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View Article  James Harrison's non-apology for "gay slur"

I read this late last night and choked on whatever was in my glass.  This man has zero understanding of LGBT issues.  Zero. He needs to be educated and I hope his management team recognizes that he is saying ... well, first read his comments. (Full statement here.)

I also need to make clear that the comment about Roger Goodell was not intended to be derogatory against gay people in any way. It was careless use of a slang word and I apologize to all who were offended by the remark. I am not a homophobic bigot, and I would never advocate intolerance of gay people.

A slang word? Again, I'm assuming the word is either "fag" or "faggot" but I haven't seen the original article and all of the mainstream media folks are not printing the word. Hopefully, we can clear that up when Men's Journal comes out today.

Anyway, slang word?  Let's contrast this to his publicist attributing his comments to his culture.

"I don't think we should get caught up in his cultural language," Parise said. "I think people will read that for what it is and move on. I don't think anyone truly believes James thinks the commissioner is the devil."

It would be easy to assume that Harrison and Parise are saying that using the word "fag" or "faggot" is part of African-American culture and thus deserves a pass (pun not intended) because it isn't *intended* to be offensive.

First of all, it is demeaning to imply that the African-American culture embraces a hateful word as part of their culture. It isn't slang.  It is a derogatory word for gay men (and the entire LGBTQ community by extension).  It conveys a message of disrespect, intolerance and even disgust or hate.  There's no way to spin these words as "slang" unless you are on the heterosexual, dismissive side of the "joke."  And that's an ugly place to be.

Second, I think there is a cultural component and Parise may be on to something.  The culture, however, is male dominated professional sports.  This is the fourth incident in less than a month (2 football, 1 baseball and 1 hockey) reported by the media.  Four incidents in one month suggests there is in fact a cultural acceptance of the word "fag" within this community.  Too bad for the LGBTQ players, staff, coaches and, oh yeah, fans, especially the kids. 

NBA star Kobe Bryant was fined heavily for saying this word in a heated moment. It was wrong, he should know better and the fine was justified given the negative impact it has on the kids who look up to him.  Period.

Harrison has apparently been stewing on his hatred toward Roger Goodell for some time.  He knew this interview was coming and he had fair reason to suspect the topic would arise.  In other words, he had ample opportunity to prepare his comments. If he got so worked up in an interview that he "slipped," then he needs to deal with these feeelings b/c they are leading him down some bitter paths and hurting innocent people.

If Harrison thinks the words "fag" and "faggot" or even "homo" are slang terms, he is a homophobic bigot. Sadly, he takes the immature approach of pretending that "offending" people isn't his bad b/c he didn't mean to do so.  What a poor role model this man is for youth in America.  And what a poor reflection on Pittsburgh and the Steeler Nation. 

He needs to be educated.  If Tracy Morgan could make time to meet with LGBTQ youth and families to make amends for his words, Harrison could take the time to meet with some of the LGBTQ youth of Pittsburgh or some of the Steeler's LGBTQ fans.  He could hear firsthand how these words impact our lives.  And maybe his heart would grow a few sizes and he'd be a man who can claim not to be a bigot in spite of the culture of his profession.

I'm willing to facilitate this.  I'll be waiting for the call. 

 

View Article  Sign Petition for Pirates to Contribute to It Gets Better Video Here

 

Click here to sign the petition. 

View Article  Win a pair of free passes to the Pittsburgh Blues Festival

Like the blues?   The Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project is giving away a pair of passes to the Pittsburgh Blues Festival good for Sunday, July 24, 2011 at Hartwood Acres. 

You have three opportunities to win:

First, leave a comment on the blog.

Second, leave a comment on their Facebook page.

Finally, mention @Tote4Pgh on your Twitter account.

Drawing will be Tuesday, July 19 at 12 PM!

Good luck!

 

View Article  Oh, James Harrison ... you had to go there ...

UPDATE: If this angers you, please ask the Pittsburgh Pirates to send a different message to the LGBT community, especially youth, by signing the petition to make a video for the It Gets Better Project. Constructive response to a disgusting situation.

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So, Steeler's linebacker James Harrison used an anti-gay slur (the Post-Gazette did not print which leads me to assume it was "fag") in his latest rant against NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an issue of Men's Journal magazine.

In the article, Harrison uses an anti-gay slur to describe Goodell, and also refers to him as "stupid," "puppet" and "dictator."

If the Steelers had defeated the Packers in the Super Bowl, Harrison said, he would have whispered in Goodell's ear during the trophy ceremony: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

The truly sad moment comes when his agent "spins" the comments as cultural commentary.

"A lot of it is bravado," Parise said. "I think people have to be careful not to read that and think those statements are anything more than expressions of feelings, particularly in regard to the commissioner. The commissioner fined James $100,000 last year. What do you want him to say, he's my best friend? James is a tough individual and that's the type of language he uses."

<snip>

"I don't think we should get caught up in his cultural language," Parise said. "I think people will read that for what it is and move on. I don't think anyone truly believes James thinks the commissioner is the devil."

His cultural language? Does he mean the culture of football ...or professional sports?  Or famous people?  Cause dropping "fag" into a rant is not unfamiliar to individuals in these communities.  Or does he mean the African-American culture?  Cause I don't really think devil-talk and homophobic bigotry is universal to the African-American community.  

Team Harrison needs a sit down with GLAAD to do some spin.  A lot of LGBTQ folks are fans of the Steelers, but how often can you turn your head to bad behavior (drunk driving, sexual  assault allegations, domestic violence) before you are forced to reassess if the team deserves your loyalty? 

From Kobe Bryant to Philly's DeSean Jackson, the homophobic tirades are a serious issue and do real damage.  Callingg someone a devil probably isn't going to lead to a 14 year old being bullied in a lockeroom.  Or erode the self-esteem of a 15 year old who hasn't told anyone he is attracted to other boys.  Or egg on the 16 year old who picks on other kids. 

Harrison's conduct is unacceptable on many levels, but the "gay slur" is particularly egregious. His agent spinning this as a "cultural" issue is beyond the pale of racist stupidity.  I guess we are supposed to assume Kobe, DeSean and James aren't capable of conducting themselves in a respectful, professional manner under stress because they are African-American?  How is that a defense?  It is horrible and demeaning to these grown adults who certainly have the capacity for self-control. 

Just pathetic all across the board. 

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