Korean Job Discussion Forums

[articulate_ink]

Last night I reported the 'Sexuality in Seoul' thread because of the homophobic comments by the user europe2seoul. That thread is now locked. I've been thinking about whether there is a double standard in effect, with regard to homophobic speech versus overtly racist, sexist, or other discriminatory language. The forum guidelines speak to racist speech, primarily. Here's a quote:

Note that we cannot catch all of the racist or demeaning threads that are posted. We will however act on those we see and on those that are reported through the post report function. Authors of such threads will get warnings and if those are ignored, these users will be banned from the site. In *beep*, racism is not acceptable on this site.

Most if not all of the gay-related threads over the last few years (since I've joined) contain posts like the ones I found objectionable, and I wonder why they and the users who post them continue to be tolerated. I think the mods allow a certain amount of Korea-bashing because so many of us come to these forums to vent. However, I believe remarks about women or ethnic groups as derogatory as the ones posted in the gay-related threads would be deleted and the users warned or banned. If this is happening to users like europe2seoul, I'm not aware of it. He still seems to be posting. Why?

Think about it. What would happen if someone used the N word to describe blacks, for example? And kept trying to defend himself using the vile language of racial superiority straight out of the segregation-era American South? Why is it therefore allowed for europe2seoul and his ilk to call gay men fudgepackers, insist that homosexuality is a choice (as if he knows more about the subject than gay men do), making disgusting references about sex acts, and so on?

Why are fudge packers coming to Korea? They should get treatment instead.

P.S I do not need to clean shyte off my member when I am done fooking.
Nor I have to use laxatives to prepare for the possibility of some bed fun well in advance.

Well, sad to hear about your teen years - but you decided to do that. You decided not to stare at women, play football, etc. Nobody pushed you to sleep with men.

Absolutely everyone on this planet (and maybe beyond) knows that it is not intended for men to like other men. It is a physiological problem and recently people say even genetic. So, seek professional help to solve the problem.

Even this, from djsmnc, is borderline uncalled-for:

I would just say don't be gay. It's nurture anyway, definitely not nature! Korea's a good place to move on!

Overall, the tone of the 'Sexuality in Seoul' thread was more positive and helpful than some of the older threads I can recall. I do think things are changing for the better. Fewer users are getting their hate on and justifying it with stupid prejudice based on religion, misinformation about choice, and butt sex. Even so, I've been a member here for 4 years, and that's enough time to have reached the conclusion that homophobic comments are tolerated more than other forms of discriminatory language. I would like to see Dave and the mods take a clear stand against this. There's more to homophobia than calling gay men names. It's also tacitly supporting the idiots who argue that it's a choice. And it's allowing these users to go on posting here without consequences.

With respect, I would like to ask these things:

Mods and/or Dave: go on record as stating this kind of language is no longer to be tolerated. If you're not sure what gay men and women find offensive, I've just provided examples and will be more than happy to discuss it further.

Warn or ban europe2seoul and anyone else who subsequently makes posts like the ones I quoted. If you're serious about your forum guidelines, this is not acceptable.

Rather than locking an entire thread, which Olly from England had started because he needed information about coming to Korea as a gay man, focus on the specific problematic posts. As I said, overall the discussion was far more helpful than not. I recognize that there are a lot of posts and threads to keep an eye on, and it's not always possible to catch everything. But this is a subject where information is needed, personal safety could be at issue, and so on. There's probably more that could be added to that discussion.

Gay men and women are taking a bigger risk than most by coming to Korea. We do not need to be insulted when we request information here. Especially by people who are ostensibly educators.

Thanks for your consideration.

[skconqueror]

Wouldn't a simple private message have been suffice? Why the need to be over dramatic? Something lacking in your person life? Have something to hide?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Korea's a very politically incorrect place and some of us find that we actually fit right in. Remember that you're not living in the bubble of a liberal western university anymore. Re: threads about gays I can see a few things that might affect the mods:

- Western sensitivities
- Un-PC western blowback
- Fear of mockery of effeminate Koreans
- Fear of this site promoting something most Koreans hate

If the last one is really at work here I'd be quite disappointed. While I've made as many gay jokes as anyone over my life, it would be nice if Koreans could see gay foreigners as just ordinary people living ordinary lives.

[esetters21]

Your new thread will disappear in 3.2.1....

[spliff]

Personally, I can't understand why someone would want to be a HOMO!

[articulate_ink]

[spliff]

Yeah, but if I would have said: Personally, I can't understand why someone would not want to be a HOMO!...then there wouldn't be a problem, right? Hmm, I agree, it's a double standard...a catch 22.

[diver]

[valkyrian2]

when they head off the rails and look like they will turn into a flame fest or when they are off-topic for the particular forum they get locked or pulled.