Website ban as surname not "proper"

[buckthesystem]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4124717a4560.html

Homophobia of the computerised kind struck a woman with the surname Gay when a popular social networking website declined her attempt to sign up, telling her to "enter a proper name".

"I was pretty mystified," said Rowena Gay, 30, of her rejection by Facebook.com.

"I have got used to a few jokes over the years but for a website to deem my name inappropriate - what is the world coming to?"

One of the pool of fast-growing social networking websites such as MySpace and Bebo, Facebook helps people keep in touch with friends and share information online.

It has 27 million users worldwide, with another 100,000 signing up every day.

The London-based Kiwi said the experience reminded her of what her father had faced when he moved to Britain to teach in 2003.

"The school asked him to consider changing his name to Mr Gray because the kids here are ruthless."

She was eventually able to sign up to Facebook after substituting her middle name, Janette, for her troublesome surname.

It is not the first time the name Gay has caused consternation for Internet users.

Nelson woman Gay Hamilton was reprimanded by Telecom when she tried to send its helpdesk an e-mail.

Telecom replied that her e-mail contained language - her name - that was "not appropriate for business-like communication".

[OopsMartin]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4124717a4560.html

Homophobia of the computerised kind struck a woman with the surname Gay when a popular social networking website declined her attempt to sign up, telling her to "enter a proper name".

"I was pretty mystified," said Rowena Gay, 30, of her rejection by Facebook.com.

"I have got used to a few jokes over the years but for a website to deem my name inappropriate - what is the world coming to?"

One of the pool of fast-growing social networking websites such as MySpace and Bebo, Facebook helps people keep in touch with friends and share information online.

It has 27 million users worldwide, with another 100,000 signing up every day.

The London-based Kiwi said the experience reminded her of what her father had faced when he moved to Britain to teach in 2003.

"The school asked him to consider changing his name to Mr Gray because the kids here are ruthless."

She was eventually able to sign up to Facebook after substituting her middle name, Janette, for her troublesome surname.

It is not the first time the name Gay has caused consternation for Internet users.

Nelson woman Gay Hamilton was reprimanded by Telecom when she tried to send its helpdesk an e-mail.

Telecom replied that her e-mail contained language - her name - that was "not appropriate for business-like communication".

Sad but unavoidable. Bad people have taken yet another perfectly good word and corrupted it along with their own corruption.

[Treasure]

Yea. I grew up in a time when "gay" actually meant happy.

[SeekerOfTruth]

One of the children learning books I read as a child used the word gay a lot (it used to belong to my dad). When I asked my parents about what the word meant they were quite uneasy (untill I showed them where I learned that specific word). Yes, times are changing. It's sad that yet another perfectly good word is used for something that God abhors.

[ladypeartree]

a whole reading scheme that had been used for many years in Britain had to be scrapped and re printed ...it is now called "the new way" even though it is over 50 years old since it can no longer be sold as " the gay way " ..so you can be young but not happy

[sheya joie]

Would respelling the name as 'Gaye' solve the problem? Sad that there is a problem over the name at all. I have had friends with that last name (they sang at my wedding), and people-without-brains-or-manners would be rude to them - to put it mildly.

[ColleenLovesMischief]

I have a friend with Gay for a first name.....that just is;t right