Controversy

Some thoughts on free speech, censorship, and online harassment

Stephen M. Tomic
Sep 7, 2018 · 5 min read
“person near assorted paintings” by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

I wish this piece were an essay about my favorite Prince song. Instead, I feel compelled to clear the air about an incident that happened here on Medium while I was away on holiday. It happened literally the day I arrived at my destination, surrounded by surf and sun, but the storm clouds of controversy blew in and ruined the rest of my day.

For those who don’t know, I am the editor of The Junction. It’s a publication that primarily features fiction and poetry from writers of all creeds, colors, and continents, with no prejudice against genders, sexual preferences, or even political beliefs. As editor, I strive for a balance of voices and views. It’s said that all art is political, or that all art is propaganda, and perhaps that’s true, but first and foremost I see stories as a way to see the world through the lens of another perspective.

The controversial story in question was written by a writer whose work I am fond of. I find hope and beauty and compassion in her words. I don’t want to name names in this piece, and you’ll understand why in a moment. She submitted the story the evening before I departed. I read the story and found it well-written, with wit and charm and a somewhat cheeky twist ending. It was a story about two people meeting in a bar and getting a bit flirty and then a bit touchy-feely. The guy finds the woman incredibly attractive and is stunned when the woman says she’s going to go home to her wife. The implication being, perhaps, that this perceived woman was a transgender person; although, to my mind, I thought the character could have been crossdressing, akin to Eddie Izzard or RuPaul.

In my reading, I found the ending somewhat surprising but not offensive. I scheduled the story to be published the following day and thought nothing more of it. To the best of my knowledge, upon publication, the initial response was positive, filled with claps and encouraging comments. Things became ugly when a transgender reader took offense to the twist ending and left a comment demanding the writer stop using transgender people as a storytelling device.

Exacerbating matters was a comment from another reader who had also been surprised by the ending and responded with an off-the-cuff remark. While I don’t believe the comment was intended to disparage anyone, this personal reaction to the behavior of fictional characters further incensed those already offended by the piece.

My apologies if this summation has any inaccuracies. I’m doing my best to recreate the situation from the details I know. What I do know is I cannot control what happens in the comment section. Everyone reacts to art differently. Everyone has their own opinions.

What happened next is more attention was brought to this story when other members of the LGBTQ community on Medium were tagged to read it, further inflaming tensions. Then, another writer wrote an essay condemning the use of trans people as a literary device and publicly called out me and my publication to remove the story, then proceeded to tag more than 100 people to bring further attention to the controversy.

There were a few things that irked me about this: the first was that this demand was framed in such a way to presume I never even read the offending story in question, that it “slipped by” me and that as soon as I read it I would come to my senses and remove it. Second, I felt like the demand to remove a work of fiction written in good faith and fun was a blatant attempt at censorship. Third, I felt the public excoriation was uncalled for, especially when there are much more discreet and direct ways of having a dialogue to address potentially offensive material.

Medium allows readers to send writers private notes. Why make a public fuss about something that could have been discussed in private? Moreover, if any reader has an issue they’d like to take up with me, my email address is listed in my profile. I read everything that gets sent my way.

Even if I had been compelled to remove the story — and I should say here that the arguments for removing it would not have convinced me to do so — I would have been unable to, as I was traveling without a computer and cannot manage the publication without one. What then transpired should give all of us pause for reflection.

The writer of the story responded to the negative comments and apologized. However, by then a war of words had already begun, with a series of insults, harassment, and threats by others to report the writer to Medium. Let me be unequivocally clear here: this type of behavior is unacceptable and has no place in a debate.

I am well aware of the hardships and struggles of the LGBTQ community and I count myself as an ally for their fight for equal rights and treatment. But attacking and vilifying a writer who wrote something you don’t agree with is not a way to bring more allies to your cause. Instead, it is how enemies are made. The harassment became so intense that the writer felt compelled to block several people and then wrote a note of apology to me, saying she was going to remove the story on her own accord. Imagine the humiliation and embarrassment to be publicly excoriated for a short story.

This speaks to a broader trend I’ve noticed, no doubt a consequence of the divisive age we live in. Everyone feels compelled to choose sides, and there’s little attempt to bridge the divide. People with contrary views are disparaged, and I find this sort of moral arrogance repugnant and hypocritical at best. We should all strive to find common ground in spite of our differences.

The Junction will continue to publish stories that push boundaries. I hope that the readers will find something in the writing worthwhile, whether it be a beautiful turn of phrase, gut-busting fits of laughter or something that touches the heart. If something does personally offend, I ask that such concerns be addressed in a respectful manner rather than descending to the level of trolls. I love the community here on Medium and wish for us all to treat one another civilly and with respect.

Thanks,

Stephen M. Tomic

Stephen M. Tomic

Written by

writer* fiction* editor* smtomic@gmail.com

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade