Press Releases

Is journalism this cheap?

On 24 December 2008, Kibris Newspaper published the message of Pope Benedict XVI with an article entitled “Gays will get mad at the Pope”. The news on page 32, accompanied with images that can be found easily by typing “pride/parade” on the Internet, was written with circulation concerns.
The news story continues:
”According to the Pope, homosexuality is as dangerous as the destruction of rain forests”
 
Although the Pope believes that “People don’t decide on who is a woman and who is a man, God does”, gay people think otherwise.
“Destruction of God’s creations”…
The Pope, who expressed that it’s a necessity to understand the language of human “creation” in order to comprehend the roles of women and men, added that relationships apart from traditional heterosexual relationships lead to the “destruction of God’s creations”.
 
 According to Pope Benedict XVI. homosexuality is as dangerous as the destruction of rain forests.
According to Daily Mail’s news, during a Christmas speech, the Pope condemned homosexuality while emphasizing the significance of marriage. While referring to transsexuals, the Pope stated that ” People don’t decide on who is a woman and who is a man, God does”. Pope Benedict XVI. added that “The church should only defend gifts which belong to all; such as earth, air and water. But it should also protect people from destructing themselves”. Pope expressed that rain forests should be protected and that humanity deserves this protection. While addressing homosexuality, the Pope states that being disrespectful to the unity between man and woman would result in “the self-destruction of humanity”.
 
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While we have not erased the memories of Kibris Newspaper objectifying women’s bodies for years in order to have higher circulation, witnessing the same practice by using LGBT individuals is heartbreaking.
It is obvious that the newspaper, which publishes news on our initiative and is expected to be a supporter of social change, has only changed the means in which they operate their old habits when it comes to concerns on circulation. Once again, they receive unearned income by using oppressed and exploited individuals for the sole purpose of reaching more readers…
At first glance, the news articles gives an impression of publicity. The newspaper entitles the story “Gays will get mad at the Pope” as if they have contacted and consulted tens of LGBT organizations. The newspaper doesn’t usually publish images of kissing heterosexual couples, but for the sake of attacking they reserved a full page for images of same-sex couples. But once LGBT individuals promote equality, request rights, combat violence or engage in any organizational movement these pages are not filled with such stories… Homosexuality is only portrayed in regards to sexuality and the fact that LGBT individuals seek love is constantly overshadowed.
Once the abovementioned news story is examined, it can be observed that it was written in an insensible manner. The images used can easily be found by typing “Parade pride” in Google Images. The first image is a couple kissing during the Tel Aviv 2007 pride walk. The image was used because the heterosexist structure of our society perceives two women kissing as sexual. The fact that these two women could be seeking love is not emphasized. The reader can see, laugh or think about it…
The other image is from a San Diego carnival from 2007. We would like to have seen images from LGBT carnivals. However, you continue to place photos of events such as the Brazilian Carnival in which women are objectified, after all you don’t receive much attention without publishing images of “beauties”. All you do is publish news stories that the society will show interest to.
” – Let’s use eccentric material because society might get influenced by the rational! “
The news also includes interesting images of men wearing makeup. Because homosexuality is a virus, first you become gay, then you undergo a transformation and find yourself in surgery. All gays want to be women. This is the mentality underlying the news story! According to your perspective all gay men are women. A woman who loves another women is a man in your eyes. For these small-minded people gay men wearing makeup and pink clothes have lost their masculinity and therefore are women. Can we trust anything but what the Pope says?
We are not against the use of homosexuality as an sexual object in media. Why should we be? People find the right to interfere in the lives of gay people all the time in this country. They use violence and beating under the guise of “morality”. Please continue to market violence and hate just to sell more… Present whatever you want in any way you like. Don’t think or feel guilt about the people that are disowned, beaten or killed because they are accused of being sinners after the news you have published! You did what you had to. Especially if your employer is happy with the sale figures, please don’t hesitate to feel joy!
After all the ones getting murdered are gays! Gays who are chased with stigmas! People who are fired due to their sexual orientation! Or gays who are referred to as “sinners” in religious statements published by fundamentalist institutions just for loving someone! Since the beginning of history gays were burned to death because it wouldn’t rain! Well, it’s raining now, so why? Or have you finally ended homosexuality?
 

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