# Why did Qin Shi Huangdi get a warning for suggesting Rubio is gay? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554 "2016-02-19T14:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/21 "2016-02-19T17:25:06Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > That’s fair, but seems like a thin basis in this particular context to conclude that QSH meant to insult Rubio’s sexuality rather than to suggest that Rubio is hiding his sexuality. > > … Had he not used color to emphasize sexuality in a way that many consider derogatory, I think you might have a valid argument. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/22 "2016-02-19T17:39:54Z")
> [@andros](#): > > I think one could argue that the latter implication is inherently insulting if it presupposes that being homosexual is something shameful or worth hiding. I can’t say that’s the case here, of course, although the continued use of the insinuation and the font color might suggest that was the intent. Might. > . Absent other context, I assume a liberal poster calling out a conservative politician for being a closeted gay man is making a critique of that politician’s decision to closet himself, or the social pressures that cause him to do so, or the hypocrisy in his public policy pronouncements as they concern sexual orientation (or some combination of those), rather than suggesting that being homosexual is something shameful or worth hiding. There is also an argument that any attempt to shame someone for being closeted is inherently homophobic as a kind of victim-blaming. In my eyes, that argument is weaker in 2016 when directed at a relatively privileged person who takes public positions about sexual orientation. > [@Morgenstern](#): > > not used color to emphasize sexuality in a way that many consider derogatory, I think you might have a valid argument. My point was that in the context of making an implicit reference to closeted homosexuality, choosing pink could equally reflect an intent that the coded reference be understood as intending to impugn Rubio’s masculinity. ---
**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/23 "2016-02-19T18:34:32Z")
Had no idea there were rumors about Marco Rubio being gay until this thread. Seems like it stems from Rubio’s arrest when he was 18: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rubios-summer-of-90-an-arrest-then-newfound-purpose/2016/01/21/3582a72e-c04d-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rubios-summer-of-90-an-arrest-then-newfound-purpose/2016/01/21/3582a72e-c04d-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html) ---
**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:** [February 19, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/24 "2016-02-19T18:35:05Z")
Lindsey Graham and Condi Rice have _for years_ been the butt of gay jokes or references to claimed closeted homosexuality in GD on this MB. Will those posts be moderated in the future? To put it another way… is a one-off comment not considered a problem, but persistent references by a given poster without evidence now considered a warnable offense? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/25 "2016-02-19T19:23:21Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Wait, so I can call politicians worthless human beings deserving of scorn and insinuate that they fornicate with animals sans any evidence, but calling a politician a closeted homosexual sans evidence is out of bounds? My understanding is that the offense was not calling a politician a homosexual (closeted or not) but doing so in a manner that implied being homosexual was a bad thing or somehow a personal deficiency. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > To put it another way… is a one-off comment not considered a problem, but persistent references by a given poster without evidence now considered a warnable offense? I think the big offense here was that the moderators told him to stop doing something and he didn’t stop. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/26 "2016-02-19T19:30:42Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I think the big offense here was that the moderators told him to stop doing something and he didn’t stop. I’d be curious to read that post, if anyone knows where it is. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/27 "2016-02-19T19:38:10Z")
Here is the post: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32) > [@What would be the main factors affecting the outcome of a Clinton vs. Rubio election?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-main-factors-affecting-the-outcome-of-a-clinton-vs-rubio-election/745249/32): > > I gotta say, I have to agree with Superdude up there. If you can Qin are going to keep repeating this you’d better damn well be willing to back it up. Otherwise, stop with the gaybashing. > > And gaybashing is exactly what you two are doing. So stop it. Warning issued for hate speech. This seems like odd reasoning to me. If it is gay-bashing, then why would it be OK to back it up? What makes it gay-bashing only if it is unsubstantiated? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/28 "2016-02-19T19:42:39Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Here is the post: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32) > > This seems like odd reasoning to me. If it is gay-bashing, then why would it be OK to back it up? What makes it gay-bashing only if it is unsubstantiated? Had **JC** left the word “otherwise” out of that mod note, it would have been less confusing. But I think the message is the same regardless. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/29 "2016-02-19T19:45:22Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Here is the post: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19080668&postcount=32) > > This seems like odd reasoning to me. If it is gay-bashing, then why would it be OK to back it up? What makes it gay-bashing only if it is unsubstantiated? Calling someone you think is gay “Mr. Homo” could be considered gay bashing. But yeah, it does sound like you can “gay bash” as long as you back it up. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/30 "2016-02-19T19:48:03Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Absent other context, I assume a liberal poster calling out a conservative politician for being a closeted gay man is making a critique of that politician’s decision to closet himself, or the social pressures that cause him to do so, or the hypocrisy in his public policy pronouncements as they concern sexual orientation (or some combination of those), rather than suggesting that being homosexual is something shameful or worth hiding. **QSH** wasn’t “calling Rubio out for being closeted,” he was speculating without credible evidence that Rubio is closeted. I suspect that **Jonathan Chance** is saying that if there is credible evidence, then maybe your willingness to give the benefit of the doubt has a reasonable basis. But if it is purely unsubstantiated speculation, then what possible purpose can there have been but to intend “he’s gay” as a hompohobic insult? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/31 "2016-02-19T19:49:55Z")
I don’t know. Now that I’ve read that earlier thread I think it’s clear that **JC** just got it wrong. **Stringbean’s** post using “Mr. Homo” was obviously satire of **Qin Shi Huangdi** ’s earlier post in that thread, in which he wrote “The revelation of Rubio’s homosexuality will ensure a landslide victory for Clinton.” Neither post is an example of gay-bashing. **Stringbean** certainly should not have been warned, and **QSH** didn’t do anything other than express an unsubstantiated opinion. There’s a better argument with the pink text, but it still strikes me as extremely thin, especially if based on this earlier exchange. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/32 "2016-02-19T19:54:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > But if it is purely unsubstantiated speculation, then what possible purpose can there have been but to intend “he’s gay” as a hompohobic insult? I offered several purposes above. Now having read more of the context and having Googled a little, I think the likeliest one is this: **Qin Shi Huangdi** was himself satirizing the rumors over Rubio’s sexuality. But in any event, I do not think the most natural or obvious explanation is that QSH was just crudely gay-bashing Rubio. That seems like the same context-free theory that got **Stringbean** improperly warned in that thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/33 "2016-02-19T20:11:41Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My understanding is that the offense was not calling a politician a homosexual (closeted or not) but doing so in a manner that implied being homosexual was a bad thing or somehow a personal deficiency. I don’t think this is right. All insults imply a personal deficiency so there is no distinction here. But I think my question is largely answered in that it was moderating hate speech. That’s sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/34 "2016-02-19T21:53:59Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > **QSH** wasn’t “calling Rubio out for being closeted,” he was speculating without credible evidence that Rubio is closeted. I suspect that **Jonathan Chance** is saying that if there is credible evidence, then maybe your willingness to give the benefit of the doubt has a reasonable basis. But if it is purely unsubstantiated speculation, then what possible purpose can there have been but to intend “he’s gay” as a hompohobic insult? Qin wasn’t speculating or wondering or questioning or discussing about anything. He was just straight up insulting Rubio by calling him “gay”. Coloring his name like that is no different than calling him Marco Homio (to make up an example). The word Gay is still used as a gendered insult, even if most people now a days don’t care about other peoples sexuality. Just because we agree that it’s a stupid insult doesn’t mean it’s not actually an insult. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/35 "2016-02-19T22:04:46Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > The word Gay is still used as a gendered insult, even if most people now a days don’t care about other peoples sexuality. Just because we agree that it’s a stupid insult doesn’t mean it’s not actually an insult. I think insults aren’t a problem - it’s the hate speech that was moderated. You can call Rubio a dumbass all day and that would be insulting him, but it’s not hate speech. Hate speech is what’s disallowed. Thems the rules. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/36 "2016-02-19T22:06:03Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > **Stringbean’s** post using “Mr. Homo” was obviously satire of **Qin Shi Huangdi** ’s earlier post in that thread, in which he wrote “The revelation of Rubio’s homosexuality will ensure a landslide victory for Clinton.” Really? Not obvious to me at all. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/37 "2016-02-19T22:09:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Really? Not obvious to me at all. It’s not obvious from the quote. It’s obvious from the context, including **Stringbean** ’s earlier support for Rubio. I’m not saying it’s not a reasonable mistake. But a mistake indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/38 "2016-02-19T22:15:19Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I offered several purposes above. > > Now having read more of the context … What is the context for asserting that Rubio is a closeted gay? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/39 "2016-02-19T22:21:08Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > What is the context for asserting that Rubio is a closeted gay? Unbeknownst to me, there is apparently [some](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/marco-rubio-boots-rivals-masculinity-217519) [degree](http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/bombshell-report-marco-rubios-gay-scandal-surfaces/) of [conversation](http://www.queerty.com/republicans-are-using-marco-rubios-boots-for-gay-baiting-20160111) about this in the broader public. Based on what I know of the rest of his posting history, one plausible hypothesis is that he’s poking fun at this whole phenomenon rather than sincerely asserting that Rubio is gay. But, again, even if that’s not it, there are a couple other plausible readings other than “he’s gay and it’s bad to be gay”–more plausible, in my mind, than him just launching homophobic insults. YMMV. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2016, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554/40 "2016-02-19T22:57:46Z")
I don’t pay much attention to Qin’s posts, but from what I do see, they seem to be getting rather whacky lately. IIRC, he’s a college kid, and is probably going thru some phase or another. I’m not surprised that the mods are asking him to cut out the crap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-qin-shi-huangdi-get-a-warning-for-suggesting-rubio-is-gay/746554.md?page=3)