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Beenie Man is a musician who sings about killing gay men in fairly graphic detail. Pepsi is sponsoring one of his concerts - in Uganda. A country that is, of course, planning the genocide of gay people. Yeah, this is my not amused face. I know what I’m not going to be drinking.
Buju Bantum is another musician. He likes to sing about “faggots” running, having to die, being shot or just being burned. He just got a Grammy nomination Don’t let a pesky thing like inciting murder get in the way guys, will you?
Eminem, not wanting to miss out on the gay bashing, decided to call ‘ Lance, Mr. Lambert and Aiken’ faggots. Oh, no, sorry, he really called them “fake-its.” No, really. And isn’t it funny how they’re all gay and it sounds so much like faggot when sung. Very clever, I’d applaud but if I move my hands they’re going to want to go round someone’s throat.
On the business side:
A McDonalds in Florida told a trans applicant that they ‘don’t hire faggots’. But, of course, the US govt doesn’t think employment discrimination for GBLT people is important.
That word is haunting me today. I’m getting sorely tired of reading it and hearing it. I must be due another round of straight people telling me that it’s not offensive.
On the religious side of the aisle - let us remember that Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the global Anglican church decides to express his concern over the severe implications of... having a Lesbian Bishop. Genocide in Uganda? Still doesn’t give a damn. Nor does the Pope. Frankly it would be pointless for either of them to speak now - their silence for this long tells you how much they are worth and how much “love” their churches have,
I look at all these and, really, is it any wonder why homophobic violence is on the rise? I’ve said a thousand times before that the message we send about homophobia - how we consent to it, how we tolerate it, how we let it be part of acceptable discourse, how we react to homophobic comments - let’s it flourish and encourages it to grow. It is this encouragement and acceptance of homophobia, of the idea that gay people are less, that leads to homophobic violence. It doesn’t happen in a vaccuum.
But when I say that? I generally meant people saying things like “that’s gay” in a negative sense. Or making tasteless gay jokes. I didn’t mean it to apply to overtly calling for the deaths of homosexuals. I wasn’t referring to clear and unambiguous hate speech.
Because I didn’t think I’d need to. I thought that we KNEW that “faggot” was unacceptable. I thought we KNEW that killing gay people was wrong. I thought we KNEW that violence and persecution of homosexuals was wrong. I thought it didn’t need to be bloody said!
But then I look at this and wonder if we have even come that far. When musicians are hailed and AWARDED for lyrics that openly for us to be tortured and murdered. When they can slide in the word “faggot” without a raised eyebrow, let alone censure. When employers can refuse people and openly say “we don’t hire faggots.” When a country can plan OUTRIGHT GENOCIDE and nations and churches don’t deem it worthy of their attention, let alone condemnation?
Then we haven’t learned that lesson. And that worries me - because I’m desperately fighting against the message that I am less than a person. But so many people are still sending the message that I don’t deserve to live. And THAT message is still deemed acceptable.
I knew we had a long way to go. I didn’t realise it was this far.
Buju Bantum is another musician. He likes to sing about “faggots” running, having to die, being shot or just being burned. He just got a Grammy nomination Don’t let a pesky thing like inciting murder get in the way guys, will you?
Eminem, not wanting to miss out on the gay bashing, decided to call ‘ Lance, Mr. Lambert and Aiken’ faggots. Oh, no, sorry, he really called them “fake-its.” No, really. And isn’t it funny how they’re all gay and it sounds so much like faggot when sung. Very clever, I’d applaud but if I move my hands they’re going to want to go round someone’s throat.
On the business side:
A McDonalds in Florida told a trans applicant that they ‘don’t hire faggots’. But, of course, the US govt doesn’t think employment discrimination for GBLT people is important.
That word is haunting me today. I’m getting sorely tired of reading it and hearing it. I must be due another round of straight people telling me that it’s not offensive.
On the religious side of the aisle - let us remember that Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the global Anglican church decides to express his concern over the severe implications of... having a Lesbian Bishop. Genocide in Uganda? Still doesn’t give a damn. Nor does the Pope. Frankly it would be pointless for either of them to speak now - their silence for this long tells you how much they are worth and how much “love” their churches have,
I look at all these and, really, is it any wonder why homophobic violence is on the rise? I’ve said a thousand times before that the message we send about homophobia - how we consent to it, how we tolerate it, how we let it be part of acceptable discourse, how we react to homophobic comments - let’s it flourish and encourages it to grow. It is this encouragement and acceptance of homophobia, of the idea that gay people are less, that leads to homophobic violence. It doesn’t happen in a vaccuum.
But when I say that? I generally meant people saying things like “that’s gay” in a negative sense. Or making tasteless gay jokes. I didn’t mean it to apply to overtly calling for the deaths of homosexuals. I wasn’t referring to clear and unambiguous hate speech.
Because I didn’t think I’d need to. I thought that we KNEW that “faggot” was unacceptable. I thought we KNEW that killing gay people was wrong. I thought we KNEW that violence and persecution of homosexuals was wrong. I thought it didn’t need to be bloody said!
But then I look at this and wonder if we have even come that far. When musicians are hailed and AWARDED for lyrics that openly for us to be tortured and murdered. When they can slide in the word “faggot” without a raised eyebrow, let alone censure. When employers can refuse people and openly say “we don’t hire faggots.” When a country can plan OUTRIGHT GENOCIDE and nations and churches don’t deem it worthy of their attention, let alone condemnation?
Then we haven’t learned that lesson. And that worries me - because I’m desperately fighting against the message that I am less than a person. But so many people are still sending the message that I don’t deserve to live. And THAT message is still deemed acceptable.
I knew we had a long way to go. I didn’t realise it was this far.