# Accusations of racism, sexism, and homophobia **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 21, 2012, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201 "2012-01-21T06:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/21 "2012-01-22T05:32:33Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > I didn’t say he SAID he hates black people, he just goes out of his way to talk badly about them and makes it readily apparent that he does hate them. If he doesn’t say it, then you can’t know that he does. Pick one. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/22 "2012-01-22T06:00:03Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > You cannot call other posters names outside the BBQ Pit. There is no rule against pointing out how and why a particular statement or argument is racist or homophobic or whatever. Ok, so then is it ok to say “you’re being racist” or would that be considered an insult. To be honest, I don’t really see a difference between saying “you’re a racist” and “you’re being racist” but is the former considered a violation of the board’s rules while the latter isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/23 "2012-01-22T06:01:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If he doesn’t say it, then you can’t know that he does. Pick one. False dichotomy, no I don’t have to pick one, yes I can know that he does. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/24 "2012-01-22T06:10:53Z")
I don’t have much to add to **tomndebb** ’s comment. Calling a poster a racist, sexist, etc. is strongly discouraged because it’s a comment on the person rather than the idea. You get more leeway in describing a post or an idea. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/25 "2012-01-22T06:37:14Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > False dichotomy, no I don’t have to pick one, yes I can know that he does. It’s your dichotomy. If you don’t like it, the suggest another. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/26 "2012-01-22T06:37:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t have much to add to **tomndebb** ’s comment. Calling a poster a racist, sexist, etc. is strongly discouraged because it’s a comment on the person rather than the idea. You get more leeway in describing a post or an idea. Ok, then would saying “you’re being racist/sexist/anti-Semite/homophobe” be considered a comment on the person and therefore a no-no or would it be considered a comment on their behavior and therefore considered acceptable? To me, there is no real difference between saying “you’re a racist” and “you’re being racist” but I can see how others might disagree and would be worthwhile for us all to know whether it’s acceptable or not to say “you’re being racist” to another poster or not. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/27 "2012-01-22T06:46:11Z")
I’ve been accused of [homophobia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=612460&highlight=pride+parade&page=3) before but my complaints went nowhere. So it depends on what the mods think about the thread in general (and if they are participating). You can say “your views are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_”, and sometimes you’ll get called on it and sometimes you won’t. So you can pretty much say, “You’re being \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_” or “The things you say are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_” and you may get a free pass. It’s also a nice way to distract a poster from their original point because now they’re defending themselves against a BS claim. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/28 "2012-01-22T06:46:39Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Ok, then would saying “you’re being racist/sexist/anti-Semite/homophobe” be considered a comment on the person and therefore a no-no or would it be considered a comment on their behavior and therefore considered acceptable? No, “you’re being ” is just about the same as “you are .” I don’t consider “you’re being stupid” much of an improvement over “you are stupid.” ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/29 "2012-01-22T06:49:09Z")
Damn it, now that I’ve viewed that old thread, I see that sometimes a judge can’t rule on things he’s been involved in (re: the child-abuser judge), so I was right after all, but bumping it violates the rules, I think. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/30 "2012-01-22T06:53:09Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, “you’re being ” is just about the same as “you are .” I don’t consider “you’re being stupid” much of an improvement over “you are stupid.” You’re a real hoot. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/31 "2012-01-22T06:55:08Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > You’re a real hoot. You mean I’m being a real hoot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/32 "2012-01-22T06:55:46Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Ok, then would saying “you’re being racist/sexist/anti-Semite/homophobe” be considered a comment on the person and therefore a no-no or would it be considered a comment on their behavior and therefore considered acceptable? When your post begins with “you are…”, then it’s a comment about the person. Don’t say “you are”. It’s pretty simple. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/33 "2012-01-22T06:56:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You mean I’m being a real hoot. 😉 You must dislike hoots [the way I dislike gay people](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13922687&postcount=124). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/34 "2012-01-22T07:04:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, “you’re being ” is just about the same as “you are .” I don’t consider “you’re being stupid” much of an improvement over “you are stupid.” Thanks for the answer and FWIW I agree completely. I was just asking because I could see how some people who like to split hairs and make a fuss over distinctions with little difference. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/35 "2012-01-22T07:08:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s your dichotomy. If you don’t like it, the suggest another. Because I’m an intelligent adult, I can tell from a person’s systematic, repeated actions how they feel. MAAAYBE being generous, 5% of racists I have ever encountered would meet your “Unless they say they hate (group) you can’t tell” BS criteria. It is obvious from Chen’s posts that he hates Blacks since he posts negatively about them, off topic, repeatedly. He doesn’t have to say “I hate blacks” for it to be obvious, what is it about racism that makes your barrier so high? If someone drove a pink car, dressed in all pink, and said “I hope I can find a pink dress at the mall for the party this saturday”, you would be the pedant robot sitting there smugly saying “You cannot know that pink is one of her favorite colors unless she signs a sworn affidavit stating 'I, Jane consider Pink my favorite color”. Human beings can draw conclusions about people’s feelings from their actions, which more often than not speak louder than words even. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/36 "2012-01-22T13:32:08Z")
As I see it, outside the Pit (specially in GD or Elections), you are clear to say _“ **the argument/position** that [(whatever the argument or position is)] is a [N]ist/phobic argument/position”_ (for differring values of N, of course) and preferrably then add why you think so. But not to impugn the specific person’s character. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/37 "2012-01-22T13:54:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You mean I’m being a real hoot. 😉 I find the ideas you present to be consistently hootish and thigh-slappy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/38 "2012-01-22T15:24:42Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Thanks for the answer and FWIW I agree completely. > > I was just asking because I could see how some people who like to split hairs and make a fuss over distinctions with little difference. Saying “that’s a racist statement” is entirely different from saying “you’re a racist”. The former describes a random statement that the person may not have intended in a racist manner. The latter is based upon repeated and sustained hate speech that is clearly racially motivated. Before tagging somebody with the ‘racist’ or ‘pedophile’ or any other highly charged label, one should have a large number of cites to provide to substantiate the claim. He should also present this information to board moderation, rather than risk being warned or banned for presenting it publicly. My opinion, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/39 "2012-01-22T17:43:47Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I was just asking because I could see how some people who like to split hairs and make a fuss over distinctions with little difference. If one of Those People moved into my neighborhood, I would sell my house immediately. They are hell on property values. Plus you never know when they’re going to steal something. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201/40 "2012-01-22T22:13:27Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Plus you never know when they’re going to steal something. Or why. Damn those rich, devilishly handsome bastards. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accusations-of-racism-sexism-and-homophobia/610201.md?page=3)