A request from the GLBT members of DU

[meegbear]

With the Mark Foley story going full steam, it appears it's going to be in the headlines at least through the elections. With that in mind, it would be most appreciative if you would cut back on the gay jokes/remarks.

Yes, it's topical and yes, there are plenty of gaffaws that can be made from this, but the constant barage of them is starting to border on insulting on the GLBT community as a whole. I've made my initial jokes about this too, but I've stopped and intend to stay that way.

When the George Allen did his macaca thing or fessed up to his Jewish heritage, I don't recall too many jokes about minorities or Jews. But with this scandal going on, it seems like "all bets are off". That, gentle reader, ain't cool. So please, ease up on this and think of your fellow DU'ers when you post.

I thank you.

[NVMojo]

1. I agree with you!

[ShortnFiery]

2. Understood! WilCo. :-) n/t

[Maven]

3. I agree, and recommend, however wouldn't this be better suited to GD?

Instead of preaching to the choir. Just sayin. :)

Edit: NM. To the greatest page!

[babylonsister]

4. I agree. Nom. nt

[jonnyblitz]

5. great post. too bad you relegated it to this sub forum where

most who need to see it won't. :shrug:

[Midlodemocrat]

8. I agree. I think you should post this in GD or the lounge, meegbear.

[meegbear]

17. Done ...

posted it in GD.

Good call and thanks! :hi:

[LeftCoast]

25. Could you post that link here?

:hi:

[Deep13]

6. Good point.

Still open season on predators, right?

[Brundle_Fly]

7. Insensitive

Agreed.

GLBT is welcome in my house....

[JohnnyLib2]

9. Add my recommendation

and correct me if needed. Cultural influences can be so subtle....

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. No problems with that here.

I don't make gay jokes. Booooooring. Tedious. Tacky. Mind-numbing. They would only insult people I love, if they were to hear them. I wouldn't want that.

Besides, this ain't a gay issue, it is, under present and accepted law, a child molestation issue. Or a hebephile issue, to be more accurate.

1 != 1 'tall.

Gay is just another way to be, for me.

[Ian David]

11. I agree. If I fail to behave, please call me on it & I won't get mad. n/t

[cui bono]

12. Yeppers. As I posted elsewhere, this has nothing to do with him being gay

[Brazenly Liberal]

13. You are 100% right

It's very disturbing to see how many of the TV talking heads are failing to draw a distinction between being gay and preying upon children.

Too many of them refer to Foley as having a "gay scandal"

It gets a little complicated to report because they have to cover what he did as opposed to what he is - and they have to cover the various layers of negative reaction. The truth is that while anyone with a heart is offended by his actions toward the pages, there are also a lot of ignorant people ARE reacting badly to Foley based on the fact that he's gay. It's legitimate to report the various different reasons people are pissed, but But failing to make the critical distinction between them is lazy at best and hateful at worst. We need to hold their feet to fire on that and it should start with holding our own feet to the fire when necessary.

It's not about being pc. Frankly, I've never been fond of doing anything for the sake of being pc. It's about not contributing to the perpetuation of false stereotypes and it's about having respect and regard for our GLBT friends and family.

[TankLV]

14. What jokes - I haven't seen any yet!!!!

You mean I missed some good jokes?!

And, you don't speak for THIS gay person, but I appreciate your sentiments.

Now, tell me the jokes!....

[wryter2000]

15. Agreed

It isn't a matter of gayness, anyway, but of exploitation of teenagers.

[frebrd]

16. Thank you! K & R eom

[davidinalameda]

18. K&R!

thank you

[mom cat]

19. Thanks. I had to hit the alert button yesterday, and suggest we all

do the same for anything that is over the line.

[ninkasi]

20. I agree, meegbear

You are right, and I've seen some pretty insensitive things said in the last few days. The issue is preying on underage people, regardless of their party's gender. We certainly don't read headlines like "Heterosexual teacher accused of fondling student!", do we?

Our GLBT brothers and sisters already fight just to have the law applied fairly to them, and certainly don't need scandals to emphasis the abuser's sexual identity when the issue is predatory sex. This country needs to grow up. I apologize to you all, if I've been guilty of being insensitive. Being treated like everybody else, since you are like everybody else in every way that matters, should not be a battle you still have to fight.

[nam78_two]

21. Recommended-they have enough crap to put up with on tv

without having to put up with it on one of the few really large progressive sites out there...

All the homophobes are out in full force on the tube :puke: :puke:

[Erika]

22. Gays took an undeserved hit in this Foley mess.

I have never known a Gay/Lesbian who was a pedophile.

I was shocked to hear that my straight tree trimmer was arrested for child pornography. Including lewd pictures of his own two daughters which he put out on the internet.

[Boston Critic]

23. Fair enough

Foley is fodder for laughs because he was a jerk, not because he's gay.

The sardonic humor should be directed at the hypocrites and pompous fools of the Republican leadership who covered this up.

[stillrockin]

24. Damn straight!!!

}(

[LeftCoast]

26. Great post! I totally agree!

:hi:

[FogerRox]

27. KNR for we the people, all of 'em.

[NMMNG]

28. K&R

:kick:

[alteredstate]

29. K & R

:)

[tavalon]

30. I haven't run across a single joke

However, not one single joke is appropriate here or anywhere. Whether the pages were male or female, is not the issue, pedophilia and stalking and criminal behavior are the issues.

So, are the jokes coming from the GLBT members? Frankly, the only people I think would have the right to joke and I don't see why they would want to, are the GLBT membership.

I so agree with you on this one. That I haven't seen a single joke when they are obviously out there is a blessing. I would be so angry. Thank you for your reasoned, gentle rebuke. Meegbear, you are a true patriot and a good human being.

[jarnocan]

31. nicely said thanks for the reminder nt

[myrna minx]

32. I agree.

:hug:

[Skittles]

33. WHO is doing this meegbear?

you want I should kick some ass? :mad:

[Exultant Democracy]

34. Kick, I think that the two are unrelated and it is part of our job to

keep the message clear. All we are talking about is child predators and a GOP cover up.

[OXM]

35. You're right to be upset, but--

Actually I didn't see jokes either. What I did see is delight as yet another so-called conservative has been exposed as the corrupt hypocritical bastard he has alway been.
(I'm not saying the jokes weren't there, just that I didn't see any).