What happened? Did the inclusion of Tijuana and San Diego bring in the vicious, hateful homophobia that we now read on this site? You don't find this nazi agenda on other sites. Let's go back to being just the LA Indy and let the others form their own little anti-gay media sites, where they can make phony articles about how "everyone now hates gays after the parades" and how queers are "emasculating Mexican culture."

I think you are having an over-reaction over there. The Onion is full of fake press releases that are meant for humor purposes. Apparently you can't make a joke out of gay pride parades being too eccentric. The article isn't anti-gay.

If I read the Onion everyday, maybe there would be context. Or if there were something posted making fun of immigrants or blacks or jews on this site, it might have context.

But this "joke" is the only one of its kind on this site that I can recall. It is completely out of context and its use is completely suspect.

There are indeed anti-gay posters active at this very moment on this site. Let me see the "jokes" about Latino people and then I'll agree with you. Until then, I agree that it is being used to bash gays.

Most all the IMCs have been targets for hate groups, as well as bigoted individuals, It's an inevitable result of having a high profile and an open-publishing policy. We've recently had a number of posts from a virulently anti-Semitic and homophobic group, La Voz de Aztlan, which began at least 2 weeks before the Border Action. We don't really have a clear policy on how to deal with such posts. At present we rely on the good sense and outspoken attitudes of the vast majority of people who use our sites to post comments ripping these pathetic losers to shreds.

Personally, I'm not happy with this arrangement, but I understand the difficulties in adopting defensive measures, which can get out of hand, lead to further disputes in borderline cases, etc. So this needs people to be thoughtfully involved on the inside, as participants in the IMC. We're involved in an ongoing process of developing something new that's bound to be challenged by a lot of old stuff.

How inclusive organizations deal with hate-mongers has always been one of the thorniest questions. I recall hearing a story about the ACLU in Texas, who went to court to get rid of an injunction against a Klan march, and was also involved in organizing a mass mooning of the march when it occurred. A great success all around as I heard it told, with the Klan overhwelmingly outnumbered and humiliated by counter-demonstrators having the time of their life.

What I like most about this story is that the ACLU didn't let themselves get tied up in knots. They stayed true to their principles of defending free speech, but then avidly went out to have the last word themselves. We're a whole lot smarter and more creative than these lunk-head bigots, so we should always be able to find fun, creative solutions that leave them looking at least half as foolish as they actually are. The last laugh is ours.

are stupid enough to agree with all of the idiotic things the Voz de Aztlan has to say, well you're wrong. Those people are out to get attention, like most forms of media, and so they just happen to have a really retarded way of fighting back opression and racism they feel for being Mexican americans.

They happen to be very active, and voice out their opinions a -lot...

unfortunately, without chicanas like me participating in these discussions, people can think that all chicanos think like the Aztlanistas.

I haven't ever seen a chicano be anti-semetic in la voz de Aztlan, but I could be wrong. I don't read that garbage enough.

I am anti-zionist policies in palestine, but not anti-zionist.

That's just my political opinion.

I just happen to have a greater solidarity with the marginalized movements.

The moment I see injustice, I'm always for the underdog.

That's my idea on Israel.

z

Not only do I not assume Chicanos in SD agree with Voz, but I am not even willing to assume that "Voz" is even made up of Chicano/a people at all.

White people in SD are mostly conservative, though. I don't think that's very a controversial statement. San Diego is the only coastal city along the Pacific that voted for George Bush.

San Francisco and Los Angeles Independent Media seem to be the two sites receiving most of the La Voz de Atlan (LVA) fascist trash. Their threats of murder of lesbians and their anti-Semitism make them the same as the Ku Klux Klan and all other fascist groups. As to the free speech argument, the First Amendment states that Congress shall not prohibit free speech. Congress is not restricting free speech on these Independent Media sites. Thus, we need to address the application. As to the application, no one has a right to "falsely yell fire in a crowded theater" or to promote murder. LVA and the KKK promote murder. Thus, there is no reason to tolerate these postings. Independent Media needs to take a good look at their policy on this issue because it is going to get worse as the economic crisis worsens. If it is unacceptable for the Klan to post on Independent Media, then it is unacceptable for the LVA (whoever these fascist thugs really are) or any other murder-promoting group to post their fascist hate-mongering on Independent Media. There is no reason why we should tolerate hate speech and murder-promoting speech on Independent Media. They have their own websites for that garbage. Just as we do not accept fascist trash in any progressive publication, we should not accept fascist trash on Independent Media. In rejecting these fascist thugs, the lives we save will be our own.