Lesbian Blogger revealed

June 12, 2011 7:06 PM

Remember that lesbian blogger in Damascus, who reportedly just got arrested? Turns out "her" name is Tom MacMaster, and he is an American expatriate living in Scotland.
posted by Chocolate Pickle (16 comments total)

Christ, what an asshole.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:09 PM on June 12, 2011

I'm looking for volunteers to help cram Tom McMaster into a gigantic silver balloon.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:11 PM on June 12, 2011 [7 favorites]

I was waiting for this to break. There was already suspicion, and with news that Amina had been kidnapped, evidence just kept mounting. Disappointing, although I suppose there is some small consolation that a character we cared about and feared would die was fictional and therefore uninjured. I am not sure this balances out the degree to which this sort of hoax might undermine further reports of the abuse of gays and lesbian in Syria.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:11 PM on June 12, 2011

Fuck. Fuck. What a moron.
posted by brundlefly at 7:11 PM on June 12, 2011

What really pisses me off is that this guy wrote that inspiring story about her father—in the middle of A FUCKING REVOLUTION—just to get a rise out of people.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 7:14 PM on June 12, 2011 [2 favorites]

This was obvious from that ridiculous dad dressing down the security detail story tbh
posted by nathancaswell at 7:14 PM on June 12, 2011

I guess "arrested and kidnapped/disappeared in a secrecy-wrapped totalitarian nation" is easier to pull off than "died in a hospital from a dramatic illness" as far as the need for supporting evidence for 'attention-whoring-with-munchausen by internet'
posted by rmd1023 at 7:14 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

"This experience has, sadly, only confirmed my feelings regarding the often superficial coverage of the Middle East and the pervasiveness of new forms of liberal Orientalism. However, I have been deeply touched by the reactions of readers."

I expect there are a few folks who want to deeply touch him alongside the head with some sucker rod or rebar.
posted by jquinby at 7:16 PM on June 12, 2011

Open, 4-day old post, where this is currently being discussed.
posted by zarq at 7:16 PM on June 12, 2011

Snitches get stitches. Trolls get holes.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:17 PM on June 12, 2011

I think this is a big enough update that it deserves a new post.

Also, that guy is an asshole.
posted by empath at 7:18 PM on June 12, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sorry; I did a search and didn't find anything.

Mods, delete?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:18 PM on June 12, 2011

I bet he is angling for some sort of book/blog deal. What a horrid little man.
posted by Renoroc at 7:21 PM on June 12, 2011

See? I told you that any town with a name like "Damascus" had to be fake!
posted by happyroach at 7:23 PM on June 12, 2011

From the other thread, the reactions of 2 Syrian gay activists are worth reading (especially the 2nd one).
posted by mediareport at 7:24 PM on June 12, 2011

Dammit. Why did such an asshole also have to be such a cute squinty-eyed beardy-face. I'd totally tap that if he wasn't pretending to be a middle eastern lesbian.
posted by hippybear at 7:25 PM on June 12, 2011