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TimeOut's Outrageous Poll

posted by EnWhySeaWonk
Mon, 10/15/2007 - 7:09pm

TimeOutNY

My aunt gave me a subscription to TimeOutNY for Christmas last year and by and large I enjoy it, even though it's an incredibly hetero focused (despite having a gay section and an occasional gay sex advice letter).

In any case, I was appalled to open my new edition this week and find this as their weekly poll:

Some Harlem residents are angry that Community Board 9 approved last Saturday’s black power street fest without asking the neighbors first. Does the executive committee’s decision reveal an unfair bias?
a. Yes. The chair is a black, and this is clear favoritism.
b. No. Only an idiot would think something is awry.

Okay, that wasn't the real poll. This was:

Some West Village residents are angry that Community Board 2 approved last Saturday’s leather street fest without asking the neighbors first. Does the executive committee’s decision reveal an unfair bias?
a. Yes. The chair is openly gay, and this is clear favoritism.
b. No. Only a Village idiot would think something is awry.

I know Brad Hoylman, the chair of Board 2, and really doubt his undue influence had anything to do with why this was passed. The last time I checked a majority of the board had to vote in order to pass anything and, um, their meetings are open to the public.

I know that TimeOut is hetero-centric, but I'm surprised to see blatant homophobia.


Yikes
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 10/15/2007 - 8:23pm.
After all that the gays do for TONY's content! And now this...some gratitude.
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TimeOut's Outrageous Poll
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 12:31pm.
I'm gay and I didn't think the question was homophobic.
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Well..
Submitted by EnWhySeaWonk on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 2:50pm.

The suggestion is that Brad acted improperly, "not consulting with neighbors" and pushed through a leather street festival because he's gay.

Would it be acceptable to imply that a community board chair acted improperly because a church festival was approved and the chair was a Catholic? I think not.

The point is that it seems to be okay in this supposedly enlightened day and age to imply that gay people will do things that are improper for other gay people, because they we're all gay. If that ain't homophobia it's at the very least extreme and incorrect stereotyping. I know Brad well, and he is anything but a leather queen.


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TimeOut's Outrageous Poll
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 3:00pm.
Who says gays are the only ones into leather, anyway?   
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