A Gay Girl In Damascus

[annwfyn]

Oh my god!

For a while, I've been reading the blog of a lesbian girl in Damascus. Or so I thought.

I'm really quite startled by this and it's making me pondersome. On one hand, I tend not to believe that anyone has any obligation to entirely tell the truth on the internet, and can, in fact, purport to be whoever they want to be. This also briefly made me think 'that'll teach me, for assuming that in time all newspapers will be replaced by bloggers'.

But still, I am a little taken aback and am not entirely impressed by the writer. I think it doesn't help that the writer is not a woman, not living in Damascus and not a lesbian. I think the potential for him to misrepresent the people he said he was trying to give a voice to is so very high.

Still, at least his imaginary persona hasn't been arrested by the police and is not currently missing in action somewhere. That's a very small consolation, right?

Comments

[fearmeforiampink]

I think the thing that puts me off about it most is the fake disappearance. Telling various false tales of life is one thing, "Help, someone's disappeared!" is rather another.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

It's been my experience that most of the really intensive fake net personas end that way, or similarly.

I have personally (if peripherally) interacted with two fake personas who 'committed suicide'; in one case that was the clinching implausibility that led people to do the research to find out the person was a fake. And I know of a few others that have gone the same way. I guess people like to 'kill off' their fake lives with proper drama when they've finished with them.

It's not inevitable, though. Back in my third year at university I had a close 'net friend who wasn't real (and was in fact the sock puppet of a rather less close RL friend); he eventually did a reveal. Then again, his motivation - while one I heartily disapprove of - was rather different to the norm.

And I'm still friends with him.

[taimatsu]

So, he thought that it was a great idea to 'give' a marginalised group a 'voice' by pretending to be one of that group and writing fiction without making it clear that's what it was? It's massively egotistical and appropriative and a huge expression of privilege. A better thing to do would be to find *actual* lesbians in Damascus and support them in making their actual real voices heard, talking about their actual real experiences. (Yes, this would be difficult and dangerous. But making shit up isn't the answer.)

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

Oh, and as a follow-up:

Second 'lesbian' blogger is a man (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13760208)

[melsner.livejournal.com]

"Sally," if that is indeed your real name... How do I know you're really English and /or a girl?

You could be some dude from Florida. I mean, really, if one really looks at your LJ, you kind of seem made up...