Pentagon Blocking LGBT Sites, Responds to Criticism

There is an interesting dust-up going on between AmericaBlog and the Department of Defense. Blogger John Aravosis recently criticized the Pentagon for blocking LGBT-oriented web sites on DOD computer networks. Rightwing blogs are accessible, but even such a mainstream, G-rated site as AmericaBlog itself is blocked for DOD employees, because Aravosis is gay and the site's content reflects that. The Pentagon has responded.

I must admit that Internet censorship is something I hate. I am a grown-up person, and also a productive worker, and I can decide for myself what is good for me. I don't expect everybody to agree with me; I am happiest with the most complete freedom to indulge my wondering mind, and do not think that some other person has better judgment than me about what information I should have access to. Call it a personal quirk if you must, my curiosity has served me well over the decades.

There is not much of an objective case to be made for censoring certain Internet sites so that people don't waste their time at work. One, people can surf the web on their phone, tablet, or laptop, so it's not like they are being stopped from wasting time. Two, if you are going to crack down on time-wasting at work then you will need a more comprehensive approach than just blocking web sites carrying taboo content; you'll have to set a time limit for lingering at the drinking fountain, sitting in someone else's cube, reading, etc. -- I saw a lady once who watched soap operas on a television set on her desk, another was working on a big jigsaw puzzle. And three, there is only one way to make sure you comprehensively block all of any category of content, whether it is porn, games, LGBT content, hate speech, or whatever, and that is to block everything.

If management decides they want a workforce of numb-minded, incurious zombies with no outside interests, then they can just pull the plug on the Internet and let everyone with an active intellect and desire to participate in the modern world find work somewhere else. At least you wouldn't have people using their work computers to waste time surfing the web.

Most companies, including government offices, have some sort of filters on network computers that attempt to funnel employees' attention into a socially acceptable subset of the Internet. There is pretty wide consensus about blocking certain things, for instance, I have never heard anyone complain about hate-speech sites being blocked, or pornography. But, for instance, sometimes the category "pornography" is extended to all sexual topics. Someone once told me that their workplace blocked access to the Wikipedia chapters "Penis" and "Vagina," which are medical terms for body parts that almost all of us have. People complain but accept that gambling and game sites are blocked. Even humor is blocked in some offices.

After AmericaBlog complained, the Pentagon released this statement:

Statement by George Little on Internet Information Access

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little
Recent reports have suggested that the Pentagon is blocking access to LGBT related websites. The Department of Defense does not block websites based on LGBT content.

The Department of Defense strongly supports the rights of gay and lesbian men and women in uniform to serve proudly and openly.

With Internet technology constantly evolving, the Department of Defense is working to ensure that service members have access to an open Internet while preserving information and operational security.

There are a number of different Internet tools used across the department to ensure that adequate cybersecurity and information security standards are maintained, and in certain instances, access may limited to content not directly related to carrying out mission or professional duties.

In order to help maintain adequate levels of information security in support of DoD policy, some components employ commercial tools that may allow users to visit “news” sites while disallowing pages categorized as “personal sites and blogs”.

No filter is perfect and some sites may have unnecessarily been blocked. The Department Chief Information Officer will work with relevant components to address these situations. DOD to investigate complaints that gay blogs, news sites are censored on Pentagon computers

Listen, none of this has to do with "cybersecurity and information security standards." There is simply no security risk with "personal sites and blogs." Let's call it what it is: it is about authority and control.

One thing that makes this issue difficult is that there is no precedent for it. The Internet is like having the Library of Congress in your pocket. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that all knowledge is available to everyone, all the time. And no one really knows what their rights should be regarding that easily accessible body of knowledge. Employees will feel vulnerable sticking their necks out to argue that medical, or fashion, or sports information should be accessible from their desks at work, because employees' rights in this domain have not been established.

There is a kind of assembly-line supposition that goofing off at work is bad, but white collar office workers are not doing repetitive work on an assembly line. They are expected to use their minds to solve problems, they are expected to think outside the box, and there is no box sealed as tightly as a government agency or office. An active, intelligent, problem-solving mind goes off-topic sometimes.

The Pentagon faux pas demonstrates the weakness of a system that allows management to filter information. I can just see a roomful of brass saying, "I don't see why those queers need to read about their perverted lifestyle while they're working for us," and then being told that this Negro liberal President is telling them they have to treat gay people like they were goddamn spotted owls or something. When you control people's access to information you impose your own values on them, and that is the problem.

Here, try this. If you're at home, click this link: Transadvocate. Now imagine that you are a person who has had the courage to transition your life from the sex that was assigned at birth to the one you really are. You have dealt with identification, name change, and legal matters; you have dealt with weeping relatives, outraged friends, creeps hollering at you on the street, the constant threat of violence. Here is a web site with articles that speak to you, they address the actual issues you deal with as a unique person but not one who is all alone. They speak your language and understand your perspective.

Next, when you're at your desk at work, click on this same link. If you work for the government, I would guess you are not allowed to connect to Transadvocate (let us know in the comments section). How do you feel -- even as a straight cis-person -- when that "Site blocked" screen comes up, along with the knowledge that your name has probably gone onto some list of moral-code violators? It is a humiliating insult to those who have had the fortitude to struggle through all the personal battles involved in making a difficult transition. And never mind the poor person who is considering making the transition, they have suffered with a mistaken identity through their entire life and are nearly ready to start out on the difficult journey -- what is the message to them, when they can't even read about people like themselves?

There are groups that advocate for computer users, for instance they lobby for the privacy of users from surveillance and eavesdropping. There are also, of course, groups that advocate for the rights of LGBT citizens to be treated fairly. These two need to get together and bring this issue of biased Internet filtering to the top of the list. I will be interested to see how this one plays out as we create the future we will live in.