Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: US point of view

From: Brian Thornton ( tieresias@worldnet.att.net)
Date: 21 Feb 2004


Geir:

> Mark wrote:
>
> > From a US point of view
>
> Does this mean that US ears and eyes are more sensitive than the ears
> and eyes of Europeans? Only joking, of course, but what's the difference
> between our - errr --- homosexuals (?) and yours?
>
> I have a suggestion for il Capo (Bill Denton): once a month (the 1.) you
> present to your list-eners a really difficult question regarding HB
> literature, like how many names has Westlake used as a writer? (Just to
> give an example.) The list-ener who comes up with the correct answer,
> gets to write a post on rara-avis with no objections from other avians.

"Faggot" is a loaded term here in the States. So is "homo." They were both used in years past in a highly derogatory towards homosexuals, and frequently accompanied beatings given by homophobics to homosexuals simply because they were "different," "unmanly," choose whichever pejorative description you wish.

I'm not a homosexual. I have family members and very good friends who are, and I don't like hearing people called derogatory names based on something that's a personal and private choice/orientation/whatever it's being called these days. I don't like "faggot" for the same reason that I don't like hearing "Euro-trash," "Frog," "nigger," "kike," "spic," "wop," "dago,"
"gook," "slant," "flip," "sand nigger" or "pollack." I'm of Anglo-Irish descent, but if you want me to respect you, you'd probably better not call me a "mick" unless you know me.

Just as I wouldn't go to to a European email list and purposely use language there which was certain to offend (like mentioning that the mothers of all Spaniards are "putas," for example), I didn't think you were intending to offend with your use of the above words. Bear in mind, though, that I would only need to be told *once* that these were offensive words before I would drop the whole thing, because it's just good manners to do so.

All the Best-

Brian Thornton

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