SC - gays-an apology (and a rant)

[Elaine Koogler]

I guess some of us found it insensitive because we were unaware of your personal
life.  I do know that it seems to be a common thing among various
religious/racial/sexual preference groups that it is ok for jokes of this nature
to be told by a member of the group, but that it is unacceptable for the same
joke to be told by one who is not a member of the group.  As most of us do not
know each other personally but only through what we read on this list, we have
no way of really knowing who belongs to which group, if any.  I know that it is
perfectly ok for me or someone who also has an amply-endowed body to tell "fat"
jokes, but I do get a little hurt if a lovely slender person tells one!

I guess, if we're going to make comments like this, we might want to preface our
remarks somehow to let others on the list know that we are part of the group we
are joking about...that might make it a little better!

Kiri

Siegfried Heydrich wrote:

>     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)
>
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