Meat lover is banned by Facebook for ‘hate speech’ after he posted a review praising his local butcher’s faggots
- Paul Lynch from Morriston in South Wales posted about a snack at his butcher’s
- The local term for people from that part of Swansea is a Morriston Monkey
- He asked if you can be a proper Morriston Monkey without eating faggots
- Monkey nickname is thought to come from monkey puzzle trees in the area
A meat lover was banned from Facebook for ‘hate speech’ – after he praised a butcher’s faggots.
Paul Lynch posted a review on the social media site encouraging others to go to the Thomas’ of Morriston butchers.
But he was then banned from the site after Facebook said his post ‘goes against our community standards on hate speech.’
The post said: ‘If you’re not buying Thomas’s Of Morriston the butchers on Morriston Cross’ faggots on a Tuesday are you even a monkey?’.
Mr Lynch (pictured) was dismayed to find that he had been banned for praising a meat dish made in his local area
Mr Lynch, 55, is from the Morriston area of Swansea, South Wales – where the nickname for locals is ‘Morriston monkeys.’
It is thought the name comes from the large number of monkey puzzle trees which once existed in the area.
Mr Lynch said: ‘The faggots he sells are famous to many Morriston residents – especially older residents. He makes them every Tuesday and if you go early enough they are still hot and absolutely delicious.
‘I posted my comment with the intention to remind people of how good they are and to remind them that he cooks them every Tuesday, and of course to inform those who may have never tried them of their existence.
‘It’s the last butchers left in Morriston and as a resident I think we should encourage other residents to support local businesses or we may lose them for good.
‘When I got a message from Facebook accusing me of using hate speech I wasn’t that bothered at first because I assumed an algorithm had picked out the word ‘faggot’ because it’s sometimes used as offensive American slang.
Pictured: The butcher’s that Mr Lynch praised on Facebook, only to find that he had been banned from the platform in error
‘I asked Facebook to review their decision, thinking a human would then check the context in which I had used the word and repeal their decision.
‘However, when I received their second message upholding their decision telling me they had found me guilty of hate speech I was perplexed and slightly annoyed.
‘While I understand the word ‘faggot’ is sometimes used as a term of abuse, especially in America, so too can the word ‘monkey’ be used as a term of abuse, as can many other words.
Pictured: Faggots, the dish that Mr Lynch praised on social media only to end up banned
‘Clearly, therefore, it’s not the words that cause abuse, it is the context they are used in. With that in mind, I think Facebook telling me I’m guilty of hate speech is highly offensive and morally wrong’
The butchers has been run by the same family since 1937. Bryan Thomas, the third generation of the family to run the shop, said: ‘People have been coming into the shop telling me that I am on Facebook.
‘I tell them that I’m not on it personally, but they have been very appreciative and made kind comments about our faggots. They are very popular, and sell very well in this area’.
Facebook later reversed its decision. A spokesman said: ‘This post was removed in error. As soon as we realised our mistake, we restored the post.’