Actually no, not at all. I think that too many people who are NOT gay are taking offense on behalf of gay people. I honestly don’t think he meant the insult to be a slur against gays at all, he just said an insulting word and wasn’t thinking.
I’m not sure I understand the objection to (relatively minor) consequences for misbehavior in the workplace. If one of my employees said this to a coworker, it would result in more than two days off.
An interesting choice of insults, right? Some of us live our whole lives without ever calling anyone a faggot, nigger or cunt. “Asshole” was created for situations like this.
Exactly. As long as the pitcher accepts his apology, and it seems like he did, I haven’t read otherwise.
People rarely have “brain-to-mouth glitches” with words that aren’t in their active vocabulary. He didn’t use a word that he doesn’t use regularly–he just accidentally used it in the wrong place. (It reminds me of the time Dick Army accidentally called Barney Frank “Barney Fag” to the press, instead of behind his back as he normally must have.)
It does not matter if he intended the insult to be a slur against gays. That’s not the point. Nothing near the point.
The point is, in our society, we do not use homophobic slurs against anyone, at any time, for any reason. We also don’t use ethnic or racial slurs. It’s simply not acceptable.
As has been pointed out, if this happened in a workplace, there would be consequences. As it happens, it DID happen in a workplace, and in a public place. Also, his employment involves providing entertainment to families. Families who, in general, do not approve of racial, ethnic OR homophobic slurs against ANYone, at ANY time. His employer has given him consequences. Pull up your big-boy pants and move on.
Pillar did the right thing by apologising. I’m sure he will learn from this that homophobic slurs are unacceptable in our society. Period.
It looked like the pitcher didn’t “come set”, meaning didn’t pause standing still before delivering the ball from the stretch.
Pillar should have complained to or tried to clarify with the umpire. Seeing how he struck out, doing so might have been too late to change the outcome or maybe his emotions got the better of him anyway.
You don’t get to decide how offensive an insult is when it wasn’t directed at you.
Serious answer : that would be true if he hadn’t apologized or the media collectively shrugged (or, worse, called the LGBT community a bunch of thin skinned sissies) about it.
I’d say the guy is, indeed, the *product *of an homophobic culture - because that’s what America still is. I wouldn’t agree that he perpetuates it, since he immediately and publicly apologized. As well, his suspension broadcasts the message that this is not acceptable behaviour (although to be fair I’d opine it’s less about “player is homophobe” and more “player insulted other player on the field”)
So did he call him a faggot or a cocksucker, or what? Sorry if I missed it but I scanned the article twice and didn’t see exactly what he said.
Speaking as a gay guy - fuck that dude, and fuck the bullshit, “He didn’t mean anything anti-gay by it!” defense. You wouldn’t pull that crap if he’d call the guy a nigger.
Thanks. It looks to me like he did set, very briefly. His bare hand and glove hand came together. These guys are such children.
Being the product of a culture does not mean you have to choose to embrace it as an adult. I was raised in a straight white military culture, the only part of that upbringing I retained was being white, as that part isn’t optional. Choosing to be a bigot as a grown man is something you control. He is, perhaps, learning as shown by the swift apology. I would be more inclined to believe he was a little apologetic and a lot damage control mode. Maybe he will grow from this, who knows.
Yes we are products of a homophobic and sexist culture. But the words that come out of your mouth when you are angry are almost never words that aren’t ok in your head. I myself, a white women from a conservative farming community, have never called someone a faggot. I have called other women bitch but never cunt I have trouble typing some of those words, even.
That’s a balk. Take your base.
These rules have been laid down by our forefathers, and we must heed them.
This is idiotic.
The insult is offensive not because of who it’s directed towards; it’s offensive because of what it says about the notion of homosexuality as an insult.
I’ll take Miller’s assertion, a few posts up, and make it a question: Do you believe that, if someone insults another person by calling them a “nigger,” then the only person who has a right to be offended, and the only person who needs to accept the apology, is the person the word was directed at?
Uh, how does calling someone a slur against gays somehow not result in a slur against gays?
How in the world do people make sense of such things?
I think so. Obviously anyone can think he’s an ass and choose to put him on real life ignore, but he was talking directly to one specific person and apologized to that person.
I’d be interested in knowing if you have read and taken in any of the posts after this, such as the ones by Miller, mhendo and DeepLiquid (and others). That is, do you understand their point, even if you don’t entirely accept it? Are you able to grasp how just one spur-of-the-moment insult can sting someone who is a member of a still-frequently-insulted minority? That there is a reason why this sort of thing is dealt with so severely in the workplace?
I don’t care two pins about professional sports or this particular player. What he said doesn’t affect me personally, I’m old enough to know better. But there are kids out there, confused, hurting, and afraid, and they’re the ones I’m thinking of. Maybe he should have apologized to them.
That is very well written and well said. Thank you.