There's a barney going on over at Glutter that has quickly descended into bitterness, name calling and the like. See Lai and Phil are in the thick of it and now Yan wants to get away from what's been started. There's a few issues here which I'm going to look at in turn:

1. Isms
There's people pointing fingers everywhere in this "debate" and as usual when talking about such things it all has become personal. People take offense, misunderstandings abound and no-one actually listens to anyone. Instead it all descends into finger pointing and aggro. The silliest thing about this whole debacle is most people are furiously agreeing with each other: racism/sexism/whatever-ism is taken as bad and no-one wants to be accused of it. In a place like HK racism is ever present, even if it is not always obvious. The DAB propose banning non-Chinese permanent residents from voting. Not all permanent residents, just non-Chinese. Treatment of helpers. Comments made, fingers pointed. There are numerous examples of racism both ways, both from Gweilos and from locals. That's the point: no-one is immune to it and it happens to everyone and to some extent everyone has been guilt of betraying isms. No-one's perfect. There's always a fear of the unknown, of the other. Modern Western liberalism tries to PC it out of existence but basic human nature is impossible to change. The only way to deal with it is to be grown-up enough to deal with it.

2. Glutter has asked to be removed from all HK blogger lists. Yan herself mentioned in her comments that this is all in the public domain (she is responding to Phil's request for direct links to posts she is accusing of homophobia):

People have the right to say what they want and I have the right to think what I want. It's why it's called "public domain."

It's why it's important to have different voices. The whole idea of self publishing and the internet in general. Differing points of view being almagamated and spread. Part of a global discussion.

I respect that she wishes to be removed from my blogroll. But my considered answer is no. Firstly I find her site interesting, and as per my policy that means it qualifies. Secondly this is my blog. I respect Yan has her own but it's on the internet and that makes it in the public domain. Would she object if I had her own my roll if I was in Singapore? Or in Sydney? It remains my blogroll and my blog and I've decided she stays. I make no apologies for that. If she wants to keep it as a closed environment then a blog is not the way to do it.

Like I said earlier it's a hubbabaloo over not much. There's some good points made in the comments to Yan's post and if you've got time you should read it. It's a demonstration in a snowball effect.

And it all started because of "Not that there's anything wrong with that" from Seinfeld. I miss that show.