UN, S&M, and Scotch Guarded Fursuits (or, why I love Dan Savage)
This fits into so many categories, but...
UN Iraqi weapons inspector Jack McGeorge likes whips and chains and other ties that bind. In fact, he's a founding member of the Washington DC area Black Rose society and a former chairman of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. So, when the Washington Post discovered that he may not have a degree in weapons inspecting, they reported instead that he was a pervert.
The furry angle to all this is a very amusing interview that CNN did with Dan Savage discussing the situation. I guess we made a heck of an impression on Mr. Savage as somehow he and Anderson Cooper of CNN started discussing Plushophilia and furry conventions. You can read the transcript on CNN's web site.
Read more about why you should be outraged by the Washington Post (and not Dan Savage).First, Dan rocks. When discussing acceptable perversions, he thinks of furries. I respect that. We really should thank Dan.
Second, you should read more about what the Washington Post did and how their editors chose to harrass a man who has done piles of work in education and advancing your freedoms (including that to be either in favor or outraged by sexual content in the furry fandom.)
The following is from the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and may be reproduced freely.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 18:19:10 -0600
From:
Subject: [SSCN] NCSF Call to ActionCALL TO ACTION
National Coalition for Sexual FreedomSupport UN Weapons Inspector Jack McGeorge
News agencies are targeting one of the UN Weapons Inspectors to Iraq, Jack
McGeorge, because he is a respected SM community leader and educator.
McGeorge's professional credibility as a weapons inspector is being
questioned in part because of his background as former Chairman of the
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, and as a former board member of
both the Leather Leadership Conference and the educational organization,
Black Rose.
Jack McGeorge stated: "I have been very upfront with people in the past
about what I do, and it has never prevented me from getting a job or doing
service. I am who I am. I am not ashamed of who I am -- not one bit. But I
cannot allow my actions, as they may be perceived by others, to damage an
organization which has done nothing to deserve that damage."
Please support the SM community and Jack McGeorge by dropping a note to
the various news agencies covering this story. McGeorge's sexuality is a
personal issue and should have no bearing on his qualifications for any
job. Please state your support for the UN officials who rightly refuse to
accept McGeorge's resignation on the basis of his sexuality.
*Your note should only be 200 words long, and include your full name and
phone number for verification purposes only.*
NCSF's letter:
On behalf of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, I would like to
respond to James V. Grimaldi's article "Weapons Inspectors' Experience
Questioned: Va. Man Is Cited As Example" published on November 28. It is
irresponsible for a news organization like The Washington Post to attempt
to discredit Jack McGeorge as a weapons inspector simply because of his
sexuality. Many millions of Americans engage in SM according to a 1990
Kinsey Institute report. These people are doctors, lawyers, teachers, and
news reporters, as well as professionals like Jack McGeorge.
As a former Chairman of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom,
McGeorge ably assisted our national advocacy organization in fighting this
sort of discrimination and persecution. McGeorge has also volunteered his
valuable time to educate adults about safe, sane and consensual sexual
expression.
NCSF urges you to refrain from sensationalism usually found in tabloid
journals: McGeorge's private life has nothing to do with his professional
credibility.
Sincerely,
Susan Wright, Spokesperson
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
5505 Connecticut Avenue NW - #184
Washington DC 20015-2601
917-848-6544
NCSF strongly urges you to take a few minutes to respond to the following
articles:
1. "Weapons Inspectors' Experience Questioned" (Washington Post, November 28)
see full text on www.washingtonpost.com and do a search for the
author: James V. Grimaldi
Write to: Letters@WashPost.com, Abramowitz@WashPost.com,
LynchC@WashPost.com, Ombudsman@washpost.com
2. "World body not turned off by arms inspector's S&M" (NY Daily News, November 29)
see full text on: http://www.nydailynews.com/11-29-2002/news/wn_report/v-pfriendly/story/3...
Write to: voicers@edit.nydailynews.com
3. "State Department Denies Involvement in U.N. Inspector Choices" (Fox News, November 29)
see full text on: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,71748,00.html
Write to: politics@foxnews.com
4. Interview with Dan Savage (CNN, November 30)
see full text at the bottom of the page: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0211/30/asb.00.html
To respond, go to: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/hottopics/4/frameset.exclude.html
5. "Sadomasochist" (New York Post, November 29)
see full text on www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/51175.htm
Write to: Letters@NYPost.com
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
http://www.ncsfreedom.org/mop/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at media@ncsfreedom.org
###
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a national organization
committed to altering the political, legal, and social environment in the
U.S. in order to guarantee equal rights for consenting adults who practice
forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the
rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory
communities, who often face discrimination because of their sexual
expression.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
5505 Connecticut Avenue NW - #184
Washington DC 20015-2601
410-539-4824
About the author
mailboxbooks (Rabbit Valley Comics) — read stories — contact (login required)a store owner and Rabbit and Arctic Fox from Las Vegas, Nevada, interested in art, books, comics, novels, novellas, fanzines, magazines, and more...
Sean Rabbitt is the co-owner of Rabbit Valley® Comics, the longest operating (since 1987) all-furry comic book store. Contrary to popular belief, "Rabbitt" is, and always has been, Sean's real last name. He believes that he was "doomed" to become a furry. Back in college in 1997, Sean started "Another RABCO Disaster"™, a small distribution service for Lance Rund and Chris McKinley's "Associated Student Bodies" comic. Soon after, he purchased Mailbox Books from the retiring owners. Today, Rabbit Valley has grown leaps and bounds, selling over 9000 different titles and items. Their latest venture is publishing including the titles "Circles," "Associated Student Bodies," "Rocketship Rodents," and "Spooo Presents." Sean is married to his husband and co-owner of Rabbit Valley, Andrew Rabbitt. His mother isn't so much shocked to have married another man as much as that Andy took the last name "Rabbitt."
Andrew Rabbitt is the other co-owner of Rabbit Valley Comics. He took the name Rabbitt when he was wed to Sean in July of 2004 as a sign of his undying love – not as some weird furry dream-come-true. Andrew (who prefers to be called Andy by his friends) has been involved in the furry fandom for many years, and has been assisting Sean with Rabbit Valley since 1999. If you have placed an order through the Rabbit Valley website chances are he picked, packed, and shipped it to you. Outside of the fandom Andy enjoys cooking, surfing the web, and doing the various projects that come with home ownership. Seeing as Andrew and Sean purchased a house needing some tender love and care there is no shortage of projects.
Comments
Oog, a bit difficult to read. And the transcript on CNN, one has to scroll down a lot to get to the part with Dan Savage's interview. Not much you can do to fix that though.
Media pundet invited to show to talk about sexual fetishes discuses varios sexual fetishes. Film at Eleven.
ps. You seem to be making the asumption that 'Furry' in general is a sexual fetish thing. Are you totaly sure on that?
Following up to myself here, but... You'll notice Dan never uses the word 'Furry' to describe Plushiphiles. Infact, he's given a nice chance to assosiate it with Furry Conventions, and dosnt.
Now, this is good. Its what we want in the media. But...
To then report it in our own fandom as Dan talking about furry is actualy going against the work done to ensure people view Plushiphilia and Furry as two seperate things.
I'm not sure I agree with this commentary's validity, because while yes, it comes VERY close to actually being about furries, the transcript does not actually use the word furry, or mention that some plushophiles (which was mispelled as plushofile by the transcriber, for those of you who might want to search through it using the Find command) which IS a sexual kink, attend actual furry conventions. Those "conventions" as they described, were made to look like the convention was solely based on plushophilia. As far as I know, there are absolutely no plush conventions.
The transcription never touched on the actual subject of furry fandom, and that, I'm rather grateful for Dan to either have A) forgotten, or B) Does realize that furry fandom in and of itself is not a sexual kink, but rather at the very least a hobby dealing with anthropomorphics.
So basically what I'm saying is, we were either very lucky in that he forgot to mention the keyword, or he finally did realize by the outcry of emails given to him that furry is NOT a sexual kink.... (... and this is coming from me, one of the most open minded furs around, note. Anyone who knows me can vouch for that. {{--}})
Either way, there's no real reason to be upset about this since the fandom wasn't in direct aim of the bashing, thus this whole commentary really doesn't have any value.
Anyways, that's my two cents about the whole deal.
--Crassus
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