« Go back a post || Return to G-A-Y homepage || Haul tail to next post »
06/26/2008
Does this raise a red f*g flag?
After the jump you will find a webcomic created by OurLittleCornfield.com. When viewing it, just ask yourself: If the celebration in question was a day honoring the country of Niger, would the creators have been so willing to make a targeted wordplay?
Alright, so there will surely be some who defend this as a joke. And trust us: Nobody loves a good laugh more than one (even ones that good-naturedly rib LGBT people). We also see ways in which similar wordplay could be done in good taste. But what we have here is a punchline setup up entirely around the notion that "fag" is an accepted word to describe gay people. There's no attempt to distance anyone from the term. There's no clever "teachable moment." And so we have to ask you again: Would any other slur be used in such a way? We're thinking not.
Now, it's entirely possible that Mr. Riffle and Mr. Williams intend no offense here. But that's the problem with demeaning gay people as opposed to other groups: Even though there are certainly biases that have hurt far more people, there are few biases that are as casually accepted as those that affect gay people. So in the minds of far too many, "fag" doesn't resonate as a term that's completely outside the lines of acceptability. The deep offense that so many of us feel when hearing that word is something that has not fully connected with the public, even among those who recognize it as a word that shouldn't come up in everyday conversation. So even at the risk of sounding like hypersensitive gay activists, we have no choice but to speak out whenever we see stuff like this.
See June 11 comic [Our Little Cornfield]
(H/t: Scott Hutcheson)
**UPDATE: For more on Mr. Riffle's views, read this revelatory commentary he has written:
Leftist Supreme Court has nothing but contempt for will of the people [Milpitas Post]
"I was with the majority of Californians who voted to affirm the notion that marriage is the union between one man and one woman because that is precisely what marriage is. I'm not "homophobic" (a stupid term that means "afraid of gays" that was made up to inaccurately portray those who do not promote the gay lifestyle) or a bigot (another silly term designed to stifle reasonable debate). I simply believe that words mean something."
**UPDATE2: Mr. Riffle has written us:
Our reply:
Hey there. Thanks for writing back. I'll update with your thoughts.
No, we've yet to hear form anyone who found it funny. But I think you're missing the point -- it's not because we find the humor to be bad. It's because in order for the joke to work, there has to be an acceptance of the word "fag" as an acceptable descriptor for gay people. And yes, gay people do sometimes use "fag" in various ways. But again, it's the way this joke is framed that makes it out of bounds.
Supplant the "flag" misunderstanding with one involving African-Americans, using the exact same setup (that the slur word would confuse someone as an acceptable referrer to that community). Would it still have been printed?
Your thoughts
DOES FAG HURT? YOU BET IT DOES...Just today this suit was settle where a boy was harassed from THIRD grade... and finally beaten up. He may not even be gay!
(San Francisco, California) A Northern California school district has agreed to a comprehensive series of steps to protect students from anti-gay harassment and discrimination. The move avoids a lawsuit that most legal experts say the district could not win.
The agreement with the Upper Lake Union School District was reached by the ACLU of Northern California which represented the student, identified only as Robby.
The ACLU said that it sought the settlement in light of federal and state laws that allow for school administrators to be held liable if they fail to take adequate measures to remedy anti-LGBT harassment and discrimination.
The boy said he was persistently subjected to verbal taunting and physical abuse throughout elementary and middle school based on his perceived sexual orientation.
"I can’t remember a day at school when I wasn’t called a faggot or gay," Robby said in a statement provided by the ACLU.
Since the third grade Robby said he has been the target of taunts, bullying and anti-gay name-calling on a regular basis.
The harassment finally culminated in him being attacked by a group of boys in the school locker room after gym class last fall.
The boys knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach, head and sides while screaming “fag” and “queer” at him. Robby received medical care for his injuries. That is when his parents contacted the ACLU in the belief that the district was not going to independently take the appropriate steps to protect their son.
The settlement agreement was reached without a lawsuit. It contains a series of proactive steps that the Upper Lake Union School District will take to create a safe learning environment for all students and to educate students and staff about preventing harassment and discrimination at school.
The district also now has adopted clear policies prohibiting harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as required by California law.
Posted by: LOrion | Jun 26, 2008 12:33:47 PM
PS That quote was from this 365 News bulletin: www.365gay.com/Newscon08/06/062608school.htm
is there some way to forward it to the cartoonist?
Thanks JH
Posted by: LOrion | Jun 26, 2008 12:55:57 PM
Mr. Riffle thinks far too highly of himself. He's nothing so noteworthy as a homophobe or a bigot, but rather a garden variety asshole - another little word that was coined to describe people with attitudes such as his.
Posted by: Larry | Jun 26, 2008 1:40:20 PM
Read this again:
"I'm not "homophobic" (a stupid term that means "afraid of gays" that was made up to inaccurately portray those who do not promote the gay lifestyle) or a bigot (another silly term designed to stifle reasonable debate). I simply believe that words mean something."
Ah, irony.
He believes that words mean something... right after he dismissed the words "homophobic" and "bigot". I agree that words mean something and the two that he dismissed so quickly also mean something. They are accurately used to portray individuals who share Mr. Riffle's views.
Posted by: Timothy | Jun 26, 2008 3:31:19 PM
I'm not black. And because I'm not black, I NEVER EVER use the "n" word. I haven't earned the right. I don't know what it's like to see someone's eyes widen in surprise when they encounter me, expecting to see someone of a different color. I can't know what it feels like to sit in a job interview and wonder whether the interviewer hates black people and is just interviewing me to satisfy some quota (the interviewer might hate women, but that's different).
I'm not gay. And because I'm not gay, I NEVER EVER use the "f" word (and I don't mean the one that ends in "ck"). I haven't earned the right. I don't know what it feels like to be treated as though I were nothing more than a piece of kindling used to add zest to the witch-burning that serves as the town's entertainment from time to time. I've never had anyone tell me that I can't marry, that I shouldn't raise kids, or that what God made me is so abominable to God that if I express it I'm going to burn in hell.
You know, the more violent a person's negative reaction is to gays, the greater their fear. This is especially true for men, whose fear-response is usually aggression and denial of fear. Mr. Riffle is lying to himself when he refuses to admit to homophobia. And, as the ex-Reverend Haggard is known to have said, "All sin begins with lies told to oneself."
I find it appalling that so many people cast slurs with impunity upon those outside the strict lines of "standard" sexuality -- slurs that would get them fired from jobs, ostracized by their friends, and scorned by civilized society if that slur were against almost any other minority group.
Mr. Riffle owes the LGBT community -- and the world -- an apology.
Posted by: Robin Reardon | Jun 27, 2008 12:58:12 AM
comments powered by Disqus
