Facebook Deletes Author Fan Page for “Inappropriate Language”
Lambda Literary Award nominee Frank Anthony Polito’s Facebook fan page for his book Band Fags! was deleted last Thursday by the social networking giant, for his use of "inappropriate language" in the title.
“I’ve taken pride in the fact that many of the ‘fans’ are/were not also my ‘friends,’ but people who have actually read the book, not because they know me, and that they have cared enough to sign on as a fan," he told Queerespondence. "Whenever I would see a new person on the list, I always made sure to send them a message, thanking them, and asking them to share their thoughts. Now that the page has been removed, I have no way of keeping in touch with these non-friend fans. And I never kept a formal list so I have no way of knowing or remembering who they are.”
Rather than censor hateful speech towards a group in this instance, Facebook has inadvertently squashed social connections made within a group to counteract such speech. Polito has not yet received heard from Facebook on repealing their decision. The book was released in 2008.
Polito knows the title of his book contains a word that is emotionally charged for many, but in this case aims to showcase the positive and intentional reclaiming of this word by the author. The argument, ‘we can say it, you can’t’ still illicits discomfort for many minority groups, but there’s no better way to put it. Personally, I try to avoid the word fag or faggot, but I agree with and affirm the use of these words in forums that challenge and dissuade the original intent.
The question is not if he should have chosen the title, he did, and they were published, so what is the reason for censorship? The first amendment and access to the Internet make a black and white opinion obsolete. If the argument stood that there aren’t hateful Facebook pages and groups it would make things clearer, but that is not the case. I can locate a few with very little difficulty.
This brings a few things to the mind of this Queerespondent.
First, do people get it? Namely, do our queer brothers and sisters, band fags included, understand why it is not just okay but important that an empowered queer writer share his story using any language he pleases; specifically the language of hatred that is used on a daily basis by teenagers all over this great nation of ours. Fag is common slang for both gays and homophobes these days, and that’s the rub.
Second, while this is an unfortunate situation caused by either word detection software or a flagging reported by a member of Facebook, there’s no way to know which, the whole affair has put the Brooklyn-based writer in the spot light.
I asked Polito if he could foresee this being a good thing for his books. “Actually it is," he told me. "Last week, I checked my Amazon sales ranking mid-week. BAND FAGS! was at about 400,000. On Friday afternoon it was at 15,000. I don’t know how many, but at least books are selling, as is the companion piece, DRAMA QUEERS! Now I’m trying to drum up interest in BAND FAGS! The stage play, which came before the novel. I think Gay Pride month would be perfect for a production here in NYC."
Politio is currently searching for a producer.
While this small misstep may have upset the author and his fans momentarily it has certainly done more good than harm. It has me wondering, is a non-scandal better then toiling in obscurity? Seems to be the modern day way.
