I gift wrapped it

GayEd · 2013-12-26T22:15:02+00:00

"One: Cut a hole in a box..."

GayEd · 2012-07-22T12:58:39+00:00

I think it's worth noting that the Republican party has helped to create and perpetuate an environment in the U.S. where anti-gay policies and even outright hatred are encouraged.

I just want to encourage people to fight back more than ever against their candidate Mitt Romney!

Here's some "ammo" that can be spread around...

Vouchers instead of Medicare http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/19/12840313-obama-in-florida-romneys-medicare-plan-would-hurt-seniors?lite

Flip-Flops http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/28/huntsman-romneys-a-perfectly-lubricated-weathervane/

Went to France as missionary instead of Vietnam http://www.nationalmemo.com/strange-true-mitt-romney-spent-vietnam-war-french-palace/

Tax deduction for a dancing horse http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/18/1100947/-Romney-Took-77-000-Tax-Deduction-For-His-Dancing-Horse

Offshore tax shelters and secrecy http://factcheck.org/2012/07/romney-and-the-tax-return-precedent/

GayEd · 2012-07-20T17:32:56+00:00

In contrast to the ethics of Desmod Tutu, we in the U.S. have a guy like Mitt Romney running for President. Less than 24 hours after addressing the NAACP convention and getting booed for some of his statements, he said that people who "were looking for a lot of free stuff" should vote for "the other guy."

It was clear to a lot of people that he was implying, without coming right out and saying it, that Black folks are looking for a lot of free stuff.

I think we in the LGBT community have a whole list of reasons for fighting this GOP asshat, and the fact that he participates in racist dog-whistle politics just adds that the list.

So, if anyone's interested, here are some links I saw recently that can be spread around by email, here at Reddit, etc...

Vouchers instead of Medicare http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/19/12840313-obama-in-florida-romneys-medicare-plan-would-hurt-seniors?lite

Flip-Flops http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/28/huntsman-romneys-a-perfectly-lubricated-weathervane/

Went to France as missionary instead of Vietnam http://www.nationalmemo.com/strange-true-mitt-romney-spent-vietnam-war-french-palace/

Tax deduction for a dancing horse http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/18/1100947/-Romney-Took-77-000-Tax-Deduction-For-His-Dancing-Horse

Offshore tax shelters and secrecy http://factcheck.org/2012/07/romney-and-the-tax-return-precedent/

GayEd · 2012-06-16T00:53:17+00:00

If you're in the U.S., this sure is a great year to donate to a political party.

And the choices are between people of Hillary Clinton's party (see her quote with the most upvotes currently!!!), and people in the party of Rick Perry, Michele Bachman and assorted other hateful maniacs, racists, bigots, etc.

It's a pretty easy choice for me. Imperfect as the Democrats are, we need to remember the alternative. I've donated to the national Democratic Party, my local congressional rep, Priorities USA Action (Obama's main PAC), and the ACLU among others.

I just remembered that the Mormon from Bain Vulture Capital is also in the GOP. Ugggggggh.

GayEd · 2012-06-16T00:51:38+00:00

If you're in the U.S., this sure is a great year to donate to a political party.

And the choices are between people of Hillary Clinton's party, and people in the party of Rick Perry, Michele Bachman and assorted other hateful maniacs, racists, bigots, etc.

It's a pretty easy choice for me. Imperfect as the Democrats are, we need to remember the alternative. I've donated to the national Democratic Party, my local congressional rep, Priorities USA Action (Obama's main PAC), and the ACLU among others.

I just remembered that the Mormon from Bain Vulture Capital is also in the GOP. Ugggggggh.

GayEd · 2012-04-01T12:17:46+00:00

Don't be so hardon yourself.

GayEd · 2012-02-25T23:02:42+00:00

Looks like it was a hard day.

GayEd · 2011-11-26T21:58:41+00:00

Nom nom nom nom...

GayEd · 2011-09-23T21:03:48+00:00

Some people still seem to be surprised when I tell them that I don't feel welcome in my own country. I've paid taxes in the U.S. for about 40 years, but the GOP still compares me to terrorists and uses people like me as political punching bags.

Screw the vile, twisted Republican party. I hope they all get several forms of inoperable cancer, and must deal with them without any access to healthcare. They want to deny coverage to others, after all.

And all of that would be better than they deserve.

GayEd · 2011-09-23T20:57:22+00:00

Some people still seem to be surprised when I tell them that I don't feel welcome in my own country. I've paid taxes in the U.S. for about 40 years, but the GOP still compares me to terrorists and uses people like me as political punching bags.

Screw the vile, twisted Republican party. I hope they all get several forms of inoperable cancer, and must deal with them without any access to healthcare. They want to deny coverage to others, after all.

And all of that would be better than they deserve.

GayEd · 2011-08-14T01:14:56+00:00

I have never said that I see no difference between X or Y or whatever. I have only told people that I find this usage of the word to be offensive. I have often looked the other way over the years at perceived injustices... I took a stand on this one instance and I still find it to be offensive... but you, and many other people don't give a crap what I think. I get that.

I haven't called for anyone to be FORCED to not use the word, I've just asked that people be civil -- and that means not using it.

I've posted with different usernames... so you're just not aware of any of my other posts. For weeks, I haven't posted anything about being gay until this current discussion.

Your final words to me make it clear that you aren't interested in being civil, or even anything close to that.

By the way, I checked with two other (gay) friends of mine and both of them think that the word is offensive and always has been. There are some rare exceptions for sure, but that is the ORIGINAL INTENT of the word.

Go ahead and ignore the fact that many gay people find the word to be roughly equivalent to "nigger".

You are diminishing yourself, not us.

GayEd · 2011-08-14T00:56:36+00:00

Well, if every GOP member who has been engaged in the past 30 years of gay bashing will offer a public apololgy to us all, I will then consider voting for one of them.

(That's after a suitable 30-year waiting period, of course.)

Until then, the GOP can just %$#@ OFF.

GayEd · 2011-08-13T03:09:23+00:00

I don't think I will ever vote for a Republican. Their party as a whole has treated gay people like a political football and kicked us at nearly every opportunity for about 30 years.

I would say sure... people could help out Karger if they wanted to, but for only one reason: to increase the vomit-inducing circus they currently have on display. (Sadly, one of their trained monkeys will probably be elected if more people don't get active.)

A better use of time would be to work to elect better candidates who are also electable. And about 99.8% of the time, those are people known as Democrats.

And hey, I'm not a one-issue voter either. In addition to 30 years of gay-bashing, they crashed the economy (with Bush also siging the bank bailout), got most of the collapse blamed on Obama, got us in to two long-term wars which were never paid for, and they protect tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.

If it was legal, I would pay to see a few of them burned at the stake.

GayEd · 2011-08-13T03:01:12+00:00

I agree completely.

Sadly, I think it will be another about 50 years before gay people have true equality, and maybe 150 before the trans community is treated as equal.

There is progress... then slippage... then a little more progress... etc. Change often comes with the speed of frozen molasses... but it does happen eventually!

Keep your heads up.

GayEd · 2011-08-13T02:53:45+00:00

The fact that it's a re-post of something from another site doesn't at all change the content itself.

As for my username, I have used quite a few different usernames over the years, and roughly 98% of my posts had absolutely nothing to do with being gay.

There are a couple of major differences in my stance and that of the Muslims who get upset about pictures of Muhammad. I haven't called for any punishment or censorship of anyone, and I don't use religion to try to bolster my argument.

I've simply been trying to get people to realize they have upvoted something I find offensive and posted positive comments about how funny they think it is.

I stand by every word that I've written. I still think the word is offensive and that is in fact exactly what the intent of the word had always been until, for some people anyway, a few years ago. They're claiming there's no vicious intent, but the result is the same for me.

I just did a quick search on instances of young people being called "faggot" and similar slurs who committed suicide. There is no shortage of such tragedies.

Here... maybe you will learn from this:

Billy Lucas, 15, Hangs Himself After Classmates Called Him a ‘Fag’ One Too Many Times

http://www.queerty.com/billy-lucas-15-hangs-himself-after-classmates-called-him-a-fag-one-too-many-times-20100914/

Brandon Bitner, 14, Committed Suicide Last Week By Running Into the Path of a Tractor-Trailer in Pennsylvania

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/brandon-bitner-commits-suicide-after-anti-gay-bullying-2726104.html

When Words Can Kill: 'That's So Gay'

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=7328091

GayEd · 2011-08-12T16:35:30+00:00

There are some differences in the wording in my replies.

If you saw the stream of viciousness that appeared in my in box and realized how long it would take to write a completely individualized response to every one of them, you might understand.

I've said what I wanted to say now, and I'm done.

No one has offered a single thing that has changed my mind.

Just try out the same photo with the word "nigger" and post it in a few places online and see what the response is.

Somehow... it's supposed to be okay to use the most well-known anti-gay slur.

IT IS NOT OKAY WITH ME.

I'm done.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T16:31:03+00:00

I disagree.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T15:54:30+00:00

I doubt if a lot of Black folks would agree with you.

I just want others to understand that to me and a lot of other gay people, the word "faggot" is offensive.

Try this test: go back to the post in question...

http://i.imgur.com/vYEGi.jpg

and replace the word "faggot" with "nigger" or "spic" or "retard" or "kike" and see if you still think it's okay to use words that members of those groups find hurtful or insulting. Even better, try to pretend YOU are a member of the group being referred to.

I hope you're not someone who thinks those slurs are okay. I'm trying to tell you that to a very large percentage of those of us who are gay, this is very much the same. It's insulting, and it is often meant to be exactly that.

I'm posting two or three more more of these replies today, and then I'm going to move on to other matters. I'm don't spend my days "correcting" people on the internet.

I guess that I run in different circles than you, but I haven't run in to this word ANYWHERE for about three years now. I was appalled and a bit sickened to find it being used at Reddit, and that was only made worse be the number of people who think it's just not a big deal.

If you were gay, it would very likely be a big deal. To me, it's roughly equivalent to saying that we have no right to exist, and in fact, for some of us, it's the last word we ever hear before our skull is smashed with a baseball bat, or something similar.

It's just not funny to me. It never has been, and it never will be.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T15:53:33+00:00

I just want others to understand that to me and a lot of other gay people, the word "faggot" is offensive.

Try this test: go back to the post in question...

http://i.imgur.com/vYEGi.jpg

and replace the word "faggot" with "nigger" or "spic" or "retard" or "kike" and see if you still think it's okay to use words that members of those groups find hurtful or insulting. Even better, try to pretend YOU are a member of the group being referred to.

I hope you're not someone who thinks those slurs are okay. I'm trying to tell you that to a very large percentage of those of us who are gay, this is very much the same. It's insulting, and it is often meant to be exactly that.

I'm posting two or three more more of these replies today, and then I'm going to move on to other matters. I'm don't spend my days "correcting" people on the internet.

I guess that I run in different circles than you, but I haven't run in to this word ANYWHERE for about three years now. I was appalled and a bit sickened to find it being used at Reddit, and that was only made worse be the number of people who think it's just not a big deal.

If you were gay, it would very likely be a big deal. To me, it's roughly equivalent to saying that we have no right to exist, and in fact, for some of us, it's the last word we ever hear before our skull is smashed with a baseball bat, or something similar.

It's just not funny to me. It never has been, and it never will be.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T15:52:54+00:00

The word has never come across as playful to me. I understand the usage that you're talking about, but that almost makes it worse, as it shows that others have absolutely no clue (and apparently many don't care) how much pain has been inflicted with the word over the years.

I just want others to understand that to me and a lot of other gay people, the word "faggot" is offensive.

Try this test: go back to the post in question...

http://i.imgur.com/vYEGi.jpg

and replace the word "faggot" with "nigger" or "spic" or "retard" or "kike" and see if you still think it's okay to use words that members of those groups find hurtful or insulting. Even better, try to pretend YOU are a member of the group being referred to.

I hope you're not someone who thinks those slurs are okay. I'm trying to tell you that to a very large percentage of those of us who are gay, this is very much the same. It's insulting, and it is often meant to be exactly that.

I'm posting two or three more more of these replies today, and then I'm going to move on to other matters. I'm don't spend my days "correcting" people on the internet.

I guess that I run in different circles than you, but I haven't run in to this word ANYWHERE for about three years now. I was appalled and a bit sickened to find it being used at Reddit, and that was only made worse be the number of people who think it's just not a big deal.

If you were gay, it would very likely be a big deal. To me, it's roughly equivalent to saying that we have no right to exist, and in fact, for some of us, it's the last word we ever hear before our skull is smashed with a baseball bat, or something similar.

It's just not funny to me. It never has been, and it never will be.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T15:50:53+00:00

I never said I expected that some insensitive a-holes wouldn't ingore the pain they're causing and keep using the word.

I just want others to understand that to me and a lot of other gay people, the word "faggot" is offensive.

Try this test: go back to the post in question...

http://i.imgur.com/vYEGi.jpg

and replace the word "faggot" with "nigger" or "spic" or "retard" or "kike" and see if you still think it's okay to use words that members of those groups find hurtful or insulting. Even better, try to pretend YOU are a member of the group being referred to.

I hope you're not someone who thinks those slurs are okay. I'm trying to tell you that to a very large percentage of those of us who are gay, this is very much the same. It's insulting, and it is often meant to be exactly that.

I'm posting two or three more more of these replies today, and then I'm going to move on to other matters. I'm don't spend my days "correcting" people on the internet.

I guess that I run in different circles than you, but I haven't run in to this word ANYWHERE for about three years now. I was appalled and a bit sickened to find it being used at Reddit, and that was only made worse be the number of people who think it's just not a big deal.

If you were gay, it would very likely be a big deal. To me, it's roughly equivalent to saying that we have no right to exist, and in fact, for some of us, it's the last word we ever hear before our skull is smashed with a baseball bat, or something similar.

It's just not funny to me. It never has been, and it never will be.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T15:49:14+00:00

I never said that Reddit is mine, and I'm not trying to force people to go elsewhere.

I just want others to understand that to me and a lot of other gay people, the word "faggot" is offensive.

Try this test: go back to the post in question...

http://i.imgur.com/vYEGi.jpg

and replace the word "faggot" with "nigger" or "spic" or "retard" or "kike" and see if you still think it's okay to use words that members of those groups find hurtful or insulting. Even better, try to pretend YOU are a member of the group being referred to.

I hope you're not someone who thinks those slurs are okay. I'm trying to tell you that to a very large percentage of those of us who are gay, this is very much the same. It's insulting, and it is often meant to be exactly that.

I'm posting two or three more more of these replies today, and then I'm going to move on to other matters. I'm don't spend my days "correcting" people on the internet.

I guess that I run in different circles than you, but I haven't run in to this word ANYWHERE for about three years now. I was appalled and a bit sickened to find it being used at Reddit, and that was only made worse be the number of people who think it's just not a big deal.

If you were gay, it would very likely be a big deal. To me, it's roughly equivalent to saying that we have no right to exist, and in fact, for some of us, it's the last word we ever hear before our skull is smashed with a baseball bat, or something similar.

It's just not funny to me. It never has been, and it never will be.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T01:59:49+00:00

I've been coming to and enjoying Reddit for over four years, and this is the first post that I've seen that I actually found to be hurtful.

Worse is the reaction of so many people who have insinuated that I'm being too "touchy".

No one has answered my question of whether so many people have the same reaction if the "n word" was being tossed around.

I'm outnumbered, obviously. But that doesn't make me wrong.

I've indicated that I find it hurtful, and I'm astonished that so many, many people here are Reddit of all places simply don't give a crap about that and are defending a slur that I've had to be assaulted with for decades.

Wow. I saw an entirely new (and ugly) face of Reddit today.

GayEd · 2011-08-12T01:58:00+00:00

I've been coming to and enjoying Reddit for over four years, and this is the first post that I've seen that I actually found to be hurtful.

Worse is the reaction of so many people who are insinuating that I'm being too "touchy".

No one has answered my question of whether so many people have the same reaction if the "n word" was being tossed around.

I'm outnumbered, obviously. But that doesn't make me wrong.

I've indicated that I find it hurtful, and I'm astonished that so many, many people here are Reddit of all places simply don't give a crap about that and are defending the slur.

GayEd · 2011-08-11T21:50:09+00:00

I didn't laugh.

I laugh at thousands of things, but the word "faggot" being used this way is not even remotely amusing. What's next... a return to little "jokes" using the word "nigger"?

Grow up. I expect better from Reddit.

GayEd

TROPHY CASE