My take on the Joy Reid apology

[dsc]

I posted a thread about the Joy Reid blog issue. Here is the link.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210541653

I stand behind what I wrote there. Full stop.

But I do want to analyse her apology. At the beginning she says of the very same comments I was writing about. They were homophobic, discriminatory, weird, and out right hateful. (about 1 minute in to her video) These would be the same comments I was excoriated for saying made it more likely for gay kids to kill themselves. I guess now Joy is "working for Breitbart", or any of the other insults many here used on my. I wonder if her video was repeatedly alerted on (I am pretty will to bet major money it wasn't).

She then had on a panel of some gay, some transgender people to talk about the impact of such words. Again, this was her handpicked panel. Then she turned it over to a transgender man from the ACLU who literally said of her tweet about Ann Coulter that stuff like that contributes to the violence against transgender individuals (about 6 minutes in). Then Sanders chair of LGBT outreach related about how such comments make her worry about her daughter and literally made her consider leaving the country. (about 8 minutes in) Joy goes on to say at about the 20 minute mark that she is part of the problem and her words hurt real people. I could go on but I think you all get the point. The fact is Joy gets that what I said is 100 percent correct. The panel was Joy at her best. Her idiotic story about being hacked, not so much.

I am glad she realizes just how awful those words were. I am very glad she had a panel who helped explain that to people. But I am really mystified as to why when I said it I was a right wing troll but that when she said the very same thing, it was amazing, courageous, and honest. I don't apologize for holding those who spout anti gay bigotry accountable no matter who they are. I also don't apologize for saying that journalists ought to be honest. MSNBC already has a person with credibility problems hosting a show in Brian Williams. I would have vastly preferred for Joy to have stuck with the part of her apology after the hacking nonsense and her wonderful panel.

The fact is words matter. The words I wrote about were in Joy Reid's own words, homophobic, discriminatory, weird, and out right hateful. I don't apologize for either calling them out or for my tone in doing so. I am glad Joy apparently understands this. I hope her defenders do too.

[Blue_true]

1. Navel gazing.

People change with time. I will say that I was transphobic just 9 short years ago, today what I was willing to think then disgusts me. I didn't write stuff 9 years ago, but I thought some pretty horrible shit and if hit with it today, I really don't know what my reaction would be. BTW, there is still a guestion about some of the posts that were attributed to her being real. Maybe the FBI investigation will provide clarity.

I add that I was transphobic 9 years ago, eventhough I grew up with a Gay brother and was ok with Gay men and women.

[dsc]

15. frankly many gays and lesbians are transphobic

which is sad. That said, my point is she and I said the same thing about those comments. Where she and I differ is in the hacking nonsense. It is pretty close to believing the moon landing was faked to believe that those comments were hacked. Her expert totally fell apart under fairly simple questioning by the Daily Beast.

[HipChick]

2. If only we could apply the same handwringing to the Orange Turd

that is wrecking the country...

but let's continue to eat our own..

[dsc]

3. are you seriously saying I haven't criticized Trump? Really?

I am utterly sure you can prove that.

[leftstreet]

4. DURec

nicely stated

[mythology]

5. You were absolutely correct

The rampant name calling that went on, just served to illustrate the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of those who had no better argument.

[LostOne4Ever]

7. You were right but they won't admit it because DU has completely given in to tribalism

It is actually worse than all the infighting cliques back in high school.

Thanks for standing up for LGBTQ Community and what is right

[Ms. Toad]

16. Yup

Witness this competing thread that says pretty much the same things as post 12 in this thread - from the perspective of those appalled that anyone would dare criticize Joy's comments from a decade or more ago.

[cwydro]

17. Spot on.

it seems so much uglier here than it used to be, though I remember seeing homophobic remarks here for years.

But, I’ve been amazed at the spite and vitriol directed at anyone who dares differ from whatever the DU narrative of the day is.

Insinuations that posters are trolls or have otherwise nefarious purposes - and much worse, are commonplace.

[wonkwest]

8. How you were being treated is why I delurked

I'm content to read mostly, but the straight privilege and rampant heterosexism made me furious.

It was so unfair to you and other LGBTers here.

Joy did what she needed to do. I appreciate it and won't continue picking on her past behavior. Her part in promoting homophobia is now over, and she is putting in the work to do and be better. That's all any of us can ask. I'm so glad she used her next show to tackle the issue head on.

Some of her fans, however, have a lot more education ahead of them. Many people pride themselves on being "woke", but when it comes to the LGBT community, this week has proved that plenty of people will hit the snooze button when waking up is inconvenient.

It continues to be a serious failing in 2018.

[demmiblue]

9. FWIW, I think you were treated very poorly by the DU community.

It reminded me of a pretty awful period of time that occurred here years ago in regards to our LGBT members.

[dsc]

14. amen to that

I felt we were back in 2009

[Duncan Grant]

10. How did this thread get overlooked for 4 hours?

There are many people on DU who no longer understand that justifying anti-LGBTQI sentiment is not a progressive argument.

How quickly we forget.

Good on Joy though. She's making amends. KnR.

[melman]

11. Great post

Couldn't agree more.

[melman]

12. It's funny how being against bigotry gets you called a right winger by those who defend it

And by funny I mean pathetic. It happened to me too. I was called 'right wing bullshit' in a post that was allowed to stand. A direct attack and clear violation of TOS.

And totally unfounded. I have never posted anything remotely supportive of any right wing policy or politician. Ever.

I was pretty upset about it but I realized it happened to everyone who went against the majority on this. Anyone who posted anything against the majority opinion was attacked.

And none of them will own up now. Even with the tweets. Many excused those tweets, said they must be hacked..denied there were even slurs in them! Even now that she's said on TV that they were written by her, and that they were wrong and ugly etc...even now.


They won't do it. None of them will post in this thread. Guaranteed.

[dsc]

13. the silence is defening

[cwydro]

18. Rec.

None of those people will ever admit the truth of your OP.

[Raine]

19. TOTALLY on point

Thank you for your thoughtful post...