Lez Get Real

Last updated

Lez Get Real was a news site for lesbian audiences that operated between 2008 and 2014.

The website was founded in 2008. [1] The founder operated the website as "Paula Brooks," and pretended to be a lesbian, as well as deaf to deflect suspicion about being unable to use the phone to talk to journalists. In 2011, after it was revealed that the self-described Syrian lesbian blogger Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari was actually a hoax by an American man, Tom MacMaster, "Brooks" revealed himself as Bill Graber, a retired construction worker from Ohio. [2] The revelation came one day after MacMaster was revealed. [1]

After the Lez Get Real hoax was revealed, reaction from the lesbian community was negative. Judy Dlugacz, the founder and owner of Olivia, a travel company catering to lesbians, described the hoax as an "outrage." [2] Suzanne Goldenberg said that the lesbian community on the Internet was "a small world" and that "there are relatively few general news sites run by lesbians, and for some writers LezGetReal offered a chance to break into writing. Within those close circles, a number of people said they felt betrayed." [2]

The site continued to operate under new ownership.

At the end of 2014, Lez Get Real shut down due to a combination of financial reasons and burn out among the remaining writers. The writers and editors released a statement regarding the closure of the website, which is no longer available.

Related Research Articles

Boing Boing is a website, first established as a zine in 1988, later becoming a group blog. Common topics and themes include technology, futurism, science fiction, gadgets, intellectual property, Disney, and left-wing politics. It twice won the Bloggies for Weblog of the Year, in 2004 and 2005. The editors are Mark Frauenfelder, David Pescovitz, Carla Sinclair, and Rob Beschizza, and the publisher is Jason Weisberger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Yes Men</span> Culture jamming activist duo

The Yes Men are a culture jamming activist duo and network of supporters created by Jacques Servin and Igor Vamos. Through various actions, the Yes Men primarily aim to raise awareness about problematic social and political issues. To date, the duo have produced three films: The Yes Men (2003), The Yes Men Fix the World (2009), and The Yes Men Are Revolting (2014). In these films, they impersonate entities that they dislike, a practice that they call "identity correction." The Yes Men operate under the mission statement that lies can expose truth. They create and maintain fake websites similar to ones they intend to spoof, which have led to numerous interview, conference, and TV talk show invitations. They espouse the belief that corporations and governmental organizations often act in dehumanizing ways toward the public. Elaborate props are sometimes part of the ruse, as shown in their 2003 DVD release The Yes Men. The Yes Men have collaborated with other groups of similar interest, including Improv Everywhere, Andrew Boyd and Steve Lambert.

The Mormon blogosphere is a segment of the blogosphere focused on issues related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PJ Media</span> American media company

PJ Media, originally known as Pajamas Media, is an American right-wing subscription-based commentary website. It was founded in 2004, with its majority owner being software entrepreneur, billionaire and angel investor Aubrey Chernick, founder of Candle Corporation. Salem Media Group acquired the company in March 2019. PJ Media also operated the online television and video network PJTV, which ceased operations on May 11, 2016.

Velvetpark: Dyke Culture in Bloom is a lesbian and feminist arts and culture American website that regularly features music, literature, theater, fine arts, film, television, and social activism as it impacts queer culture. Velvetpark also hosts a social network and dating community for lesbians and queer-identified women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Domenech</span> American writer

Benjamin Domenech is an American writer, blogger, editor, publisher, and television commentator. He is the co-founder and publisher of The Federalist and host of The Federalist Radio Hour, and writes The Transom, a daily subscription newsletter for political insiders. He also co-founded the RedState group blog. He joined Fox News as a commentator in 2021.

Deadspin is a sports blog founded by Will Leitch in 2005 and based in Chicago. Previously owned by Gawker Media and Univision Communications, it is currently owned by G/O Media.

Fashion blogs are blogs that cover the fashion industry, clothing, and lifestyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Kirchick</span> American journalist (born 1983)

James Kirchick is an American reporter, foreign correspondent, author, and columnist. He has been described as a conservative or neoconservative.

Minal Hajratwala is a writer, performer, poet, and queer activist of Indian descent. She was born in 1971 in San Francisco, California, US, and was raised in New Zealand and suburban Michigan. She is a graduate of Stanford University.

AfterEllen is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifestyle issues from a feminist perspective; and the political climate as it pertains to the community. AfterEllen is not affiliated with entertainer Ellen DeGeneres, although its name refers to her coming out, specifically when her character came out in "The Puppy Episode" (1997) on her eponymous sitcom.

The Gay Nigger Association of America (GNAA) was an internet trolling group. They targeted several prominent websites and internet personalities including Slashdot, Wikipedia, CNN, Barack Obama, Alex Jones, and prominent members of the blogosphere. They also released software products, and leaked screenshots and information about upcoming operating systems. In addition, they maintained a software repository and a wiki-based site dedicated to internet commentary.

<i>Blog del Narco</i> Citizen journalism website documenting the Mexican drug war

Blog del Narco is a citizen journalism blog that attempts to document the events of the Mexican drug war, primarily those not reported by the government of Mexico or the Mexican news media.

First appearing in 2007, A Gay Girl in Damascus was a weblog purportedly written by Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari. It was, in fact, a hoax persona created by the American citizen and then-student of the University of Edinburgh, Thomas Jarvis MacMaster. During the 2011 Syrian uprising, a posting on the blog, purportedly by "Amina's" cousin, claimed that the girl had been abducted on June 6, 2011. This sparked a strong outcry from the LGBT community and was covered widely in mainstream media.

<i>The Student Journals</i> Student-run publication

The Student Journals was an editorially independent online magazine for university students around the world, to give students a platform to voice their opinions. The site featured regular comment articles submitted on numerous topics, ranging from education and politics to culture and sport. They also feature interviews and cover many British events through live blogs. Since its founding, The Student Journals launched several diverging projects including the TSJ Advisors Scheme, whereby professional journalists give detailed feedback to commentators of the site, helping students to improve their writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allyson Mitchell</span>

Allyson Mitchell is a Toronto-based maximalist artist, working predominantly in sculpture, installation and film. Her practice melds feminism and pop culture to trouble contemporary representations of women, sexuality and the body largely through the use of reclaimed textile and abandoned craft. Throughout her career, Mitchell has critiqued socio-historical phobias of femininity, feminine bodies and colonial histories, as well as ventured into topics of consumption under capitalism, queer feelings, queer love, fat being, fatphobia, genital fears and cultural practices. Her work is rooted in a Deep Lez methodology, which merges lesbian feminism with contemporary queer politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Henry</span>

Liz Henry is an American blogger, author, translator, technologist, and activist. She is a co-founder of the first women's hackerspace in San Francisco, Double Union, where she is still active. She is also an advocate for disability technology and hacking existing technology for use by disabled people.

References

  1. 1 2 Flock, Elizabeth and Melissa Bell. "‘Paula Brooks,’ editor of ‘Lez Get Real,’ also a man." Washington Post . June 13, 2011. Retrieved on April 8, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Goldenberg, Suzanne. "Outrage in US as 'lesbian' bloggers revealed to be men." The Guardian . June 14, 2011. Retrieved on June 14, 2011.