Coming Out Day 25th Year
This is the 25th anniversary of National Coming Out Day. And while I’m not a fan of forcing anyone to come out as a form of peer pressure just because there’s a day set aside to come out, I do think it sends a positive message to those who are thinking about coming out. It’s a different process for every LGBT person, and how they do it should be up to them, and should be done on their own terms. The article to which I’m linking below has photos of LGBT stars.
National Coming Out Day is celebrating its 25th anniversary today.
In 1987, half a million people participated in a march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights, which also resulted in the founding of the organization, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, better known as LGBT.
Every year, the Human Rights Campaign picks a theme to exemplify the spirit of National Coming Out Day. This year’s theme is “Coming Out Still Matters.”
In the same respect, don’t feel pressured either. Coming out is important, however, we all do it on our own terms. And no one has the right to force you into doing it if you’re not ready.
I personally never had an actual coming out day, with balloons, ribbons, and rainbows. I have no regrets.
Fake Paid Reviews
This next piece to which I’m linking talks about four reasons why you should not do fake paid reviews. It’s not just about books. It talks about big companies who pay for fake reviews all the time. But it can be applied to books and authors…and even readers. One part in particular is interesting because it talks about the FTC, how fake reviews are actually illegal, and how you can be punished. Unfortunately the link to the FTC site is down thanks to the government shut down. But the main point is that fake paid reviews can get people into a lot of trouble if they get caught. And I have a feeling this fake paid review issue isn’t going to disappear.
There’s one more reason I’d like to add to the list of four. Paying for fake reviews really pisses off authors like me who don’t pay for fake reviews. I’m talking spit nails pissed off. We don’t care if you pose with the Amish, a basket of kittens, and your mom and dad. And we don’t intend to show any mercy if we find out another author is paying for fake reviews while we’re getting our reviews the hard way.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) takes online reviews seriously, and if your company is found writing fake online customer reviews, you could be fined a huge amount of money. The FTC has guidelines for online reviews, and it is actually illegal to write fake reviews for your business or to pay someone else to write reviews for you, unless you can prove that the review was an endorsement.
“This is wonderful news!” said Hayley Gorenberg, Deputy Legal Director of Lambda Legal. “The court’s decision once again confirms that the hardships of not being able to marry are real and immediate. Every day does count. Allowing same-sex couples to marry helps many New Jersey families and hurts no one else.”
“Momentum is with us,” said Troy Stevenson, Executive Director of Garden State Equality. “All couples in New Jersey need the dignity of marriage, and they need it now. We look forward to seeing many of them, who have been denied that dignity for too long, marry in the coming weeks.”
