Flickr Censorship Standards = Gay Bashing?

Cross-posted on SML Pro Blog.

Earlier this year, Flickr popped my account to "restricted" status, resulting in a 3000 to 30 daily stream views.



It took me 6 months to figure out what the hell was wrong. I didn't get a reply from the official staff despite several attempts to contact them. Eventually I got so pissed off that I did a Twitter stunt and posted a long-winded outcry on GetSatisfaction.com. That appears to help, I got a reply from the Flickr staff within one day.

Apparently, according to Flickr standards, the image below is to be treated as moderate / restricted.



Personally I do not understand why this image is moderate. Afterall, don't you see guys like this *all the time*?

Flickr replied by saying that the image needs to be moderate because the person is wearing "skin-tight" clothing. I then asked them if I took photos at the Olympics or at the beach, do I need to mark them as moderate as well, to which they reply, that "regardless of where they were taken, they need to be moderated."

In other words, according to Flickr Censorship standards, this will only appear in an R-rated movie. Meanwhile, the Yahoo Pride page during 2007 happily use my photos on their site, so WTF?!

As such the image above is flagged as moderate as well. Even though I disagree with Flickr's standards...

Anyhow, SML Flickr is now "safe" after flagging all these images to moderate to restricted status, but this standard appears questionable.


Related blogosphere
+ Now Public: flickr: Racist and Homophobic, or Scamming?
+ Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection: Someone's started a Flickr Is Fascist Blog, Accuses Flickr of Anti-Gay Censorship Policies

madonna by male®

madonna by male®, originally uploaded by male ®.

Another stunning piece of art work by Martin Leon Duque aka male® on Flickr.

male by male ®

male, originally uploaded by male ®.

Welcome to Gaytown (from Crackle)

The first Crackle show that got my attention:

Hulu: Gaytown

Check it out:


Copyright Notice
Copyright 2008 See-ming Lee / SML Gay Blog / SML Universe. All rights reserved.

Awesome quotes from online personals

So I haven't written a new post for this blog for a while, and I actually wonder if anyone is still reading - although interestingly the analytics data suggests that there are in fact some of you who still follow this - and to those readers, old and new, I thank you.

I'd like to to start a series of blog posts today of what I am calling "Awesome quotes from Manhunt," which are lines that I thought are either interesting, witty and anything that got me re-reading again lifted up directly from Manhunt, the very popular gay cruising site. I plan to add CL and SD selections in the future should this becomes fun.

To protect the identity of the users (this is a closed-gate community afterall), their username will not be quoted here - although if you spotted your witty phrase here and you would like to be credited (or additionally linked back), I'd be happy to do that. I just won't want to offend anyone :)

Also, if you have spotted any phrase that you are fond of, feel free to send them my way... alternatively, feel free to submit your own :) so here we go:

+ I am not a size queen, but I really like to be challenged...
+ bottom, top, vers, alive -- just DO SOMETHING

... started reading some more but got sidetracked... so... (to be continued)

How to cheer in Chinese / Olympics / 加油

Not necessarily gay: but they sure look like a sweet couple if they were.



The Two Chinese Characters explain the multiple meanings of the word "jiayou" 加油 and teach you how to cheer in Chinese. Learn the Official Chinese Cheer of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, complete with 'civilized hand gestures' authorized by the PRC government.

The Two Chinese Characters (2CC) are John B. Weinstein & Carsey Yee. Video produced by Jamie Ciocco.

Copyright 2008 See-ming Lee / SML Gay Blog / SML Universe.

Annual Faerie + Church Ladies for Choice Drag March 2008

Some highlights from the Annual Faerie + Church Ladies for Choice Drag March 2008. Be sure to check out the entire set and related collections:

SML Flickr Sets
+ Annual Faerie + Church Ladies for Choice Drag March 2008
+ Annual Faerie + Church Ladies for Choice Drag March 2007
+ Radical Faeries Drum Ritual / Gay Pride New York 2007

SML Flickr Collections
+ Gay Pride New York 2007
+ Gay Pride New York 2008











Copyright Notice
Copyright 2007 See-ming Lee / SML Gay Blog / SML Universe. All rights reserved.