An American man from Georgia has confessed to writing the blog A Gay Girl in Damascus, following allegations its fictitious author, Syrian lesbian Amina Arraf, was kidnapped. Identifying himself as the "sole author of all posts on this blog," MacMaster has posted a note on under the name "Amina A." in which he apologised for the deception, but insisted he acted in the interest of raising awareness around important issues. The blogger had followers across the globe who followed his character Amina as she wrote about politics and her sexuality. "I never expected this level of attention," wrote MacMaster, 40, in the brief note. “While the narrative voıce may have been fictional, the facts on this blog are true and not misleading as to the situation on the ground. I do not believe that I have harmed anyone - I feel that I have created an important voice for issues that I feel strongly about." Last week, in a post to the blog by someone identified as a cousin, Arraf was reported kidnapped on the streets of Damascus by pro-Assad forces, sparking global concern. The hoax was quickly unravelled as media organisations were unable to find anyone who knew her and a purported picture of her was found to be of a woman in London. MacMaster is a Middle East peace activist who is now working on his master's at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 13th June 2011 - 11:30am