More on the "Gang of Homos" Controversy

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

On Monday, the Newser reported on Jani La Belle (Janire Coba) having to move her store, Bella Epoque, after being evicted by her then landlord Lighthouse (landland.ansar), saying he didn't like having lesbians on the land, a screenshot showing the words "gang of homo." As a response, she was giving out "Gang of Homos" womens' tees, and was getting much support by fans.

The article got a few comments, including one from Zada Bury, saying she had been read the group notices twice, "it was such kind of stupid 'move.'" Another commented, "If you wanna be in business, the only political viewpoint you should have is what are you paying with. If you wanna wave a political banner, you will lose customers the more you judge them. ... It is your sim... right until you started renting it out. ... You are a weak businessman, aside from whatever other issues you may be having." Another responded, "I think the landlord was awful and should be banned from SL, but is calling a challenge to harass him really a good idea? Not only is it against LL's ToS, but it drags everyone down to his level and makes you just as bad. Why not just report his comments to LL, or create an event to uplift the communities he targeted rather then launching a harassment campaign." And someone else commented a sign of the political situation of the country in real-life, suggesting yours truly write about politics more often (in support of her faction).
 

Since then, more details have come in. Among them, Lighthouse finally answered the Newser, responding:

This is my answer you even i dont care what she said, she is a pure bitch and slut as well like to do a lot of photoshop 

https://gyazo.com/eaa464c4e09df18ff25b0409a0189833

lighthouse  

 

The picture showed more conversation taking place, and instead of "gang of homos" there was "gang of losers."

 

But that wasn't the only development. I was send a link to Lighthouse's rental page on Marketplace. Besides Janire's comment, there was a follow-up by Veronika Nightfire

Landland Ansar is not someone who should be trusted with your business or your events. He donated land for a charity event we were hosting and then turned around and sabotaged it. The moment he felt challenged by queer women, he started showing his true colors. Misogyny. Homophobia. Power-tripping behavior.

He gave us two days' notice to vacate and then banned us from the land entirely before we could even pick up our items. We lost work, decor, and personal belongings we had put into the space. No explanation. No professionalism. Just ego and bigotry.

This was a charity event. This was about helping people. And instead of supporting that, he let his hatred and fragile masculinity ruin it for everyone.

If you’re queer, a woman, trans, or just someone who respects others, avoid him and Lighthouse Realties. He is not safe to work with. Period.

And more notablly, there was one from a few years ago by a MuscleManEric.

WENT TO HIM AS OUT ESTATE GUY WITH A PROBLEM . NOT A BIG ONE BUT IT WAS WORTH ASKING FOR HELP, INSTEAD I WAS MET WITH HOMOPHOBIC RANTS THREATS AND ABUSE, THEN WITH FIVE DAYS REMAINING ON OUR HALF SIM THAT WAS 8050 A WEEK, AND REFUSED TO SPEAK OR TALK TO USE. HE EVEN TRIED TO KEEP OUR OBJECTS. STILL WONT REFUND THE RENT, LIED TO HIS GROUP 100% AND TRIED T MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A LIAR, THEN HE SAID I HAD GAY PHOBIA , WHICH MADE NO SENSE AS I AM GAY AND HE WAS THE ONE ABUSING ME THE CUSTOMER, HE SAID HE DIDT CARE IF WE LEFT THE PARCEL AS HE DIDNT NEED THE MONEY YET STILL, HE HAS KEPT 5 DAYS OF TIERS STIL THAT MORALLY BELONG TO ME.. HE IS A THIEF BEWARE DONT RENT FROM HIM ..
 

I also heard about some developments on Merryjest's Discord (where I first heard about the incident). With the "Band of Homos" tees being made for girls, "I went ahead and made my own hoodie," then post a picture.  

 

Merryjest would do more than just make his personal statement of support, but he would go over to Lighthouse's office and check things out. While there, he would run into him. Merry would try talking him, "He tried to claim Janire was an anti-semite. I pointed out they both support the Palestinian cause, which he verified, so I asked how, then, was she an anti-semite... and he refused to answer." When the "homos" comment was brought up, Lighthouse grumbled he was getting tired of the issue. 

Merryjest would also ask Lighthouse how many properties were currently being held in the rentals. His response was "none of ur boz." On his profile, he claimed to manage 190 sims. Merryjest thought this was odd, noting how bare the office was compared to Loxury Estates (which runs Second Norway).  He would also point out that on the Bonniebots website, there was no listing for Lighthouse. 

 

I would message Lighthouse again. His response by notecard was faster this time.

 

listen mate i knew she will do that so i didnt comment i left her drop herself in the trap she made which is funny

this women been with me 10 years , amd i knew she is a leabian or pride and dont care, even its againt my value and btw dont care whatother says about me on MP each can say whatever they want and its none of any one biz im here from 2007 :) and been grow will i have 190 sims : so dont care

but when come to fraude poeple and say UNRWA and they tell me they dont know her nor they been  aware of this and this must be dont through them as cancer society and many antisemit this no BS on me

and she did photoshop the chat and you can see what I sent you a snapshot, but honest she can fuck herself :0

and sorry no furtern comment now this matter is higher hands and story end here 

He ended me by thanking me for contacting him, wishing me well.

 

This is unlikely to be the last we hear of the issue as Merryjest says he may do a stage performance later about the incident. In the meantime, the rebuilding of Bella Epoque continues with shoppers dropping by.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Cyberbullying and Linden Lab

By Tiddily Winks

    Cyberbullying is something that is becoming an increasing problem.  It is happening all over the Social Media.  This has happened to people on Facebook.  Because of the bullying some people on Facebook were experiencing, they committed suicide.  The bully(s) have since been arrested.  It is something that any social network should be aware of and do something about.  So why did it take Linden Labs being threatened with a lawsuit before they would act? 

    A good friend of mine was being bullied on Second Life.  He reported the person to Linden Lab (LL).  All LL would say is it was against their Terms of Service, TOS, and Abuse Policy to do anything.  The person who was bullying my friend was spreading lies about him and telling everyone not to trust him.  The bully would also spread half truths about my friend.  This caused my friend some issues. He once again contacted LL and again they would not do anything about it.

    The bully would insult my friend in different groups for a period of over three weeks.  She would tell any group she was in.  The friend had to defend himself against the bully during this time.  He also posted several complaints about the bully.  He filed over 60 AR’s on the bully and others who had seen her lies also filed AR’s against her.  Linden labs still refused to do anything about this bully.


    My friend soon found out about the cyber harassment and cyber bullying laws for the social media.  Since Second Life is a social media, the friend contacted LL about these laws and that the laws set aside the TOS and Abuse Policies that LL had set.  LL still refused to do anything.  The friend turned to lawyers in California.  He sent out emails to 10 large lawyer firms in California.  He also sent the email to Linden Labs Corp Office and their legal division.  He presented his evidence and the notes about LL refusing to anything about the bullying because of the TOS and abuse policy.  He also cited the legal statutes.  Two days after sending out these emails, my friend received an email that the bully had been suspended for a period of time and was warned that if they did anymore bullying they would be banned from SL permanently.

    It took threatening legal action before LL would do anything.  This sounds like they do not care about their users as long as they can make money off of them.  LL should not see themselves above the Federal Laws just because they do not fit their TOS and Abuse Policy.  This bully has now lost all of her friends because she disgraced herself to everyone.

    My question to you is: Should it have gone this far or should LL just change their TOS and Abuse policy to fit the federal laws?

Tiddily Winks

Avatar Discrimination: A Club Gives Furs the Boot

By Grease Coakes

At random I wanted to hang out and listen to music at a human club. Human clubs are known for lots of emotes and dance music that you might hear at a dance club in real life. In my experience human clubs are great places for me to write, or to play neopets while my avatar just dances. If everyone uses emotes I’m not really missing out on much in the club chat.

Then one time while checking out one club, GOL Element the 8th, I was surprised that I was imed by the club host, Psique Delicioso.

Psique Delicioso: hun

Psique Delicioso: please change to human form

Psique Delicioso: lol

Grease Coakes: Why?

Psique Delicioso: no furries

Psique Delicioso: its rules bebe

Grease Coakes: So basically this club is against furries? (shocked)

Psique Delicioso: we not against anything hun

Psique Delicioso: it’s been like that since it’s been founded

Grease Coakes: Wouldn't you think a rule like that is outdated in SL?


A little later I was ejected for simply refusing to change to a human avatar.

The next day I stop in to see if lightning strikes twice. Sadly it does, but I was able to speak with the manager and I had this to say.


Grease Coakes: Hi Lava I was wondering why furries are not allowed at your club?

LavaIncandescente: cuz is in the rules

Grease Coakes: That's your only answer?

LavaIncandescente: we try to explain to people what to be allowed

LavaIncandescente: in this club stay rules  no animal no furry

LavaIncandescente: please can your change avatar

LavaIncandescente: ?

Grease Coakes: Is there a certain reason you do not allow furries or animals? I mean I have lots of Linden to tip your DJ and host. My money is no good here?

LavaIncandescente: @--'--

Grease Coakes: I don't have any human avatars.

LavaIncandescente: sure but you have need change avatar

LavaIncandescente: for to be allow here

Grease Coakes: And yet humans have been allowed in furry clubs. Don't you think it's rude and racist to not allow furries in your club?


A little later Tiggeh, a furry who likes to hang out at IYC, and I were both ejected for being furry. Tiggeh and I both began talking with each other."

Grease Coakes, "It's different if they only booted me, but if they booted two different furries that says something."

Tigg:eh (tiggy.scholessinger), "They are technically racists."

Grease Coakes, "I was thinking that for example we can change avatars in SL. But In real life how would that look if that same club in real life didn't allow blacks?"

I think in today’s multi cultured and multi-racial world a club in real life wouldn’t get very far if they said no Africans or Asians allowed.

Tiggeh also mentioned a group that he was a part of called “Furs Againist SL Social Inequality”. I easily found the group on Tiggeh’s profile and asked what the group was about.

Kenshin Kazoku (forgottendreamkeeper), "We're basically a group of furries who are fed up with the lack of respect here on SL... "

Kensihn was also booted from a cabin hangout sim just for being furry and got this excuse from the manager, "We have a very specific clientele and we would not want to offend anyone by allowing you here." Fur is offensive? It boggles my mind why someone would find an animal avatar offensive in second life.

The flip side is why someone would be prosecuted in real life for walking around in a fur suit. As a kid I remember watching Sesame Street or maybe seeing someone in a cartoon animal suit and thinking what would it be like to be a cartoon animal or a real animal? So if it socially acceptable to be in a fur suit, say an entertainer at Disneyland, why not dress up in a fursuit on your free time? Amurtigress, a griffin friend of mine, showed me a picture of him wearing his fursuit to cheer up children at a hospital in his country of Germany in real life.

I think this article speaks out that racism is wrong in today’s society whether as a pixel avatar or in real life. It’s sad to see that even in a virtual universe like SL where there are many great things to see and places to hang out. I was shocked at GOL when I was told not to be a furry. Something for GOL 8th element to think about is you can change your avatar in second life sure. But what if this was in real life and I was writing about a real life version of your club. Would you still ban a furry for being born the way he or she was? Yes I know furries don’t exist in real life, but I’m making a point.

It’s easy to eject a pixel furry, but would it be so easy in real life to say it’s just the rules and not have a valid reason behind the rules?

Feel free to stop by http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GOL%207/139/205/34 which leads to GOL Element the 8th to hang out as a furry.


Grease Coakes