SC - gays-an apology (and a rant)

[Lurking Girl]

    Before y'all start getting all haired up, I feel constrained to point
out that my late wife was a pre-op transsexual, and that the best gay jokes
I've ever heard were told in gay bars. I'll tell you right now that gays are
nowhere near as sensitive on the subject of gay humor as you seem to be.
When we were making haggis jokes, I didn't hear anyone getting upset about
denigrating the poor, oppressed Scots!
    My Pellie was (is) gay, and was out of the closet WAY back before it was
trendy to do so. HE thought the 'Faggis' notion was cute. Of course he also
shook his head and muttered something about 'only you could come up with
that one . . .'.
    I've served it at GALA events, and THEY all thought it was hilarious!
Not to mention delicious. I've sold fudge gerbils as an AIDS Taskforce
fundraiser, and people bought me out in less than an hour. And they really
liked the peanut butter filling, too! We've done gay dinners (the Tuna Tacos
were a big hit, as were the Snatchos, and people howled when we served the
Prince Albert in a Can)(you kind of had to be there), and NOBODY was
offended.
    I looked at the postings you found so offensive, and I found only light
hearted humor there. Nothing derogatory, nothing snide, just ideas for a gay
themed dinner, which would presumably be eaten by gays! Now if gays can eat
this and not be offended, why are you so upset about even reading proposed
menu ideas?
    To be really honest, this is the type of political correctness I find so
annoying. As Ras has pointed out, there are gays on this list, and I suspect
they found the three posts merely amusing, and not insulting. I also note
that it's the hets who are upset, and not the gays. And since most people
feel I'm gay because of my marriage to a Transsexual, I'm allowed. Neener,
neener.
    We had a group try to form in Key West by several gays who wanted to be
known as the Shire of the Three Flaming Faggots - and their proposed device
was 3 flaming faggots! (ask a herald for a description) Given that, what on
earth makes you think that these humorous postings were offensive to gays?
    Jeeze, folks, dial down the dermal sensitivity there, and don't go
actively looking for things to get upset about!

    Sieggy, who never even heard of a closet

> Thank you, sir.  I'd read these things, and was just appalled but
uncertain as to
> how to respond, or even if I should dignify the thread thusly.  What's
just as
> inappropriate as the slang terms is the implicit assumption that "we all
> understand that making fun of minority groups is just in good fun."
> Gay/lesbian/bi/transgendered people deserve the same respect and courtesy
> accorded to everyone else.
> I am not gay, but have gotten the same kind of s**t (ha, ha, isn't it
funny) for
> my physical appearance all my life.  Gay jokes, fat jokes,
religion-slamming
> jokes are endemic in this (western) culture, and I, for one, am _tired_ of
it.
> Tired of the cartoons, tired of the assumptions, tired of being spat on
and
> beaten.  Tired.
> --Maire, who's climbing off her soap box now, and going to get ready for
work
> (sorry for the rant, but this one really pushes buttons)
>
>
> LrdRas at aol.com wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 4/17/00 1:12:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> > piglet006 at globalfreeway.com.au writes:
> >
> > << Actually, some years ago I had shared with a number of friends the
idea of
> >  doing a "gay feast"  >>
> >
> > I would like to personally apologize to the list for the offensive posts
> > regarding  gays that have been perpetrated on this list over the last 24
> > hours. I am ashamed. :-(
> >
> > Need we continue using derogatory terms or this discussion any longer?
Terms
> > like fairy, faggot and queen are totally inappropriate, adolescent and
not a
> > little offensive. There are gay people on this list and those who are
not
> > should be intelligent enough to realize that this line of discussion is
out
> > of line without exception.
> >
> > Ras
> > (who is both disgusted with and absolutely amazed at the prejudice shown
on
> > this list regarding this particular lifestyle and even more amazed that
the
> > list administrator is allowing it to continue)