Are homophobic remarks 'reportable'?

[Taylor Dallas]

I have never abuse reported anyone in SL, but over the last months I have noticed an increasing number of homophobic comments towards me/friends at shopping events and such. They cannot be categorised as harassment as they're merely spontaneous, but I do not think it is acceptable to have someone laughing at anyone's sexual orientation out of the blue, and even though this is quite unusual for me, a couple friends have told me it is not for them.

I would like to know if this behaviour is reportable. SL ToS mentions the prohibition on posting/transmitting hateful content, but I am not quite certain this instance would be included in it.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Alwin Alcott]

3 hours ago, Chris Zeitman said:

I have never abuse reported anyone in SL, but over the last months I have noticed an increasing number of homophobic comments towards me/friends at shopping events and such. They cannot be categorised as harassment as they're merely spontaneous, but I do not think it is acceptable to have someone laughing at anyone's sexual orientation out of the blue, and even though this is quite unusual for me, a couple friends have told me it is not for them.

I would like to know if this behaviour is reportable. SL ToS mentions the prohibition on posting/transmitting hateful content, but I am not quite certain this instance would be included in it.

 

Thank you in advance.

yes any kind of that is reportable, if something happens with your report is another thing.

Also, report it to the event owner/shops

Edited May 26, 2018 by Alwin Alcott

[Syo Emerald]

I'm kind of confused how your sexuality becomes a thing thats so noticeable people at shopping events even pay attention to you... but yes, it is ARable, although you never know if anything follows up to that. I agree with Alwins suggestion to also contact the event organisations about this.

[Taylor Dallas]

24 minutes ago, Alwin Alcott said:

yes any kind of that is reportable, if something happens with your report is another thing.

Also, report it to the event owner/shops

Thank you. I did not think about messaging the event owner but I'll do that as well.

5 minutes ago, Syo Emerald said:

I'm kind of confused how your sexuality becomes a thing thats so noticeable people at shopping events even pay attention to you... but yes, it is ARable, although you never know if anything follows up to that. I agree with Alwins suggestion to also contact the event organisations about this.

I do not think it is that difficult to understand. Some people wear clothes that might be perceived as 'gay' or 'butch'. Happens every day even in rl. Your partner box or anything within your profile might be enough for certain people to bash you. Judgemental people do not need many reasons to bully you, especially when they are a group.

I hope I helped you to clarify your confusion.

[Nalates Urriah]

This is one of the problems the PC culture has created. In general speaking one's mind is out and shaming and censorship are in. Tolerance is now a catch phrase, not a personality trait.

The objectionable part of anyone's speech almost always comes down to disrespect. But, that is not the issue we focus on. Politically advantageous symptoms like homophobic and racist are more useful.

There is also the huge factor of our conditioning to various words. Political agenda focuses on divide and conquer. We label one aspect of it ID Politics. The minorities are the low hanging fruit easily targeted by ID politics. Don't think about being an American (or substitute in your nationality) think about being black, brown, yellow, gay, straight...

A neutral comment like, 'He wears a jacket that looks so gay.' The comment is interpreted based on the hearer's/reader's perception not the intent of the speaker/writer. There are people today that can't comprehend there could be any other meaning than what they assign to it. They expect everyone to agree with them. If not, there is no tolerance or questioning. Often one hearing/reading the comment and being disagreed with immediately goes into attack on the one daring to disagree. But, such attacks are seldom considered bullying.

Because of the emotional load the propagandists are pouring into out media and the effort being put into conditioning people to respond emotionally, it makes it very difficult for people to accurately evaluate various exchanges between residents. Was something this or that or not? And who gets to decide? Obama... Trump... Probably not a good idea to let government decide.

Before you make an abuse report, simply ask the person if they are dissing you? If they are a jerk and deserve an AR, you'll know. No doubt. If you inferred something that wasn't there... maybe you won't seem like such a jerk.

I'm not saying Chris isn't right nor shouldn't report. But, from here in the forum, we can't know.

 

[Sparetta]

If you feel it truly fits the TOS. Since you did ask, I would say it's not worth it. Because they are spontaneous and seem to stem from different people does it really matter what a group of strangers think? You know who you are. Be confident and don't let anyone ruin your experiences. We all have different moral codes and ethics, unless you feel threatened/oppressed( meaning not having the rights of others; opinions don't count) then I would either a)let it blow over your shoulder, b)troll them with the utmost class (my favorite)

 

[Lillith Hapmouche]

Just out of curiosity: what shopping events do you attend where people actually chat?

[Taylor Dallas]

Thank you for that long post Nalates but I feel like it has is very little relation to my original post. I am not trying to have a debate on whether the words this person uttered should be considered offensive (I did not put them here because I am not even sure it is allowed on these forums, but the f*g word has one single purpose) or whether society is being indoctrinated to rely on feelings rather than facts or rationality. I am just trying to get a clarification from the ToS since I am not sure being treated with such hatred is reportable or not.

5 minutes ago, Sparetta said:

If you feel it truly fits the TOS. Since you did ask, I would say it's not worth it. Because they are spontaneous and seem to stem from different people does it really matter what a group of strangers think? You know who you are. Be confident and don't let anyone ruin your experiences. We all have different moral codes and ethics, unless you feel threatened/oppressed( meaning not having the rights of others; opinions don't count) then I would either a)let it blow over your shoulder, b)troll them with the utmost class (my favorite)

 

That is what I have always decided when it comes to trolls, griefers etc. For some reason this one time it was different and affected me a little bit. 

 

Thank you all for your answers. 

[Callum Meriman]

5 hours ago, Chris Zeitman said:

but the f*g word has one single purpose

It's a word along the same lines as the N word to me.

Report away because homophobia is just as bad as racism and sexism.

TOS 6.1.v and in the CS this:

Quote

 

Intolerance

Linden Lab encourages social interactions between users across multiple countries. The use of derogatory or demeaning language or images based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion or sexual orientation is prohibited. Actions that marginalize, belittle, or defame users or groups are similarly prohibited.  

 

In your AR I would mention both the CS and TOS.

[Rolig Loon]

7 hours ago, Lillith Hapmouche said:

Just out of curiosity: what shopping events do you attend where people actually chat?

I chat everywhere. I have no use for voice, which I have always found unreliable and annoying. ?

[Alwin Alcott]

8 hours ago, Sparetta said:

I would say it's not worth it.

Because they are spontaneous and seem to stem from different people does it really matter what a group of strangers think?

We all have different moral codes and ethics, unless you feel threatened/oppressed( meaning not having the rights of others; opinions don't count) then I would either

a)let it blow over your shoulder,

b)troll them with the utmost class (my favorite)

 

- it ís worth it, ignoring doesn't help you,nor them realising their behaviour is simply bad

- yes it does matter, it's the group that defends their behaviour and stimulates it because the "others"  make you feel "cool" when beeing a ass in public.

- moral codes and ethics go over the limits and borders as soon they invade mine and are not allowed. Venting illegal morals/ethisc/opinions, as in this case are simply not allowed in SL.

a) how would the world look like if people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and many other would have done that?

b)... and "they"do report you... very adult attitude, and we'll never see you again after LL seen the AR's.

[Pixieplumb Flanagan]

10 hours ago, Chris Zeitman said:

 but the f*g word has one single purpose) 

Um, not entirely.  I'm in the UK and we still use that word to refer to cigarettes.  In fact, it's the first thing that comes to my mind if I see the word without context.  Its full version is also a quite disgusting type of rissole or meatball over here.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food)

I agree with the majority of posters here though.  You should AR every instance that is clear homophobia, and inform the landowners/event organisers too.

[Nalates Urriah]

@Chris Zeitman You were there so you get to decide.

Your OP seems to be about whether you can I report ‘behavior/language’ you consider homophobic but you ask with a degree of uncertainty as to whether it is ‘hateful’ in linden eyes(?). You seem to be asking if certain words are hateful not whether the speaker's intent was hateful. My point it isn't the words that matter. The propagandists strive to instill that idea in people's minds. So, the issue of 'pawn or thinker' comes up for me. 

So, my point is deciding based on the words alone is questionable because of the conditioning we are exposed to in mainstream media. 

On 5/26/2018 at 2:21 PM, Nalates Urriah said:

The comment is interpreted based on the hearer's/reader's perception not the intent of the speaker/writer. There are people today that can't comprehend there could be any other meaning than what they assign to it.

Whether one uses the N-word or f@g-word we run into the same complications. We see it more clearly in cases of the N-word, at least in the US. There are people of color that feel they are entitled to use the N-word and have no issue using it. Ever hear a rapper?

I've seen a number of people and celebrities use the N-word directed at friends without intending disrespect. I've seen LGBT...etc people using the f*g-word without a disrespectful intent. You seem to be one that hears only one possible use, at least from what you posted. But, you also have the advantage of greater context than we do, which I suspect you didn't include. So, my advice because of your degree of uncertainty and our lack of context, is besure this is hate and not a choice of words that just triggered you. 

The TOS is pretty clear, hate is a problem. It is never going to be able to define all cases of hate and those cases it defines will often not distinguish between the complications from context and ambiguities in language. This means you will always be left to decide if someone is hating on you. That places the responsibility of deciding if they are hating or you are triggering... reacting to something you inferred. Make your call and the Lab's people will make theirs. 

We can't tell from here. So.. as I said before, you were there. You decide. In the report describe clearly why you believe they were being hateful toward a minority. 

[Coffee Pancake]

15 hours ago, Pixieplumb Flanagan said:

Its full version is also a quite disgusting type of rissole or meatball over here.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faggot_(food)

An honest to goodness comfort food, I guess you're not from up north!

When I first heard the word used as a slur I was quite confused ... 

[Lindal Kidd]

"Mr. Brains"???  Good lord, I wouldn't eat anything with a label like that on it.  You might as well label it "Hannibal Lecter's Frozen Dinners."

But to get back to the topic at hand...

Chris, anyone can report anything they please.  Some people AR left and right, operating on the old dictum, "Report 'em all and let LL sort 'em out."  If you feel someone has made intolerant remarks, you can certainly do so.  However, from the way you describe the event, it seems to me that a more appropriate response would simply be to mute the offender and proceed on your merry way.

[Theresa Tennyson]

On 5/26/2018 at 5:21 PM, Nalates Urriah said:

There is also the huge factor of our conditioning to various words. Political agenda focuses on divide and conquer. We label one aspect of it ID Politics. The minorities are the low hanging fruit easily targeted by ID politics. Don't think about being an American (or substitute in your nationality) think about being black, brown, yellow, gay, straight...

 

For that matter, why think about being a member of a nationality? For most people it's just as much of an accident of birth of any of the rest of those traits, and members of the small group that consciously choose and take action to adopt a nationality are often not fully accepted my many of the natives.

[Nalates Urriah]

2 hours ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

For that matter, why think about being a member of a nationality? For most people it's just as much of an accident of birth of any of the rest of those traits, and members of the small group that consciously choose and take action to adopt a nationality are often not fully accepted my many of the natives.

I think that is accurate. Whether being nationalistic and proud of the country your ancestors built or thinking everyone can get along and there should be no borders so toss that history... goes way off topic, even for me, and is likely a long discussion.

[velvetgurl]

yes it can , your a good guy for standing up for your frends, we are what we are, i have some trans frends in rl but they are good people if thats what they want then its there choice and no body else's business  underneath we are all flesh and bones, its your soul that counts , and the love you show to others, i dont care if a guy wants to dress as a girl thats his prerogative,and the same goes if a girl wants to dress as a boy, theres nothing wrong with that, or if a person is gay then thats there choice, people should not abuse people for what they do, the same goes for race to,  everyone should learn to live together, the world would be a better place then 

[Alwin Alcott]

7 hours ago, binder59 said:

they are good people

no they are people, not different, so not good or bad, i know quite some, and really there are about a same amount of bastards, idiots and lunatics as everywhere else .. ever seen how horribly arrogant the "scene"can be to outsiders?...

7 hours ago, binder59 said:

if thats what they want then its there choice

no it's not a choice, like a straigh guy also doesn't make a choice... a gay/trans IS gay/trans

7 hours ago, binder59 said:

if a person is gay then thats there choice

no it is not, you áre gay or you áre not

7 hours ago, binder59 said:

everyone should learn to live together, the world would be a better place then 

this is a fairytale, everybody simply has people, close or far away, he absolutely doesn't like,nor want to live with.

 

Please don't take this as a bad response, your point of view is totally ok, you only use words that put this "group" apart again.

[velvetgurl]

On 5/28/2018 at 12:45 AM, CoffeeDujour said:

An honest to goodness comfort food, I guess you're not from up north!

When I first heard the word used as a slur I was quite confused ... 

love faggots me i im from the west midlands uk, its my favourite dish, i get confused bout it as well nice with mushy peas too, used to sell em at the chippy by me 

[velvetgurl]

On 6/2/2018 at 6:47 AM, Alwin Alcott said:

no they are people, not different, so not good or bad, i know quite some, and really there are about a same amount of bastards, idiots and lunatics as everywhere else .. ever seen how horribly arrogant the "scene"can be to outsiders?...

no it's not a choice, like a straigh guy also doesn't make a choice... a gay/trans IS gay/trans

no it is not, you áre gay or you áre not

this is a fairytale, everybody simply has people, close or far away, he absolutely doesn't like,nor want to live with.

 

Please don't take this as a bad response, your point of view is totally ok, you only use words that put this "group" apart again.

charming, not all trans are gay i know that for a fact, and i think you have been nasty to me but im not bothered,  i was just making a point of view, and u jump down my throat, thanks for that bye bye