Out Magazine most likely is the most read LGBT publication in the nation. Its major bent or area of coverage is arts and fashion; it’s light and breezy with cozy Q and As. The publication also covers light news, and from the support it gets via advertising and readers, it’s a formula that works for them.
Recently some LGBT journalists took major offense with Out. Why? You’d think it could have been a controversial issue — like anti-Semitism at this year’s Creating Change in Chicago, how immigration reform is a necessity for the LGBT community (something I learned at a Haas Fund LGBT Media Journalists Convening), homelessness in our community, the horrible murder rates among our trans brothers and sisters, the lack of housing and abuse of our seniors … Nope, none of the above.
It was a profile of Milo Yiannopoulos. I bet most of you reading this don’t even know who he is. The reality is, he’s a creep. How best to describe him? Think a gay Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum all in one — and that’s not the half of it. He’s despicable.
After the story appeared, a coalition of LGBT journalists issued a letter on Think Progress condemning the “glorifying” nature of the piece and the editorial that went with it explaining why the magazine published it. The group also objected to the picture that accompanied the article, which the author said is “playing on the theme that he’s simply a clown.” The point is he is, but the point not made clear is that he’s a dangerous clown.
What concerns me here is that this opposition to the story is close to censorship. Should we only publish articles and interviews about “good” people in our community with the “right” positions? (Pun unintended.)
Yiannopoulos is an out gay man supporting Trump. He is the LGBT poster child of the Alt Right. That makes him good copy! Our community needs to know that as well, as we need to show the people Yiannopoulos works with what we as a community think of him. Censoring him doesn’t do that, since he already has a megaphone from his perch at Breitbart, one of the most conservative media organizations in the country (and whose CEO, Steve Bannon, is now running Trump’s campaign). So out Yiannopoulos as the fool he is.
Here’s where Out and the Think Progress letter both went wrong. From the LGBT journalists’ letter: “Out claims in its editorial note that this is an ‘era of social-media tribalism’ and that ‘we can’t shy away from covering queer people who are at the center of this highly polarized election year.’ The idea that Yiannopoulos is anywhere close to the center of anything is in doubt, but the more important point is that it would be very easy to cover his political impact without glamorizing him and downplaying the bigotry that he helps stir up. Instead, the profile panders to exactly the kind of attention that empowers his vile rhetoric, hiding behind the veneer of false equivalency that has plagued 2016 election coverage.”
Breitbart is now at the center of Trump’s campaign, and since Yiannopoulos comes from that camp, he most likely will be its LGBT point person, or proof that they’re inclusive. For that reason alone, the interview is warranted, but maybe Out should have stated that point clearly in an editorial.
Remember the Westborbo Baptist Church? Media attention to that group made its members the pariahs they are today.
Q Syndicate runs a feature that PGN picks up each week that usually features the most outrageous statements from people opposed to LGBT equality. It’s called “Creep of the Week.” Great feature, and maybe Out should have made it clear that Yiannopoulos was one of them, and dangerous.
Not letting our community know about people like Yiannopoulos would be the crime.