[GN] What Is Defamation???
Marc Stauffer
Maybe I'm reading to many liberal authors who are luring me down the evil
slope of being a Homosexual Radical. The following article reporting Tom
Curise's DEFAMATION SUIT has my blood boiling today.
Given Hollywood's gossip about who is having an affair with whom seems to
be a NON-ISSUE. It goes with the territory of being a handsome leading
person in films. I can understand that if its a lie that Tom Cruise is
angry. He can get over it - being called gay - is not a defamaton, or
libelous nor even Salnder.
Defamation however is defined as 1.) disgrace; 2) to harm the reputation of
by libel or slander
3) to weaken, make harmless of less powerful.
Libel is defined as a written or oral defamatory statement or
representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression.
Salnder: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame
and damage another's reputation.
So Tom Cruise filing this law suit is saying that someone saying he had a
gay affair is a disgrace, harmful of his reputation, gives people an
unfavorable impression!
Tom Cruise is also expressing his REAL feelings about YOU, ME and the gay
community.
His defamation suit is absolute scat. This is the type of subtle excrement
that keeps us in our place. If he wins - it is yet another affirmation to
lawyers and judges that we are second class or no class citizens. We are a
disgrace by being.
I know, I know, I'm nit picking; but if those of us in our community don't
parse the words and meanings behind this type of reporting and court case -
equality will never arrive.
Marc
ASSOCIATED PRESS, May 2, 2001
Tom Cruise Files Defamation Suit
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tom Cruise filed a $100 million defamation
lawsuit
against a pornography actor who allegedly claimed he had a gay affair that
broke up Cruise's marriage.
Chad Slater told the French magazine Actustar that ``he had a continuing
homosexual relationship during Cruise's marriage and that the relationship
was discovered by Cruise's wife, who ended the relationship,'' according to
the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
``Cruise is not and never has been a homosexual'' and ``does not even
know''
Slater, the lawsuit said.
Cruise's attorney, Bert Fields, said Actustar has agreed to publish a
retraction.
Slater uses the stage name Kyle Bradford. There was no telephone listing
for
either name in the Hollywood area.
Cruise filed for divorce from Nicole Kidman in February after 10 years of
marriage. They have two adopted children.
The divorce case is pending, but Cruise's divorce lawyer, Dennis Wasser,
issued a statement Wednesday that ``the children are his life and he will
always provide for them and their security. Tom will provide Nicole with
one-half of the community property, consisting of tens of millions of
dollars.''
``Tom said to me 'She's the mother of our children and I will always wish
her well,''' Wasser said.
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Patrick Ferris
> Maybe I'm reading to many liberal authors who are luring me down the evil
> slope of being a Homosexual Radical. The following article reporting Tom
> Curise's DEFAMATION SUIT has my blood boiling today.
>
> So Tom Cruise filing this law suit is saying that someone saying he had a
> gay affair is a disgrace, harmful of his reputation, gives people an
> unfavorable impression!
He's saying that being accused of having an adulterous relationship
while married could adversely affect his divorce proceedings. And should
publishers be allowed to profit by inventing gossip about famous people?
> Tom Cruise is also expressing his REAL feelings about YOU, ME and the gay
> community.
If Cruise is really homophobic, surely you could find some less
ambiguous examples.
Patrick
Eric Bohlman
wrote:
>Dear Friends:
>
>Maybe I'm reading to many liberal authors who are luring me
down the evil
>slope of being a Homosexual Radical. The following article
reporting Tom
>Curise's DEFAMATION SUIT has my blood boiling today.
Bear in mind that the founder of Tom's religion officially
wrote "The purpose of the lawsuit is to harass, not win."
Litigation is actually sacramental in Scientology, so much so
that district courts have ruled that Scientology's written
policies on "ruining" its "enemies" can't be introduced as
evidence because to do so would require courts to evaluate
religious doctrine (this lunacy seems not to have affected
the few appellate courts that have heard Scientology cases;
one ruled that Scientology did *not* have a First Amendment
right to demand that its members, on pain of excommunication,
refuse to pay legitimate debts to a particular ex-member).
Marc Stauffer
You may well be right. I'm certainly have little if any knowledge on
Scientology. As for examples of Cruises homophobia - again I'll grant that
you are partially right. In this world for better or worse - there are
little things that catch the mind while reading.
The article I read had no mention of the Scientology connection. It did
quote his agent about being accused of having a homosexual affair. If his
question is about his marriage - I would think adultery would be
sufficient. No need to include the words "Homosexual"
Of course, I'm in DC where we can debate the meaning of "IS".
As for your comment about publishers making money - the story was in a
French tabloid - not the International Herald Tribune. Tabloids have always
existed on gossip - think of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons - Walter
Winchell. American's want it and they buy it.
Marc
M. G. Stauffer
Naomi Himmelhoch
Any untrue allegation about sexual activity is libel or slander per se, a
type of defamation, it doesn't matter whether the act alleged is
heterosexual, homosexual, or masturbatory. While I agree that the reason
Tom Cruise is pissed is homophobic, defamation is the only legal device he
can use, in this case. He does have the right to challenge untrue
allegations, even though I personally think he is cutting off his nose to
spite his face. You could sue someone who alleged you had an affair with
Nicole Kidman using the exact same language.
Naomi Himmelhoch
Redwood City, CA
>Dear Friends:
>
>Maybe I'm reading to many liberal authors who are luring me down the evil
>slope of being a Homosexual Radical. The following article reporting Tom
>Curise's DEFAMATION SUIT has my blood boiling today.
>
>Given Hollywood's gossip about who is having an affair with whom seems to
>be a NON-ISSUE. It goes with the territory of being a handsome leading
>person in films. I can understand that if its a lie that Tom Cruise is
>angry. He can get over it - being called gay - is not a defamaton, or
>libelous nor even Salnder.
>
>Defamation however is defined as 1.) disgrace; 2) to harm the reputation of
>by libel or slander
>3) to weaken, make harmless of less powerful.
>
>Libel is defined as a written or oral defamatory statement or
>representation that conveys an unjustly unfavorable impression.
>
>Salnder: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame
>and damage another's reputation.
>
>So Tom Cruise filing this law suit is saying that someone saying he had a
>gay affair is a disgrace, harmful of his reputation, gives people an
>unfavorable impression!
>
>Tom Cruise is also expressing his REAL feelings about YOU, ME and the gay
>community.
>
>**********
>
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Ezekiel J. Krahlin
<< So Tom Cruise filing this law suit is saying that someone saying he
had a gay affair is a disgrace >>
Cruise's arrogant stance is equivalent to a white man threatening to
sue, because someone suggested he has some African blood in him.
<< Tom Cruise is also expressing his REAL feelings about YOU, ME
and the gay community. >>
Yes, he sure is. But please realize this is the new paradigm: we ARE
second-class, even third-class citizens...what with the establishment of
DOMA several years back, and the ensuing powers of the Religious
Reich under Ashcroft/Cheney/Bush. Cruise *will win, setting a
precedent for a flurry of lawsuits against those who dare call someone
"homosexual". It's all over, gang; we have been smashed, utterly. This is
now a bona fide religious state, and we will fare little better than Muslim
countries.
Things have shifted very rapidly against gays in Amerika...and we only
need to see how bad things have become, as what liberal buttresses we
thought we had secured, are washed away in the slightest drizzle from
the right wing. Soon, Vermont will utterly lose whatever progressive
rights they momentarily had for gays. How many more gov't bashings do
we gays need to realize that WAR has been declared against us, in the
most serious of ways. I saw this quite some time ago, but was ridiculed
for being delusionary. Hey, I'm just ahead of the times, with a sharp
intuitive sense of future trends, at least when it comes to the gay issue.
But cheer up: I also see a new, irrestible force rising up within our gay
ranks worldwide, that will OVERTURN and DEFEAT homophobia for
once and for all. It is all coming to a head, in our time. The gay issue will
be forced down EVERYONE'S throat, in every nation and institution on a
GLOBAL DIMENSION...whether they like it or not. It's just the clearcut
law of Karma: persistently ignore a cruel injustice over and over again,
and it eventually explodes in the perpetrators' face. And since this is a
WORLDWIDE EVIL, more than any other sort of discrimination, it will
play out on a GLOBAL SCALE. And how we will shine!
<< I know, I know, I'm nit picking >>
No, you certainly are NOT nitpicking, Marc. Keep that outrage burning
brightly...it is the flame of justice and gay pride. Channel that rage to
fight back.
For starters, we all ought to DEMAND that GLAAD directly confront
Tom Cruise's homophobic arrogance, along with whatever venues
support him, such as certain Hollywood connections. We should also
write letters to editors--including to gossip magazines--expressing
OUTRAGE against Cruise's obvious bigotry.
---
Lavender-Velvet Revolution
http://surf.to/gaybible
Lan...@aol.com
multi-billion dollar business in this country....not just bars and liquor and
t-shirt sales, but all manner of publications, websites, businesses,
organizations, etc. No one-term Republican President elected by less than a
quarter of the American people can stuff us back in.
In fact, foiur yars of 'repressive' national leadership (two, if the
Democrats retake Congress midterm) will go a long way toward re-activating
the G/L/B/T community. More people will come out. More 'out' people will
become active. We are looking at an exciting, energizing couple of years. IF
we chose to make it so.
Ezekiel J. Krahlin
<< If Cruise is really homophobic, surely you could find some less
ambiguous examples. >>
I'd say that, after reading an article on this matter from PlanetOut
<http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2001/05/03/1>, Tom
Cruise's attorney is definitely playing the homophobic card. I now quote:
"Referring to the Actustar interview, Cruise's attorney Bert Fields told E!
Online, 'It is absolutely 100 percent false. [Cruise] is a great respecter
of homosexual rights, but he's not gay, and he's ready to prove this in
court. Tom is tired of it and it hurts his children. It's something that will
be there forever. And damn it, he's going to stop it.'...
"The lawsuit claims rumors that Cruise is gay could cause him to lose
'the respect and enthusiasm of a substantial segment of the movie-
going public' which would, in turn, 'cost Cruise very substantial sums.' It
further states that 'vast numbers of the public throughout the world' do
not share Cruise's open-minded attitude about gays and 'believing that
he had a homosexual affair and did so during his marriage, they will be
less inclined to patronize Cruise's films, particularly since he tends to
play parts calling for heterosexual romance and action adventure.'"
I'd say that Cruise now *deserves to be outed, everywhere and
anywhere, as much as possible. Considering how much homophobia
has "cost" us gays, it's only fair. This attorney implies that the bottom
dollar is vastly more important than ending anti-gay attitudes.
---
Lavender-Velvet Revolution
http://surf.to/gaybible
**********
James Nimmo
The environmentalists have noted an increase in membership and donations
already. Nothing makes one appreciate something until it's threatened or
almost lost. We should all make the decision to do whatever we can to break
the genie's bottle and remove the hinges from the closet door.
Jim Nimmo
>From: Lan...@aol.com
>To: ezek...@runbox.com, gay...@QueerNet.ORG
>Subject: Re: [GN] What Is Defamation???
>Date: Fri, 4 May 2001 04:52:19 EDT
>
>My belief is that the gay genie is out of the bottle. Gaydom is a
>multi-billion dollar business in this country....not just bars and liquor
>and
>t-shirt sales, but all manner of publications, websites, businesses,
>organizations, etc. No one-term Republican President elected by less
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**********
Patrick Ferris
> I'd say that Cruise now *deserves to be outed, everywhere and
> anywhere, as much as possible. Considering how much homophobia
> has "cost" us gays, it's only fair. This attorney implies that the bottom
> dollar is vastly more important than ending anti-gay attitudes.
I'd say the gay community needs to get over its fascination with the
sex lives of movie stars. Whether Cruise is gay or a homophobe is not
something to make into a global gay issue or waste time and effort on. The
homophobia of Bush, Ashcroft, et al., is far more important.
Patrick
Warri...@aol.com
I think you're both wrong and right in your latest posting on defamation.
Tracking movie stars liaisons is a national industry in the US particularly
since we don't have royalty. We've done it since the time of Ben Franklin.
Indeed a small part of our far broader concerns -- but -- like Jews in on the
Borsch Belt of the Catskills or blacks during the Harlem Renaissance it we
need to say something about this. I frankly thought we had come further than
the 1920s when Fatty Arbuckle had his career ruined by being gay or Big Bill
Johnson in Tennis.
There is no incident of attack or undermining of a group's self image that
isn't worth some energy.
As for you and others who fixate on Washington - please pay more attention to
act locally. For example the mayor of Charlotte, NC is under attack by a
county commissioner for a letter welcoming Gay Pride to Charlotte. The county
commissioner has said -- drug dealers and prostitutes spend money in the city
but the mayor doesn't welcome them. The county commissioner points out that
since sodomy and cohabitation is illegal in NC the mayor is openly welcoming
a large group of criminals to the city.
ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL
Marc
Ezekiel J. Krahlin
<<
My belief is that the gay genie is out of the bottle.
>>
Thank you. Before 1993 my legal name was "Eugene Catalano", or just
"Gene". My lover Randolph Taylor (a Nam Vet and anti-war/gay activist)
used to call me his "genie". Little did I realize that, even though I came
out of the closet, I was still in a bottle (until I met Randolph)!
You may view a document as proof of my name before 1993, and a
notary paper designating my present name:
http://www.fortunecity.com/village/weaver/76/newname.htm
<<
No one-term Republican President elected by less than a
quarter of the American people can stuff us back in.
>>
Wow, I like your attitude! You go!
<<
In fact, four yars of 'repressive' national leadership (two, if the
Democrats retake Congress midterm) will go a long way toward re-
activating the G/L/B/T community.
>>
I believe you are absolutely on the mark, Lance. But as you already know
by my letters, I also see the begining of a jihad against us, with a
powerful pro-gay backlash as the result...and on a global level. We may
even see an underground railroad to Holland, for gay U.S.
refugees...until the tide turns in our favor.
<<
We are looking at an exciting, energizing couple of years. IF
we chose to make it so.
>>
I am here to motivate the troops. And with such positive, foresighted
folks like you, I'd say we're in good hands; our future is bright. Keep up
the good work you inspire in others.
---
Lavender-Velvet Revolution
http://surf.to/gaybible
**********