By Pierre Le Roux

Since I started writing I have addressed some contentious issues. Some topics caused quite a stir especially amongst a few fanatical Christians. Dealing with Homophobia, Discrimination, AIDS, Racism and even how we as a gay community discriminate amongst ourselves, the backlash was expected but the resulting hate mails caught me off guard at first.

Later, as I wrote about topics that I knew could be controversial I anticipated receiving the nasty onslaught of hate in my inbox and they never disappointed. But with my latest Halloween article, being a light-hearted and a fun piece the hate mail I received left me flabbergasted. How could such an “innocent” article be taken and be mutilated by some narrow minded person’s ignorance.

This left me to wonder, can these people really find hate in anything if they applied their twisted minds?

In the past ten months (and a few days) since my blog’s conception I have posted 58 articles the majority of which, I must admit, were humorous; even when dealing with serious matters I attempted not to lose sight of the lighter side of life. However, some of these articles outraged a few people, outraged them so much that they decided to send me their thoughts in harshly worded e-mails. In total I have received well over 60 hate mails to date, and I am sure this number will increase.

In these hate mails I have been called everything from a Faggot, God Hating Queer, Turd Miner, Infidel, Satanist, Asshole, Mother Fucker, Vulgar Animal, Anti-Christ, and worse. They have also accused me of filling people’s minds with my filth, being a terrorist, spreading AIDS, trying to destroy religion, being a molester of bodies and minds and the best yet “The Abomination of Humanity” (note the use of the wording “THE Abomination” instead of “An Abomination”).

So yes, I have had quite an interesting influx of correspondence of this nature. The common denominator amongst my hate mail is the fact that they came mostly from religious folks, as there have also been quotations in these mails from the Bible, Koran, Torah and Tanakh; all quotations implying that I am going to hell and taking all my readers there with me. So please pack light for the afterlife, it’s going to be warm!

The latest hate mail “condemned me to hell” (yet again) and accused me of promoting “hideous, dirty and vulgar sinful acts”. To some extend I can (if I really apply my mind) understand how this person could have come to this conclusion that I am going to hell, I mean if I dressed up like Satan – I get it. But I referred to having dressed up once like a priest and that I didn’t like the outfit. Promoting sinful acts, is however slightly more difficult to fathom. Dressing up in a costume is hardly sinful but could be hideous, maybe even vulgar or dirty, but sinful – no!

Suggesting that you may even end up sleeping with your favorite Superhero on Halloween evening and later referring to safe sex in a different context, I suppose this is maybe what provoked this overly sensitive and easily offended hate mail sender. The rest of the dire tripe rambling and utter baseless attacks with supporting quotes from the Bible really do not deserve any acknowledgment or explanation. As for calling me “The Abomination of Humanity” I really do think I should get a medal or at least some award for having been bestowed this title!

I still find it hard to believe that there are people in this world with such a narrow minded attitude to life that an innocent article about Halloween could prompt such a ferocious attack. Having now become quite use to receiving such e-mails, I read them with the same regard as I do flyers left on my car’s windscreen. It is just amazing how these individuals would rather send me a personalized e-mail than posting their disgust in the comments box. One would think being so disgruntled, offended and taking such personal umbrage to what I write, they would want to share it with the world. Do my readers not deserve to be informed that they are also condemned to the same fate as I, or be warned of how I am molesting their minds?

Over 60 hate mails and counting, some of which are quite perturbing, definitely will not stop me from writing about any issue, event, holiday, topic, belief or highlighting the human rights abuses of the gay community when ever and where ever it occurs. A few e-mails won’t shut this Queer up! I decided to write about my hate mails and particularly make example of the Halloween hate mail because I found it so astonishing that one person could read the article and respond to it in such an abrasive manner. So I guess if people want to find hate, they never have to look very far. As have become evident to me in the last few months, some even seek out hate, how else does one explain why they keep returning to my writing?

So to all those hatemonger fanatics, I dare you to express your views openly and publicaly. I am sure your comments will make for phenomenal reading.

Till next time

*Pierre's blog can be viewed HERE!