says this of the Gardai's "response" to the "gay perverts":

"Gardai have also been mounting undercover operations to detect the activities, and the Mayo Echo understands that a number of men have been arrested for crimes connected with the scandal over recent weeks. However, the Gardai operation is both ineffective, and barely discreet. Many of the men who use the area are already aware of the vehicles used by the Gardai. The undercover operations tend to be mounted at night, so the men increasingly visit the area in the daytime. Within the first day of watching the area, the Mayo Echo was able to detect the Gardai undercover operation."

The local Gardai have already disclosed that numerous claims made in the article, including the one above, were utterly false, (link : http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/story/?trs=eyauqlmhgb) Along with the above excerpt, the article published clearly identifiable pictures of various men and number plates, all the while insinuating an entirely unfounded connection between what these men were doing and pedophelia. It really distresses me to think of what those men are going to have to go through now, and the witch hunt that will no doubt ensue and make their lives unbearable.

I feel incredibly strongly about this, as do many others in the gay community. It is this sort of thing which sets the equality process back decades, and I'd go so far as to say that this writer's words will probably result in numerous "gay bashings" and homophobic attacks. The indirect consequences of something like this are extremely difficult to measure, but history has shown that if these sort of dangerous, vitriolic, and hate filled people are allowed to voice their opinions unopposed, the consequences can be very grave indeed.

I urge you to bring this up in the Dail, as if this journalist goes unprosecuted, the can of worms that may be opened has potentially very serious implications.

BuffyBot

I'd be more worried about the quality of writing. Evidently their "journalists" aren't up to much - it was an excruciating read.

markw999

The line that really pissed me off was "Innocent teenagers are now being propositioned for sex by older men, and this might lead to sexual attacks in the future."

As if propositioning somebody for sex would lead you to sexually attacking them...

The tone of the article was rather disturbing I found, and written by somebody who has seemed to have spent an AWFUL lot of time in the park

Annasopra

StandardDeviant wrote: »

I've emailed my local T.D. and the T.D. for Mayo, Beverley Flynn. I urge you all to do the same. Here's what I said:

QUOTE]

Dara Calleary - TD for Mayo has a prominent ad in this weeks Mayo Echo - people should email him too

Marshy

There's a good article from today's Irish Times on the issue

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/0610/1213005989998.html

Stark

Can't read it, it's premium content.

Marshy

Apologies, here it is

THERE WAS a gay scandal out west some time ago that never made the regional freesheets. It happened at the Gay Clare Social Group's inaugural night. All hell broke loose! The men wanted Kylie Minogue. The women wanted world music. This wasn't the kind of scandal that sets the home fires burning with righteous indignation, but I can see the CDs being popped into and plucked from the stereo. And what did they play? "Dolphins!" one guy who was there told me.

Yes, those smiling, beautiful, kind, peaceful and loving creatures have been known to save swimmers from shark attacks. Their inaugural night took place a couple of years ago. They did play Kylie, too, and they are still going strong.

You don't read about Gay Clare Social Group. They are the comely maidens and brave young men you read about in Ireland's Own . Their life is full of possibility more than the generation before. They are dreamers with stars in their eyes. These young men and women dream of getting married some day. They want to fall in love. They want to have their first kiss, just not with a member of the opposite sex. They want their rite of passage, just like you had. And they will.

In other news, you may have heard about that front page of the Mayo Echo - "Castlebar Lake Attracts Hundreds of Perverts", which revealed something rotten about the underbelly of Irish society, though probably not in the way it intended.

Tony Geraghty, editor of the Mayo Echo , wrote of "drooling perverts" in a car park at Lough Lannagh. The town has become "the cruising capital of Connaught" as men travel from Sligo, Galway, Roscommon and Donegal, according to the paper. The car park, says Geraghty, happens to be near a playground. Geraghty said last week that he was merely "suggesting" a possible link to paedophilia and mentioned a children's comic book which he said he found lying in the area. However, he did more than suggest: "These perverts are engaging in these activities whilst overlooking children playing in the nearby playground, and also looking at images of young boys from magazines strewn about the area."

"On one occasion, the Mayo Echo came across two men in a sexual embrace in a public place, just a few metres from the car park, at 4.30pm in the day," he wrote. He photographed a man's car with registration number, and published it.

The allegations of paedophilia are spurious supposition. The Press Ombudsman operates according to several principles: truth and accuracy, distinguishing fact and comment, fairness and honesty, and incitement to hatred. Complaints have been made. I am loath to give publicity to the paper, which boasts of its "fearless editorial policies" on its website. But it is advertising-supported and comes through 11,800 letter boxes, whether they like it or not, so it should not fly under the radar.

In Castlebar, it didn't. The online forum Castlebar.ie went into overdrive over the issue. People were angry, horrified and disgusted . . . with the article. Geraghty threatened legal action and a nervous Castlebar.ie went off-line for a while.

Sex in public places, if that is the case here, is illegal. But rather than condone or condemn it, it is better to understand it. Cruising happens everywhere: in smoking areas of bars and, due to years of oppression of gay men, in parks. It is also dangerous. Attacks have resulted in suspended sentences. What message does that send out?

The satirical blogger TwentyMajor wrote last week about heterosexuals and the way they might look at you.

"Often these people spend up to 15 minutes slobbering all over each other when they get out of the taxi and back home.

"The dance floor has become a meeting point for so called pick ups, where straight men show off their moves in search of a sex partner, usually of the anonymous, casual, one-time variety," he wrote in his right-backatchya piece of faux outrage.

TwentyMajor has a point. I once saw a man and woman in Stephen's Green having sex under a tree. They obviously got carried away. But I did not think they were paedophiles for being in a park with a playground. I did not photograph them.

Still, times are changing. Groups like the Gay Clare Social Club are magically appearing in function rooms in towns where there are no gay outlets. A bit of bunting here, glitter there. They want their first dance like everyone else.

These groups are filled with happy country folk, constructing their own emotional and social truth, who taste a life no longer out of their reach. All of these stories do make me wonder. Who are the dolphins in life? And who are the sharks?

who is this

The Irish Times wrote:

In Castlebar, it didn't. The online forum Castlebar.ie went into overdrive over the issue. People were angry, horrified and disgusted . . . with the article. Geraghty threatened legal action and a nervous Castlebar.ie went off-line for a while.

And yet somehow I don't think Geraghty will be quite so.... courageous, at the prospect of taking on the Times.

It's people like him that I really despise, not for what they say (or at least not JUST that) but there actions: he threatened legal action against that site, because he knew that he knew that they would not risk legal action. However, methinks he would not dare try a similar stunt against the Times - the Times have sufficient resources and respect that:
1. They would almost certainly win any case swiftly, but (possibly unlike the aforementioned site) would be able to afford it
2. There would almost certainly be a large public backlash against the "Mayo Echo"

Sort of reminds me of something that happened to boards.ie.... I wonder what that was? Probably just as well I can't remember.

iosfra

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/medb-ruane/rural-ireland-lonely-gay-men-a-beautiful-lakeside-setting--and-a-website-that-was-forced-to-close-1409749.html

The Mad Hatter

BuffyBot wrote: »

I'd be more worried about the quality of writing. Evidently their "journalists" aren't up to much - it was an excruciating read.

Alas, poor writing is no sign that something won't be read, or believed, or taken seriously when it should be simply ignored or dumped. Just look at The DaVinci Code.

The_Minister

Here's some more on it: http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/medb-ruane/rural-ireland-lonely-gay-men-a-beautiful-lakeside-setting--and-a-website-that-was-forced-to-close-1409749.html
She seems to think that cruising is grand.

oneweb

I'd urge everyone to get in touch with the Press Council to outline how they take exception to the original article involved.

Good to see castlebar.ie back up.

StandardDeviant

Loving the google ad that comes up from trip advisor if you type in Lough Lannagh and Mayo:

“County Mayo
Get the Scoop from Travelers Who Know County Mayo!”

david_the_great

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Thats not the way I read it, it was refering to those gays cruising at that park in daylight hours as perverts not gays as a whole.

And assuming the article is based on fact and people are indeed engaging in such activities during the day and propositioning random male adults and teenagers then the term pervert seems perfectly acceptable when referring to their behaviour, the same would be true if it was straight males doing it to random females.


Perhaps the users of the forum have indeed posted defamatory content about the editor and his publication.


Perhaps because you're better off not highlighting your dirty laundry in public.

highlighting our own dirty laundry???
straifght people have been known to cruise- are they alll cruisers?

i have never heard of a convicted gay paedophile but have heard of straight ones- are they all paedophiles?- NO

Rev Hellfire

david_the_great wrote: »

highlighting our own dirty laundry???
straifght people have been known to cruise- are they alll cruisers?

i have never heard of a convicted gay paedophile but have heard of straight ones- are they all paedophiles?- NO

Calm down, deep breaths.

adharc

There seems to be an element of voyeurism in this diatribe. To go snooping around and abuse the priviledge of editorship to publish accusations is now illegal. If the editor found any criminal activity he should have informed the gardai. The article in question was intensly homophobic and he should be prosecuted. Unfortunately there are still some sick homophobic people in our society.Freedom of the press comes at a price and the editors must be of the highest calibre and confirm to societies laws and views. There is no place for a voyeur in any editorship.