Verified answer

I'm glad to see reportings and my emails to yahoo are helping to clear the gay lesbian and transgendered section of hurtful, spiteful and discriminatory questions and posts.

Thank you Yahoo!.

:)

Several answers

Number one -- they do not always delete anti-gay questions, read through and see how many there are -- what they delete are those that shade over into something legally considered a form of assault -- or that can be so construed. To not do that would put them in legal peril should someone choose to sue.

Number two -- Freedom of speech has always been restricted. You cannot shout "fire" in a crowded theater anywhere in the US and not be arrested if there was no fire. Furthermore, if someone died in the ensuing stampede to get out -- you can be tried in most states for manslaughter. There is no state where you can slander someone. There is no state where you can threaten someone (it is a form of assault). So free speech has always been limited. What is primarily protected is political speech.

Number three -- Speech is much more limited in private space. When you are in private space you can say only what the owner of that space deems appropriate. So a mall can decide to expel people who use profanity -- many do. Likewise, Yahoo can decide not to permit a certain class of questions -- for the same reason that the mall prohibits profanity -- because it offends another class of customers.

Number four -- Democracy is NOT defined by free speech -- and the answer by the way is no, we live in a Republic. If I were more honest I would also say, and that isn't functioning right now. Things like the signing statements, the traitorous revelations regarding a CIA NOC agent who was IN COVER, and the use of Presidential privilege to shield wrong doers in the Administration all say that the present seated president, and to a lesser degree most of his party -- do not believe in and are not practicing Democracy. That condition however is temporary.

If you want to ask questions about gays that Yahoo keeps prohibiting, feel free to email me directly at [email protected] . You aren't going to phase me any, I genuinely don't care how nasty and homophobic the questions are -- and I will try to answer as honestly as I know how. That should resolve your issues.

Peace,

Reyn

http://www.rebuff.org/

[email protected]

They are trying to be courteous of the gay community. some people actually are out there to attack them. We do live in a democracy and we have rights of free speech but free speech is not supposed to be used to attack other people. if you really want to see what the community thinks on gays, why not ask your question in a more positive light.

Yahoo answers deletes things bc somebody reports them so maybe somebody reports anti-gay questions. I know for a fact that yahoo has deleted questions that were completely innocent but regarded a homosexual issue (guy said he was gay) so appearently there is still a lot of sensitivity about this topic. People whine and yahoo deletes the question to shut them up and they'll do it for anybody. They don't go looking for questions to delete, they have enough tattle tales on here.

Although I haven't actually seen this happen, it could be the nature of the questions themselves. If they are worded in a hateful manner or are just hits on lifestyle choices, that may be the reason.

I'm sure that if a legitimate and well worded question were asked, there'd be little issue with the question staying on the site.

And as a bi oriented fellow myself, what have you got against gay people? Just curious.

Love as always,

Sebastian

I don't think they always delete anti-gay questions. I think a lot of anti-gay questions posted here use crude language, or use rhetoric which is meant to insight hatred or violence. Those messages are contrary to the "Community Guidelines." Have you read them?

I can't speak to whether or not Yahoo deletes questions - but entities on the internet are not bound by democratic ideals - it is a global community, not simply the united states.

depending on the wording it can be taken as an attack on gays. This gives yahoo the right, see community guideline, to remove your question. If you put the question in positive lighting then it won't be removed. But if you attack gays, then they will remove it.

They don't delete 'anti' gay questions. You should see some of the questions that get through!! What they do is if something is pure bile and inciting hatred then they quite rightly delete it whatever the question.

It depends on how they are asked. Profanity, Obscene Content, Abusive, Threatening... are all reasons why they may be removed.

If you trawl through the Resolved section here, you may be surprised at the number of "anti-gay" questions that have been retained.