Liberals take on the L word
For many, The L Word is a popular cable TV show featuring, ahem, mature content of a decidedly female nature.
But on the Liberal party's new community website En Famille, any use of that particular "L" word has been replaced with a series of asterisks.
Alison Crawford
Still don't know what I'm talking about?
Well yesterday, two Liberals posting to En Famille noticed that their writing had been altered. Someone had replaced the word "lesbian" with *******.
Wendy Robbins was curious about what had happened to her words. The women's studies professor at the University of New Brunswick asked, "Can someone please explain who is censoring this list and why this word is considered unsuitable?"
Robbins received her answer from the volunteer administrator this afternoon. It turns out the Liberals are using a software package from Texas that contains a "word replacement list" aimed at swear words and negative racial or sexual epithets.
When one of those words appears on a site, it is automatically replaced with asterisks.
The word lesbian was on that list until this afternoon. The administrator has now posted his own message on the site asking for editorial help. "Doing a proper pass through the entire list is just one of the many tasks that our tiny volunteer team hasn't found the time for as yet. More volunteers would be most welcome."
Robbins says she's ready to help.
— Alison Crawford
About the Authors
- Rosemary Barton started her television career reporting from Quebec City where she covered the ins and outs of Quebec politics. She moved to the CBC Parliamentary Bureau in 2007. She also stood on the side of road awaiting U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade for hours in the cold. When she finally spotted him, all of Canada heard her shriek, "I saw him!"
- Alison Crawford worked in Fredericton, Calgary and Winnipeg before returning to her hometown to work in the CBC parliamentary bureau. Her beats include the RCMP, justice, public safety and the Liberals. Alison credits her investigative skills as well as a national etiquette column and coverage of a ferret Christmas party, with having prepared her for covering national politics.
- Andrew Davidson is a producer for the CBC politics page in Toronto. He joined CBCNews.ca's national desk in 2006 and was the lead news writer for the website's 2008 federal election coverage.
- Chris Hall is the National Affairs Editor for CBC News. He's been a member of the CBC Parliamentary Bureau since 1998. That adds up to 11 budgets, four elections, three prime ministers and too many confidence votes to count. Chris started his career in print before moving to the CBC in 1992. Since then, he's worked in Toronto, Halifax and St. John's, as well as Ottawa.
- Leslie MacKinnon Leslie's been working in news and current affairs since newsrooms used teletype, televison was shot on film and radio tape was edited with a razor blade. She saw through The Journal's long run on CBC-TV, and since then has worked in Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa in the CBC's various permutations. Right now, she's a TV news reporter in the political bureau, and likes certain parts of Ottawa - the canal, the Hill - a lot.
- Janyce McGregor has been a television producer in the CBC's Parliamentary Bureau since 2001. She started her career working for Studio 2 on TVOntario. In 2005 her then-doctoral student husband persuaded her to follow him to the U.K., where she worked for BBC World Service Radio in London. Janyce is originally a farm girl from southwestern Ontario. Her most important job title is "Norah's Mom."
- Chris Rands has been a member of the Parliamentary bureau since 2001. He started at Toronto's AM Radio giant CFRB before moving to CBC's National Radio News in 1996. Chris has worked in Toronto, Moncton, Sudbury, Regina, Washington and St John's. Every time Chris walks up to the Peace Tower, he wants to throw his hat in the air like Mary Tyler Moore.
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