Lesbian Editors Insulted When Defending “Lesbian Rape Comment” on Radio Show

By: Graysen Martínez Ocasio*/TRT Publisher–

Yesterday, one of The Seattle Lesbian editors responded to vitriolic comments that one caller made to the Clear Channel 100.7 WMMS Cleveland radio show, Rover’s Morning Glory (Cleveland’s WMMS Radio Issues Apology Following Rover’s Morning Glory Lesbian Rape Comment). The anonymous hater called in and uttered the following misogynistic epithets regarding the subject of female rape as a “teaching” technique to take the lesbian out of a lesbian. “… on behalf of all the fans I would like to say f#$& you, you g%# damn d$&# bitches, and I hope you all get f%&#@$g raped in the a$$ and get beat to within an inch of your life!” The editors mentioned in their e-mail to publishers around the country that the name of the commenting party was “Mr. Fukyoudikes.”

At first, as it happens to many women editors of publications, or members of underrepresented groups, there is a feeling that “letting it be” may be taking the higher road. Upon further reflection, however, no one wants to be or feel like a victim, especially by the cowardly words written or spoken by an anonymous “man” who is so insecure of his own space on this earth that all he can do is “victimize others in disguise.” That is exactly what they did. They replied to “Mr. Fukyoudikes” via their article There is Help For The Homophobic.

I had my own share of insults last week due to my editorial denouncing insensitive racial words used by a gay editor of a well-known newspaper. My situation went further since now I am a part of a “select” group of people whose photos are displayed on the hate-filled, heinously ignorant, and well-known only by its shrinking number of followers Stormfront.org website. The comments on this uneducated website, led by no other than Don Black, former KKK leader, would make anyone with a modicum of equality and love in their hearts cringe. My experience, however, was not abusive in terms of my gender. It was in terms of my ethnicity. In this hate group’s deranged view, “their” judicial court system would give me “a 3-point victimization ‘category’ for doing nothing other than being a Hispanic person” when facing a Caucasian person in court. In other words, I would win against anyone who is Caucasian in a court of law. That seems unlikely in the real world, but not in theirs. To further my point, the majority of prison inmates in the U.S. are people of color. This “system of theirs” is used as an excuse to hate, bully and persecute others who are not “like them.” Who’d want to be like them, anyway? But, let’s state the facts, for the sake of informing them.

According to the U.S. Census, in 2009 there were 667,039 adult male inmates in prison. From that number, 326,400 were Caucasian, while 424,500 were African American & Hispanic. The number of people of color going to prison continues to grow and a New England paper, The Burlington Free Press, is asking why. “Why do African-Americans make up 10.3 percent of Vermont’s prison population when they are just 1 percent of residents in the nation’s second-whitest state?” It will be interesting, but not shocking, to follow their study about it.

When it comes to women and their victimization, however, there are more horrifying statistics. The 2009 Census statistics state that there were 667,039 total males in prison vs. 93,176 females. This certainly shows a grave discrepancy in the number of offenders vs. the number of victims. That is exactly what women around the country are fighting for – their rights. That is what these two lesbians editors of this Seattle LGBT paper were doing. They were tired of being victims, of being verbally abused and as many other women too, whether they are heterosexual or lesbians, old or young, fat or skinny, dark or light, etc., they said “enough” and decided to retaliate. In this particular case, The Seattle Lesbian publishers were defending another fellow woman, just like some guys do when one of their “brothers” is in distress, yet they seldom encounter vicious words from women that are meant strategically to resound with all of the women reading or listening to such messages. Unfortunately, many of us (at one point or another) have fallen for these negative messages. Although it seems grim to fight against an established norm, we must not let these spineless people make us lose focus of who we are and our determination to be visible, to count, to make a difference. I always remind myself that there is more good than evil and that hate-filled actions violate the good and great actions that many other men who are allies of women, allies of communities of color, of the LGBT community, etc., do for us each and every day. We mustn’t forget that.

I commend you, Sarah & Charlene, The Seattle Lesbian editors. You stood for women rights today! You stood for the right thing.

*Graysen Martínez Ocasio has been in the journalism field for over 20 years. He holds an MBA from Marylhurst University and a journalism degree (Bachelor’s) from Temple University. He can be reached (in English or Spanish) at publisher@therainbowtimesnews.com.