# Is it morally OK to betray the confidence of a support group if a gay member is publicly anti-gay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293 "2010-06-24T00:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/41 "2010-06-24T20:40:18Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > Is it morally OK to betray the confidence of a support group … no. ^ Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/42 "2010-06-24T21:42:02Z")
> [@Telcontar](#): > > Imagine a support group for people who have had abortions. Imagine a pro-life reporter outing one of the members because the member was a prominent advocate for abortion rights and has been struggling with the emotional aftermath of her own abortion. Still in the public interest? She is a baby killer after all. I’m pro-choice, so yes, I’d have a problem with that. I don’t care what equivalent humiliation there is when it comes to things I believe in. I advocate for that outing _because_ I don’t agree with him, not because I believe it should be ok if done to someone I agree with To put it simply, it is ok to out an anti-gay person as gay for any reason. It is not ok to out a pro-gay person. Reason: because there’s nothing wrong with being gay. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/43 "2010-06-24T21:45:04Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Ah, yes, “I’m special because I’m right.” The blindingly obvious problem with your stance – i.e., that it’s ok to violate this ethic and to break this trust because the subject here is a **bad man** and he doesn’t **deserve** to be treated ethically – is that it grants implicit licence for people to use these sorts of methods to advance causes which you and I may find repugnant. There you go, now you’re getting it. > [@VarlosZ](#): > > Look, when we arrest someone who is obviously guilty of murder, we don’t beat confessions out of him or deny him his chance to waste everyone’s time with a jury trial and multiple appeals. We grant him these rights not for his sake, but for _ours_, so it doesn’t matter one whit that the murderer doesn’t “deserve” them There’s more chance of being wrong in this case. For a guy who publically declares being gay is wrong, and then confess his own feelings in a support group, I have less doubt of his sincerity ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/44 "2010-06-24T22:04:58Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > There you go, now you’re getting it. > > There’s more chance of being wrong in this case. For a guy who publically declares being gay is wrong, and then confess his own feelings in a support group, I have less doubt of his sincerity He doesn’t think being gay is wrong, he thinks having gay sex is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/45 "2010-06-24T22:06:01Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > There you go, now you’re getting it. Ok, but I’d point out that you share your justification with some very dubious company — war criminals, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/46 "2010-06-24T23:10:35Z")
Yeah, he would be in good company with someone like, well Dick Cheney or George Bush, who were only having “terrorists” waterboarded, you understand. These were BAD people, it’s OK to waterboard them, no matter if it has a bad result. Anything you do to BAD people is OK. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/47 "2010-06-24T23:25:13Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > He doesn’t think being gay is wrong, he thinks having gay sex is wrong. He’s wrong > [@VarlosZ](#): > > Ok, but I’d point out that you share your justification with some very dubious company — war criminals, for instance. > [@crazyjoe](#): > > Yeah, he would be in good company with someone like, well Dick Cheney or George Bush, who were only having “terrorists” waterboarded, you understand. These were BAD people, it’s OK to waterboard them, no matter if it has a bad result. Anything you do to BAD people is OK. How far are you two willing to take your beliefs? Everybody, no matter what, gets the exact treatment? Since you’re comparing me to war criminals now, how about if a war criminal responsible for killing millions gets off on a technicality? Or he swings a deal that lets him live out his live confined to his mansion? Is that fair or even desirable? This guy’s an evil dickhead. I couldn’t care less if his privacy is violated. For having objectively wrong beliefs, he’s lucky that’s all that’s being violated. Sure, every act of revenge or justice can backfire. What if revenge is taken on someone who doesn’t deserve it, or is too severe to warrant the action? What if cold justice allows a despicable and evil person to escape punishment on the flimsiest of technicalities? Humans aren’t perfect and neither are our laws. There must be leeway at certain points. Sometimes, you don’t cry for the bad person who should have gotten away but was hunted down by a mob. Sometimes, you bend the rules or break them to help a good person. So fuck this guy. He wants to take some archaic book’s writings about a society and a time far removed from ours and pretend that it is the only justice? And in doing so, he’s willing to sell out the group he secretly belongs to? And hurt them, their families and friends, and make a mockery of laws designed to protect the innocent? To hell with that, I’ll gladly break the rules to harass and stigmatize him. I’ll gladly look the other way as mobs vandalize his home. And I’ll gladly reveal his secrets, expose his confidants, and pressure him to make him know fear, harassment, shame, and mockery. He deserves worse, the rules and you two may say he should expect better, but I’m neither an absolutist on the law nor an anarchist. I think he got exactly what he deserved ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/48 "2010-06-24T23:41:17Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > How far are you two willing to take your beliefs? Everybody, no matter what, gets the exact treatment? Since you’re comparing me to war criminals now, how about if a war criminal responsible for killing millions gets off on a technicality? If that “technicality” is that he _didn’t commit any fucking war crimes_, then of course he should get away with it. Seriously, what wrong are you trying to right by outing this guy? ---
**Author:** ![kathmandu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kathmandu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kathmandu)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/49 "2010-06-24T23:47:27Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > This guy’s an evil dickhead. I couldn’t care less if his privacy is violated. For having objectively wrong beliefs, he’s lucky that’s all that’s being violated. What you don’t seem to be grasping here is that it’s not just his privacy that’s being violated. If these kinds of meetings (AA, NA, Gamblers Anonymous, etc.) become fair game for journalists or individuals with an ax to grind, people who legitimately need help and support will be deterred from attending. I’m leaving the rest of your post uncommented upon. Suffice it to say I don’t agree with your philosophy. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/50 "2010-06-24T23:56:55Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > To hell with that, I’ll gladly break the rules to harass and stigmatize him. I’ll gladly look the other way as mobs vandalize his home. And I’ll gladly reveal his secrets, expose his confidants, and pressure him to make him know fear, harassment, shame, and mockery. He deserves worse, the rules and you two may say he should expect better, but I’m neither an absolutist on the law nor an anarchist. I think he got exactly what he deserved Wow, while I think the guy is a hypocrite (in my personal definition of the word) I don’t know if your vindictive attitude is going to gain any support for equal treatment for anyone… ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/51 "2010-06-25T00:05:30Z")
Yogsooth, how the heck do you not get that being evil is not justification for being evil back? The actions you are espousing are evil\* to a lot of us. Would you support us treating you horribly because of it? I know you lack instinctive empathy. But it shouldn’t be that hard to turn the situation around where it is against you. \*The same as a certain war criminal that though a certain race of people were evil. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/52 "2010-06-25T00:05:42Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > How far are you two willing to take your beliefs? Everybody, no matter what, gets the exact treatment? Since you’re comparing me to war criminals now, how about if a war criminal responsible for killing millions gets off on a technicality? Or he swings a deal that lets him live out his live confined to his mansion? Is that fair or even desirable? Probably unfair and undesirable. As for what’s to be done about it, or to what extent people are justified in seeking informal reprisals: eh, depends on context. I’m no absolutist, either, but we have to be forward-looking. > [@](#): > > And in doing so, he’s willing to sell out the group he secretly belongs to? And hurt them, their families and friends, and make a mockery of laws designed to protect the innocent? He wasn’t selling anyone out: his group knew who he was and what he stood for, and they agreed with him. He wasn’t making a mockery of any laws. There are, as far as I know, no laws involved here at all. > [@](#): > > He deserves worse, the rules and you two may say he should expect better, but I’m neither an absolutist on the law nor an anarchist. I think he got exactly what he deserved Like the lady said: deserve ain’t got nothing to do with it. It’s very important that we have certain classes of citizens (such as journalists and fellow support group participants) who respect the anonymity of those to whom it is promised. Any act which weakens the presumption of said anonymity harms us all, and needs a fairly extraordinary countervailing benefit to be justified. This doesn’t even come close. Suppose that, instead of being part of this support group, the pastor was a blood donor. When you give blood they ask about your sexual history, and suppose the technician who took his donation knew who he was and saw that he’d had sex with other men. Would the technician be justified in outing him, even knowing her actions would tend to make people more likely to lie about their sexual history, and _less_ likely to donate blood? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/53 "2010-06-25T15:41:47Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > If that “technicality” is that he _didn’t commit any fucking war crimes_, then of course he should get away with it. > > Seriously, what wrong are you trying to right by outing this guy? By showing him how much shame and ostracizing hurts gays, perhaps it will lead him to an epiphany that it’s wrong to do it to people. It’s all about making him walk a mile in the other person’s shoes, I can’t believe I have to spell it out for you. He’s being an ass to a group of people, so let him see how his denounciations hurt and maybe he’ll come around > [@kathmandu](#): > > What you don’t seem to be grasping here is that it’s not just his privacy that’s being violated. If these kinds of meetings (AA, NA, Gamblers Anonymous, etc.) become fair game for journalists or individuals with an ax to grind, people who legitimately need help and support will be deterred from attending. Until reporters crash an AA meeting, I’ll reserve your scenario for the “not going to happen in a million years” pile. You’re creating a slipperly slope that doesn’t exist. People in general accept that alcoholics and gamblers have a real problem that’s bad. But many people cannot accept that gays DON’T have a problem because there’s nothing wrong with being gay. You might as well say that my views will lead to people denying marriage benefits to drunks or saying gamblers can’t be scoutmasters > [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Wow, while I think the guy is a hypocrite (in my personal definition of the word) I don’t know if your vindictive attitude is going to gain any support for equal treatment for anyone… One thing I know is that NOT doing anything isn’t going to help these people see the light > [@BigT](#): > > Yogsooth, how the heck do you not get that being evil is not justification for being evil back? The actions you are espousing are evil\* to a lot of us. Would you support us treating you horribly because of it? > > I know you lack instinctive empathy. But it shouldn’t be that hard to turn the situation around where it is against you. > > \*The same as a certain war criminal that though a certain race of people were evil. The difference is that I don’t consider myself evil. Your argument can just as easily be used for any crime. “Why punish murderers? They are wrong but nothing is gained from revenge!” You know why it’s ok to punish this guy? Because maybe then, people like him will quit doing it, especially if they see their fellow anti-gay/secretly gay “good” Christians outed. The more hypocritical religious nuts that are outed, the more the rest of them see that they better not try any of this anti-gay shit on their flocks. Because it’s a lot easier to hide your hate than your sexuality, sooner or later you’re going to get a cock in your mouth and somebody’s going to talk about it > [@VarlosZ](#): > > He wasn’t selling anyone out: his group knew who he was and what he stood for, and they agreed with him. He wasn’t making a mockery of any laws. There are, as far as I know, no laws involved here at all. Any person who supports an anti-gay law is making a mockery of justice. Anybody who thinks that gays need to be treated differently in employment, marriage, or rights, is thumbing their noses at equality, fairness, and liberty. > [@VarlosZ](#): > > Like the lady said: deserve ain’t got nothing to do with it. It’s very important that we have certain classes of citizens (such as journalists and fellow support group participants) who respect the anonymity of those to whom it is promised. Any act which weakens the presumption of said anonymity harms us all, and needs a fairly extraordinary countervailing benefit to be justified. This doesn’t even come close. So reprimand the journalist. But I’m still happy he did it. By your system of laws that you are espousing, the journalist deserves to be punished. So gently slap him on the wrists and let him go, and know that he did a good thing for the cause of gay equality > [@VarlosZ](#): > > Suppose that, instead of being part of this support group, the pastor was a blood donor. When you give blood they ask about your sexual history, and suppose the technician who took his donation knew who he was and saw that he’d had sex with other men. Would the technician be justified in outing him, even knowing her actions would tend to make people more likely to lie about their sexual history, and _less_ likely to donate blood? Must you always assume the worst? You’re like a movie about time traveling, “We can’t change the past or else bad things will happen!” Hey there’s a 50% chance it may turn out to be good too, you know? Yes, the technician should out him. Since being gay and having a disease is about as 80’s as big haired metal bands, maybe by outing him it will contribute to a future where such questions are not asked, or certainly not a pretense to gay discrimination. Your example would only be relevant if being gay is an actual legitimate reason not to have someone donate blood. And what kind of person maintains an obvious discrimination on the off chance that it’ll help people? You know how we can cut down crime by 50% immediately? Kill 50% of the people! What’s that? The solution is worse than the problem? Now you know how I feel. I would rather have people donate less blood than have agencies discriminate against gays I didn’t realize the concept of punishing people for bad behavior is so novel to you people. You guys must not agree that being an anti-gay religious nut is a bad thing ---
**Author:** ![MN\_Maenad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@MN\_Maenad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MN_Maenad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/54 "2010-06-25T17:56:20Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > By showing him how much shame and ostracizing hurts gays, perhaps it will lead him to an epiphany that it’s wrong to do it to people… By your system of laws that you are espousing, the journalist deserves to be punished. So gently slap him on the wrists and let him go, and know that he did a good thing for the cause of gay equality Dollars to donuts you’re 100% wrong on this. I have a number of relatives who think homosexuality is wrong, and they’re going to see this as the Evil Gay Menace terrorizing an innocent man who was trying to make right with God. Is the pastor an asshole? You betcha. Is the reporter an asshole? You betcha. I understand the rage, but this is NOT going to increase acceptance of homosexuals. If we’re lucky, it’ll have no effect at all. It’s definitely possible it will make things worse here in MN for a time. I can only hope it won’t spur the bigots to pass anti-SSM legislation, which has been bubbling on the back burner for a few years now. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/55 "2010-06-25T18:17:47Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > By your system of laws that you are espousing, the journalist deserves to be punished. There are, as far as I know, no laws involved here at all. > [@](#): > > Hey there’s a 50% chance it may turn out to be good too, you know? Probability does not work that way. > [@](#): > > Yes, the technician should out him. Since being gay and having a disease is about as 80’s as big haired metal bands, maybe by outing him it will contribute to a future where such questions are not asked, or certainly not a pretense to gay discrimination. Your example would only be relevant if being gay is an actual legitimate reason not to have someone donate blood. 1. STI rates are still significantly higher among gay men than among women and/or straight men. 2. It’s preferred to use blood from low-risk groups, so as to ameliorate the risk of a donor sample being improperly cleared for therapeutic use. 3. In many cases men who have had sex with other men are still encouraged to donate; asking about sexual history just lets the donor organization know to what use it should put the sample (research, e.g.). > [@](#): > > I didn’t realize the concept of punishing people for bad behavior is so novel to you people. You guys must not agree that being an anti-gay religious nut is a bad thing We really can do very little about this guy’s being an anti-gay religious nut. It’s more important for us to regulate our own behavior, as well as that of people who largely agree with us. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/56 "2010-06-25T22:22:24Z")
Interesting (to me), Phil Bronstein, formerly a senior editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, has blogged about this at [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry\_id=66611&tsp=1](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=66611&tsp=1). The comments there make me appreciate the moral values of the posters here. My casual survey of these comments is that they are about 10-to-1 in favor of outing Brock, regardless of how the information was obtained. Here is one of my “favorite” comments: [QUOTE=HelloHex] When you’re at war with gay-bashers, all is fair. It wouldn’t be a fight for civil rights if there wasn’t any fighting going on. Some of us take this very seriously and don’t think a little espionage is uncalled for. You can’t win a war without some spying. Homophobes beware! [/QUOTE] So I guess the end justifies the means once again. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/57 "2010-06-25T22:34:17Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > You guys must not agree that being an anti-gay religious nut is a bad thing I didn’t realize we were only allowed to think one side did a bad thing. It is entirely possible to do bad things to a bad person. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/58 "2010-06-25T22:36:03Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Here is one of my “favorite” comments: Oh, he’s part of the war for civil rights, alright. Pity he doesn’t realise which side he’s on. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/59 "2010-06-26T00:53:36Z")
I have some mixed feelings on this. For example I think Strom Thurmond should have been outed a long time ago concerning his having a black daughter. So … they’re good enough to father a child with… but not have equal rights? I also feel that regardless of his daughter’s wishes Thurmond should have been outed due to his extraordinary damage he was doing to race relations and setting back generations of people who committed no offense as simple being born black. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293/60 "2010-06-26T01:03:58Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > It is against the principles of journalism to violate information given off the record. > > More importantly, it is very unethical to violate the confidentiality of any kind of support group. It just is not done. The reporter has done more harm than he can possibly imagine. > > This kind of thing fosters distrust in all support groups. Very well said. But it seems the plain intelligence of it is lost on some. **YogSosoth** , for one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-morally-ok-to-betray-the-confidence-of-a-support-group-if-a-gay-member-is-publicly-anti-gay/544293.md?page=4)