Date: Sun, 14 Dec 1997 23:09:10 -0700 From: "Loren R. Javier" To: "fight-censorship" Subject: Re: GeoCities WestHollywood, CyberPatrol and Censorship Hi, Bob and all I just wanted to address some of the issues that have been raised in regards to Cyber Patrol and GLAAD's involvement with the company's oversight committee. I appreciate all of the concerns and I assure you that they are being weighed very heavily and being taken to heart. GLAAD was extremely disappointed that such a discriminatory move was made by Microsystems. Dick Gorgens, the company's CEO, has even admitted to the prejudicial blocking. To quote him, "We took the 'easier' approach to blocking the small number of actionable non-nudity publishers in that area rather than individually sanctioning them." Mr. Gorgens has also mentioned that within "the next week the problem will be corrected." I am quite aware of Geocities' policy toward nudity and pornography by both having a personal Web site in the WestHollywood neighborhood and by knowing David Bohnet himself. Unfortunately, Cyber Patrol counts partial nudity as nudity. However, having myself done a spot check of over 100 sites in WestHollywood, I only found that 1/3 of them contained partial nudity and none contained full on nudity. 2/3 of the Web sites contained no nudity of any kind. So, I am unclear as to who made the judgement that "most" Web sites on WestHollywood contained nudity. However the assessment was made, it was made without any knowledge by GLAAD. While GLAAD wants to continue to proactively work with industry leaders to educate on issues of sexual orientation, we cannot and do not support discrimination against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of any kind. The issue now is whether GLAAD will continue to serve on the oversight committee. I have sent a message to Dick Gorgens with conditions that I be able to review the complete block list and that I be able to ask why sites have been blocked. While Mr. Gorgens has made an inital response, negotiations continue to be made. Bob, I would like to speak with you more in depth about WestHollywood and its and Geocities' policy. The two of us should work together to ensure that this discrimination ends. Sincerely, Loren R. Javier Interactive Media Director GLAAD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Loren R. Javier Interactive Media Director GLAAD Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation javier@glaad.org2244 fax: 415.861.4893 GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.