Gay Kiwi Censor Catches Heat For MW2
Here's a confluence of gayness, government, and video games that you don't see every day: an openly gay official in New Zealand has been the butt of some personal attacks for allowing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to be sold in the country.
New Zealand's Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, also an openly gay man, was targeted by right-winged radio host and mayor of Wanganui, NZ, Michael Laws, who seemed more interested in Hastings' sexual orientation than his ten-year tenure as Chief Censor, or the decision to allow MW2 into the country:
"I know the gay guy we've got at the moment who is the Chief Censor Bill Hastings is a liberal sort of guy."
"I don't care if he lets gay sex through because, well, that's what he enjoys watching in a darkened room somewhere and thinks everybody else of his ilk should be able to do so as well."
Lest you think Laws isn't on par with our own right-wing radio jackholes, last month the radio host stirred controversy with his Malthusian proposal that the poor of New Zealand be given money for surrendering themselves for sterilization.
Gay NZ Censor Draws Criticism From Right Over MW2 [GamePolitics]
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Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany, Video Games on 16 November 2009
· Comments (8)
Other stuff like this: bill hastings, call of duty, chief censor, michael laws, modern warfare 2, new zealand
Yeah, that radio guy sounds like just another rightwing nutcase. Someone no one should take seriously (though sadly many people probably will).
Oh and if that's mister Hastings in the picture, he's quite the hottie. I'd put aside my dislike for censorship and censors and everything to do with that for a chance at getting it on with him. ;P
and by giving these guys attention, you're giving them exactly what they want. :/
The fact that there is such a position as "Chief Censor" kinda makes me a bit livid.
Just kinda.
I got a huge surprise when I checked the GayGamer news and saw this article - I live in Wanganui, NZ! Laws thrives on controversy and he's always in the news over here... but nobody really takes what he says seriously. I'm embarrassed to call Laws the mayor of my town :S
I love how all of Randy's comments boil down to: "don't talk about gay stuff on a gay site, it makes me uncomfortable."
Dude, do you really think a shock jockey in NZ reads gaygamer, or do you just like parading your internalized homophobia? If the gay press doesn't talk about homophobic jerkwads, THEIR HATE GOES UNCHECKED. Bury your head in somebody else's sandbox.
@Nexus That picture is of Bill Hastings, the gay censor.
Michael Laws is a total cock, this isn't even the worst thing he's done. He wrote to a class of schoolchildren who had written to them asking to change the name of Wanganui to Whanganui (a more native spelling):
“When your class starts addressing the real issues affecting Maoridom*, particularly the appalling rate of child abuse and the child murder within Maori society then I’ll take the rest of your views seriously.”
What an utter wanker.
*Maori are the native people of New Zealand.
Michael Laws is INDEED a total cock. And not in a good way. Just ignore him.
Wow, I had no idea our censor was gay... Probably explains why we don't have dumb censoring rules like Australia does.
Australia has dumb censoring rules because of one individual, the attorney-general of South Australia, who stands in the way of an 18+ rating here. Changing the rules requires unanimous approval and he's the only person who objects to it. I frankly think he gets some perverse satisfaction from being an asshole.