Best Buy Employee "Outs" Straight Guy

[Stu35]

Surely he could just say, "sorry, got fraped" and laugh it off?

Possibly, or half the people who read, "i got fraped" will see it as a go-to when he tried to backpedal when coming out didn't work out so well.
It's the internet. Saying you got fraped is just as believable as as anything else you could say.

Bullshit.

People get fraped all the time, nobody ever GENUINELY believes that, if someone has a status saying "I am gay", followed shortly by a "Sorry guys, not gay - got fraped", then they're just backpedalling on a 'coming out' that didn't go too well.

Indeed, of the two people I've seen come out (genuinely) on facebook, both had to actually insist, repeatedly, that they were in fact, gay, and that they had not simply been fraped, or done it for a laugh.


... I dunno, maybe I just know fewer retarded people than everyone else? (unlikely, I live in the British equivalent of the American deep-south (Yorkshire), where there are a lot of inbred retards).

So what you're saying is that everyone you know, knows that admitting to being gay is a joke?
Nobody in your area takes homosexuality seriously?
Think about that.

What you're saying is, you feel homosexuality is something that shouldn't just be accepted as a part of every day life? That it's something which should be taken completely seriously, and not simply given the same treatment as everything else in life?

'Some people are gay, get over it.', is the general attitude round my way, just something to think about.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

so next time you correct someone, try not to be wrong.

Next time you're right about the tiniest thing, try not to be smug.[sub]It's called manners.[/sub]

Hmmm... The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Anyone who thinks about going to court over that has got to be overcompensating.

 

[Valis88]

Personally, I'd consider it a great honor to be though of as homosexual, even if I was not.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

so next time you correct someone, try not to be wrong.

Next time you're right about the tiniest thing, try not to be smug.[sub]It's called manners.[/sub]

Hmmm... The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Anyone who thinks about going to court over that has got to be overcompensating.

yeah, you're right. i was a little overly dickish.

 

[blalien]

With the near global acceptance for homosexuality these days this will be thrown out in court. As soon as he mentions that he doesn't like homosexuals the court will be instantly against him.

Global acceptance? Homosexuality is the number one reason children are disowned by their parents in America. Most states allow employers to fire employees based on their sexual orientation, and a year ago being outed as gay would have automatically gotten you discharged from the military. There is still a sizable portion of the US population that thinks homosexuality should be a felony. A bill that would help protect women against domestic violence is currently being held up in Congress because that bill would also help lesbians. Even if you are in no way a homophobe, people thinking you're gay can seriously damage your reputation.

This guy has every right to sue. Anybody who thinks this is no big deal is not aware of how bad gay people still have it in this country. Hopefully he was able to convince his friends and family it was just a Facebook prank.

And if the court rules in his favor then it can be construed that the court isn't in favor of homosexuality and the press/media have a field day. Like I said thrown out of court.

I just gave a long explanation on why being falsely accused of being gay could be personally harmful even if you have no bigotry towards gay people...

 

[Xanadu84]

This guy who got hacked isn't stupid. hes not even bigoted (As far as any of us can tell). Hes perhaps a little bit dim in the technology department, but that's hardly the point.

First, to the people who think he dislikes homosexuality: No. Just...no. If a gay person had there's Facebook hacked and had a post that said, "Ive been confused all this time, being straight is the only way for me to be", that person would have a right to be pissed. That is not an insult to straight people, it simply demonstrates that having other people try to impose your sexual orientation on you is degrading and insulting. Its not about acceptance, its about being misrepresented. Personally, I don't want people to think i'm gay. Not because I have any problems with gay people, Im absolutely fine with homosexuality. I'm just not gay.

People take issue with him talking about his tarnished reputation. Is that bigoted? Well, lets ask this guys sweet but a bit old fashioned strict catholic grandmother, his girlfriend who he has been getting in fights with lately, his ex who nagged him about his bedroom performance who is apologizing for never understanding what the real cause was, his stupid acquaintance who avoids you in the locker room now, and his business client who may be a bit homophobic, but also has that huge account at your business where you make your living.

Should he have signed out of Facebook? You know, on my phone, I press the Facebook button and my account comes up. And Facebook is just one of many things I can go to, and my password is saved for ease of access. I can absolutely see myself getting a phone repaired without even thinking that the people doing the repairs might behave so unprofessionally. Besides, he was getting his phone repaired. It's not a phone, but when my computer died while it was under warentee, I sent it back to get fixed. If I was capable of turning the computer on to sign out of Facebook, I wouldn't have needed to get it fixed. Leaving his Facebook open is absolutely and completely reasonable.

Some people says that they have had there Facebooks hacked and were made to say stupid things and laugh. These people were your friends. They know you, and they know how you will react. Its very different to have a complete stranger that you are entrusting and PAYING for a job to betray you like that. Oh also, makes you wonder what other information these former employees snooped for.

Now the real issue is that this guy, like most Facebook users I imagine, doesn't seem to understand Facebook. Delete the post, and post a status saying something about how your phone was hacked. Problem solved. Sure, this guy should know that. Hes a bit dim in regards to facebook. Granted. But importantly, he has no obligation to be a Facebook expert to protect himself against professionals that he is paying. Just like if you break a guys nose by punching him in the face, "He has a weak nose" is not a defense.

 

[FamoFunk]

The guy sounds like a dick. This story is 1000x better because of his over-reaction to the whole thing.

This guy needs to get, "Fraped" more.

 

[BlazeRaider]

Reminds of seeing a persons status saying 'I like cum, in my bum'. Everyone had a good laugh about it, including the guy that got FaceBook jacked. 'Ruined my reputation' though, that is quite laughable.

...sorry I had too.


On topic, this is why I don't use Facebook, I don't feel it's prudent to put your entire social life on the internet, too unstable yeah?

 

[rattusvirtualis]

This guy who got hacked isn't stupid. hes not even bigoted (As far as any of us can tell). Hes perhaps a little bit dim in the technology department, but that's hardly the point... to end of post

Well said.

 

[Savryc]

He's pursuing legal action against a company because he got Fraped, even though the guy responsible has already been sacked and he comes out with a line like "tarnished reputation" as if being gay were something to be ashamed of.

How can I have sympathy for a man when he'd rather the world know he's a spiteful, greedy little man child instead of letting a few people think he was gay? Something he could of easily cleared up by replying to the offending post on his wall with "Wasn't me, got Fraped".

That or he's just a dick playing the whole thing up for a payout thanks to his parasite lawyer.

 

[templar1138a]

I'm pretty sure he can sue for slander. At the very least it counts as sexual harassment.

And personally, I feel this guy has every right to feel like his reputation has been tarnished.

-Stop right there, hear me out. I am NOT a homophobe. I accept, condone, and support equality of sexual orientation.-

Like it or not, when someone you solidly thought was one sexual orientation turns out to be another, it can change your perception of that person drastically. And when I say "solidly thought," I mean that you haven't had to convince yourself they're straight/gay/bi. I mean that it just didn't occur to you that they could be anything else.

You start talking to them differently. You avoid or explore certain subjects you wouldn't've otherwise. And that's just how NICE people react to that realization. There are still PLENTY of bigoted assholes who will do much worse in reaction.

 

[PainInTheAssInternet]

Not many people heard that story about the old man, the young boy, the apple, and the pillow full of feathers?

The fact is that Facebook as it is today does have real-world implications. Not nearly as bad as stating that you're a part of Al-Quaeda in the US which would land you in Gitmo (wouldn't be surprised to learn that it has actually happened).

Also, coming out is Hell. I'm not gay so I can't speak from experience, but I can understand the pressure. Nervousness. Rejection. All that sunshine and rainbow stuff. They have to prepare themselves for it. Some never do it. Those who do it do so because it is an important part of their identity. Whether or not we think about it, our sexuality, or lack thereof, plays a large role in our day-to-day lives and does affect our ability to coexist with certain people in reality. Before you state "Just forget about those people. They don't want you, they want an illusion." Bear in mind that these are family members and long-time friends that have one undesirable position.

This guy just walked into a Best Buy and the next thing he knows, his ex is on the phone asking about his sexual identity. No warning. No need for the emotional stress that does come from being a 30-something year old man asked about a key part of his sexual identity. Also, a post wouldn't get the job done because the people in question who think he is gay likely heard it from someone else.

Even if he stated to the employee that he was gay, they still would have no right to do so. THey breached privacy by using a personal account and using another's identity to misrepresent them.

And yes, I do consider being identified as homosexual while not being homosexual offensive. I consider my sexuality an important part of my existence. When it is called into question, I am insecure in my identity because of the perception of others. You can give all that hogwash that others aren't important, but it's hogwash. It doesn't mean I don't like homosexuals. It means that I am upset that a part of me is being called into question.

You also have to consider that this man, along with his close persons, might not be a part of the technological generation and may be unfamiliar with the reach of the internet. They might assume things are worse than they actually are.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

This keeps showing up the "recent" feed, so I figured I'd check it out.

He apparently isn't very keen on being mistaken for a homosexual.

I don't know if you intended this, Grey, but that seems to imply that he is homophobic.

Imagine if the post had been "I'm getting married", "I'm getting divorced", "We're having a baby!". Would his concern over those mean he is for or against marriage, or babies? Nope. It means "now everyone thinks I am unexpectedly something that I am not, and now I have to deal with clarifying it for many people; and deal with many more over time who just took it at face value and went on with it." Imagine his girlfriend or wife's reaction to that. Imagine friends, families, and colleagues' reactions. These are all big life things that have to be handled delicately even when true.

What we at least forum-using level internet dwellers seem to forget is that not everyone views the world the same way as we do. Not everyone assumes an "I'm gay" post is a joke or hack, especially depending on who the poster claims to be. Not everyone checks follow-up posts for "lolz, I got hacked". Not everyone would believe a retraction even if he posted one.

Family, friends, and co-workers probably told other friends about the post. How many of them passed it on? How many of them, if they read a retraction, pass it on to the others "Oh, by the way, turns out Bob isn't gay". Extraordinary news travels fast, be it "good", "bad", true, or false; corrections hardly travel at all.

So, the employee got fired, that would probably be enough for me. This guy is probably going to have to deal with repercussions of this post for at least a few years. If he wants compensation for that, I have no problem with him.

 

[Goofguy]

Does this guy live and die by Facebook? If I was to be judged by the crap that has been put about me on Facebook, I'd probably be jobless but you know what? None of my friends (especially the ones I haven't been in contact with for a while, who apparently are so important) give a damn.

 

[Maze1125]

This keeps showing up the "recent" feed, so I figured I'd check it out.

He apparently isn't very keen on being mistaken for a homosexual.

I don't know if you intended this, Grey, but that seems to imply that he is homophobic.

Imagine if the post had been "I'm getting married", "I'm getting divorced", "We're having a baby!". Would his concern over those mean he is for or against marriage, or babies? Nope. It means "now everyone thinks I am unexpectedly something that I am not, and now I have to deal with clarifying it for many people; and deal with many more over time who just took it at face value and went on with it." Imagine his girlfriend or wife's reaction to that. Imagine friends, families, and colleagues' reactions. These are all big life things that have to be handled delicately even when true.

Did you purposely take that line out of context, or were you incapable of reading a sentence further into the article?

He apparently isn't very keen on being mistaken for a homosexual.

"I feel I have been humiliated. My reputation has been tarnished," he said.

He's not just upset that he has to explain things, he finds being mistaken as homosexual to be both humiliating and reputation damaging. That sounds pretty damn homophobic to me.

If the post had been "I'm getting married." or "We're having a baby." and his response wasn't simply to tell people it wasn't true but to instead go "I feel I have been humiliated. My reputation has been tarnished," that would be a pretty clear indication found marriage, or babies, to be distasteful.

 

[Nuke_em_05]

This keeps showing up the "recent" feed, so I figured I'd check it out.

He apparently isn't very keen on being mistaken for a homosexual.

I don't know if you intended this, Grey, but that seems to imply that he is homophobic.

Imagine if the post had been "I'm getting married", "I'm getting divorced", "We're having a baby!". Would his concern over those mean he is for or against marriage, or babies? Nope. It means "now everyone thinks I am unexpectedly something that I am not, and now I have to deal with clarifying it for many people; and deal with many more over time who just took it at face value and went on with it." Imagine his girlfriend or wife's reaction to that. Imagine friends, families, and colleagues' reactions. These are all big life things that have to be handled delicately even when true.

Did you purposely take that line out of context, or were you incapable of reading a sentence further into the article?

He apparently isn't very keen on being mistaken for a homosexual.

"I feel I have been humiliated. My reputation has been tarnished," he said.

He's not just upset that he has to explain things, he finds being mistaken as homosexual to be both humiliating and reputation damaging. That sounds pretty damn homophobic to me.

If the post had been "I'm getting married." or "We're having a baby." and his response wasn't simply to tell people it wasn't true but to instead go "I feel I have been humiliated. My reputation has been tarnished," that would be a pretty clear indication found marriage, or babies, to be distasteful.

I asked for clarification on the context. I did read the whole article and followed the link.

Sexual identity makes a big part of anyone's reputation. What if George Takei came out and said: "Lolz! I don't really like dudes!"?

"Having a baby" when his wife or girlfriend is not pregnant would sure as hell be humiliating and reputation tarnishing. "Getting married" could fuck up his relationship with his current girlfriend, or potential girlfriends. "Getting divorced" could really fuck with his family.

Like I said before, not everyone checks for, or even believes retractions; people might assume he is a cheater or at least an illegitimate father, or that he's too needy/clingy/dependent, or that he is getting a divorce. Or that he made the post himself as a joke in very poor taste.

It's not just that he takes his post "too seriously", it's that other people could take his post "too seriously". Some people just fuck around on Facebook, some people actually use it a a legitimate means of communication with friends and family. Neither use is "right" or "wrong" for any given individual. It just means that if you and your friends don't post or read things seriously on Facebook, it doesn't invalidate that this guy and his friends might.

I get it, it wouldn't be a big deal for you. This guy isn't you.

 

[Maze1125]

I get it, it wouldn't be a big deal for you. This guy isn't you.

You're right, it wouldn't be a big deal to me, but it is to this guy, because he's a homophobe.