Paris Jackson was targeted this week by gay publication Gay Star News. Editor Jamie Tabberer attacked the bisexual model for her alleged “hypocrisy” because she appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, and homosexuality is illegal there. As though, at age 20, she should be expected to 1. know the ins and outs of international LGBT laws, and 2. refuse work that would help lesbian and bi visibility in case some dude she’s never heard of might take offense on behalf of all gays.
Women are attacked online every day, and bullied into silence and into apologies they don’t owe anyone, and this is no different. Scarlett Johansson and Ruby Rose have also been recent targets of LGBT (grossly misplaced) outrage. And it needs to stop.
Paris Jackson apologized on Twitter, no doubt feeling pressured to do so. Thankfully, many people came to her defense, and this tweet describes my sentiments exactly.
The trend of silencing, harassing, and outright bullying women online has seen an uptick lately, and while it used to be men’s rights activists doing the harassing, LGBT people are increasingly the perpetrators as well. Often claiming, and possibly believing, that they should “call people out,” for not doing whatever they deem to be politically correct, what they are in fact engaging in is classic schoolyard bullying. And it isn’t just on the regular toxic channels like Twitter, but via publications that should know better. And I’m pretty damn fed up with this shit. Here’s what REALLY needs to be called out: No one died and made you guys the LGBT moral police. And no one, especially a barely out 20-year-old girl, is expected to serve as an example of international gay and lesbian rights. The world does not owe anyone anything. If you want change, get offline, and go VOTE for politicians who might actually change laws that affect the world you live in and thus, the world at large.
If after doing that, you’re still obsessed with hypocrisy and feel the need to call someone out, look no further than the men online who harass women every day. Yes, even nice guys, like you.
