The first people to report on the story were The Advocate, Instinct, and Queerty, not any mainstream media. My community were the first ones to attack me. The Huffington Post is the only outlet that reached out immediately and suggested I write something to help educate. That to me is responsible journalism, and everyone should follow suit. I just believe there are better ways to handle the distribution of press and would appreciate it if the media, especially the gay media, could be more responsible in how they report a story.
– Lance Bass in HuffPo Gay Voices unequivocally apologizing for saying “trannies” on TV and chiding the gay media for pouncing on the mistakes of LGBTA celebrities rather highlighting their contributions to the LGBTA community.
christopher di spirito
Lance Bass is correct. The so-called “queer media” attacked him viciously. This happens a lot. It makes websites like Queerty and the Advocate look ridiculous.
Daniel
I only still read because occasionally I’ll see interesting stories about people I haven’t seen elsewhere. But your coverage and analysis of sensitive, controversial, or complex issues sucks. Always the gut reaction, never an effort to dig a little deeper and provide insight. Lance is spot-on when criticizing how Queerty and others handled his gaffe.
Wesley Horace
Lance Bass is correct. Shame on Queerty!
Gigi
Well no one’s ever accused the folks at Queerty for being journalists.
Cam
Is this a joke?
So let me get this straight. It is “Responsible Journalism” to contact somebody who has said something stupid and tell them that to preserve their image they should write something in your publication taking back what they said?? Give me a break.
Sorry Lance, but you are making plenty of money and getting plenty of attention be purporting to speak for the community. YOU go out there and claim to education. It isn’t Queerty’s job to act like your publicist and coddle you when you say something stupid.
Here’s an idea, if you want to not get unflattering things written about you, then don’t act like the communities rep to the world. And if you do want to act like that, then actually educate yourself.
Again, Queerty’s job is to report, not to censure and hide Celebs embarrassing comments.
Bobby
‘How dare Queerty not act as part of Lance Bass’s press machine.’ Are you kidding me? Queerty can do whatever the hell it wants to do, and if Lance Bass has a problem with that, he can start his own website pushing his own agenda (himself) with his astronomical amount of free time. Seriously, that guy hasn’t done a single thing since NSYNC broke up a DECADE AGO.
Seamus
When people speak naturally, without giving much thought to the content of what they’re saying, their speech is often politically in correct. If I were to describe a black tranny with a mustache I saw working in the supermarket to a friend, I would describe that person as a black tranny with a mustache I saw at the supermarket. However, if I were on television, I’d probably describe that same person as an African-American transgendered individual who is most likely not taking estrogen- so many syllables. I would describe that person as such on television because the politically correct police would always be there to assassinate my character if I got it wrong. It’s a dangerous game to play with your reputation if you get it wrong. Instead of lamenting how badly Lance Bass got it wrong, and I must admit I had no idea the word tranny is now considered inappropriate, why not educate him on the proper or more politically correct label that is being used today to describe a transgendered person? It’s not as sensational as calling him a washed up has-been who has brought shame to himself and gays everywhere, but it would be better for all parties.
Cam
@Seamus:
Because the only career Lance has now, is going around and speaking for the gay community. If he is going to make money purporting to education society then he gets less of a break for not being aware of community issues.
Additionally, as I mentioned before, Queerty is not paid by Mr. Bass to cover up for him as if they were his publicist. It is there job to report on gay issues. Not to give somebody a hot chocolate and a cuddle when they say something that gets them in trouble.
Daniel
@Cam, @Bobby,
You’re being deliberately dense. Responsible journalism does entail more than simply parroting what everyone else says. And Queerty doesn’t have a responsibility to anyone individually, or Lance in particular; stop putting words in his mouth. Queerty has a responsibility to society to ensure that what they report is an accurate assessment of reality. They have a responsibility to not selectively present the facts, to not make gross assumptions about someone’s motives or character.
I know the folks who run Queerty aren’t journalists; that much is painfully obvious. But responsible journalism isn’t an arbitrary set of rules for the profession. It’s about living and writing with integrity, and recognizing the power of the written word. And the larger your audience, the greater your moral obligation to the truth. And to emphasize, merely presenting an isolated set of facts does not guarantee an accurate representation of the truth.
Throwing people under the bus and then excusing it because, “they’re celebrities and have fame and money already,” is a snivelling, cowardly justification for your own faults and laziness.
Grow up and get some integrity.
boysonlytff
I’d have to agree with Daniel.
I think it was a bit weird that the first people to sort of jump all over Lance about the statement were gay news agencies. Especially when in the clip he clearly was oblivious of the backlash that would ensue as was the interviewee and they even asked, “Well what are we supposed to call them now?” In that one clip it was OBVIOUS that he was oblivious to the negative connotations of the term.
It’s not about being Lance’s press agent, but instead it’s about reporting unbiased facts without sensationalizing or ignoring facts. While we can’t say that QUEERTY is composed of a group of journalist I’d be content in saying it’s composed of a group of homosexuals and as such could have used it as a talking point: “Let it be known that this term is derogatory.” I wasn’t even aware until this entire kerfunkle that it had taken on this connotation.
It’s in the past though, let’s just move on and use it as a learning experience.
Daniel
Also, giving someone a reasonable benefit of the doubt, and the opportunity to publicly acknowledge and make amends for their mistakes is not coddling them. It’s being a decent human being. There are plenty of people who are unrepentant jerks, the Tony Perkins and Rick Santorums, it is they who should be the focus of our ire. At the very least, people on our side, like Lance, shouldn’t get the same response that actual bigots get. It makes the community look like impetuous, oversensitive children.
Cam
@Daniel: said…
“@Cam, @Bobby,
You’re being deliberately dense. Responsible journalism does entail more than simply parroting what everyone else says. And Queerty doesn’t have a responsibility to anyone individually, or Lance in particular; stop putting words in his mouth. Queerty has a responsibility to society to ensure that what they report is an accurate assessment of reality.”
______________________-
What an overlinflated sense of Bass you have. So it is somehow detrimental to our community for Queerty to report what somebody, who showcases themselves as a representative of the community, accurately.
So apparently it is bad for the United States for PEOPLE Magazine to report that Linday Lohan got drunk and threw a bottle at a waitress. Instead they should have gotten her a cab, taken her to a nice spa, sobered her up and gotten her a job. Yes, that is the Media’s job. Sorry but if Lance wants to make money and garner attention by supposedly representing the GLBT community he may want to educate himself a bit more.
This is NO different than Hermain Cain blaming the media for reporting on his issues. He claimed that the Media reporting on his infidelities showed how morally bankrupt THEY were. It was a stupid excuse for him and is just as idiotic for Bass.
Daniel
And what’s with changing the headline of the post and the comment on the quote? The original was far more reasonable. Lance isn’t pointing fingers for the blame of saying “tranny,” he really did unequivocally apologize. His criticism is a separate issue.
Cam
@boysonlytff: said…
“In that one clip it was OBVIOUS that he was oblivious to the negative connotations of the term.”
_________________
And yet he gets constant media attention and money as somebody who supposedly educates people about the GLBT community…and yet he was “Oblivious”.
Apparently he doesn’t read many…or any of the community papers, magazines, websites, etc… and just thinks that being outed against his will has now transformed him into our spokesperson with no reading required.
Daniel
@Cam: Since when has Lance claimed to be a spokesperson? That is something others (e.g. you) call him, right or wrong. He does work with charities, and occasionally writes opinion pieces about gay-related issues. But nowhere has he pretended to speak for all gays; you made that up.
And in regards to Hermain Cain, you are simply wrong. Hermain Cain claimed he did nothing wrong; Lance owned up to his mistake. Hermain Cain’s infidelities in the face of his rhetoric demonstrate hypocrisy; Lance has not made a career attacking others over insensitive language (i.e. he hasn’t demonstrated hypocrisy in this regard).
To be clear, I’m not defending Lance because I care about him personally. I really don’t care that much about him. What I do care about is truth and honesty. He made an honest mistake and an honest apology, and you and others responded with contempt and derision. And you take him to task for insensitivity? Talk about hypocrisy.
boysonlytff
@Cam:
I’m confused did he not educate people in his post when he apologized? He said it’s a derogatory term not to be used did he not? So he still lives up to educating individuals in the LGBT communities but what you have to realize is that educators are not omniscient… they have to be educated to in turn educate someone else.
Cam
@Daniel: said…
“He made an honest mistake and an honest apology, and you and others responded with contempt and derision”
__________________
No, he attacked the gay media, saying they should not have written the story but instead should have gone to him.
In other words, he did what Cain did. Blasted the media for reporting his story.
As for your claim that he never claimed to speak for us, that that is something others like me said and it’s true….
You are a liar. I get it that you want to defend him, but really, if you have to lie, then you should rethink your point.
Here he is in an interview, and yes, I will attach the link to it.
Act: Why did you decide to become a spokesperson for LGBT rights?
Speaking out is important for me because everyone should be treated equally. It doesn’t matter what color, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, etc., everyone should have the same freedoms and liberties. I am fortunate enough with my career that I can speak out to the masses and hopefully be a part of initiating change
http://act.mtv.com/posts/interview-lance-bass-discusses-upcoming-cameo-on-drop-dead-diva/
PTBoat
@Gigi: +1 I agree with Bass. Some of these sites are so bitchy that it makes it doubly hard for people who have already proved themselves to be much braver than their peers, especially over a word that was, until recently, considered common parlance in the gay community.
Price Waterhouse
Queerty and the Advocate are two examples of sites which have been taken over by the trans lobby. Everything that appears now is filtered and centered upon transexual issues – although many of their proponents are quite openly anti-gay and hostile to gay rights and people.
Cam
@boysonlytff: said…
@Cam:
I’m confused did he not educate people in his post when he apologized? He said it’s a derogatory term not to be used did he not? So he still lives up to educating individuals in the LGBT communities but what you have to realize is that educators are not omniscient… they have to be educated to in turn educate someone else.”
___________________
Nice attempt at deflection. And also nice, a brand new member who had never made a comment before suddenly showing up out of the blue to defend a celeb…never seen that before.
My comment clearly stated that Bass has set himself up as a spokesperson for the community and if he had bothered to read ANY gay publications in the last year he would have seen the debate about the word Tranny. He obviously never bothers to read any of the sites of publications for the community he purports to represent. But then again, you knew that is what I meant and were just trying to missdirect weren’t you? Well either that or you seriously need to rethink your reading comprehension levels.
Daniel
@Cam: Your own quote disproves your claim. He did not call himself a spokesperson, his interviewer did. He said “speaking out is important”, and “I can speak out to the masses.” He didn’t say that he speaks on behalf of the gay community. This is a non-trivial distinction. There’s nothing wrong with speaking out, the problem lies is presuming to speak for others. Which he didn’t do. As I pointed out. Already.
You completely missed the point about Hermain Cain. Here’s your argument: Hermain Cain attacked the media. Lance Bass attacked the media. Therefore the situations are “no different“.
Seems pretty silly when it’s stripped down like that, huh? Did you even read what I wrote? It wasn’t that Hermain Cain attacked the media, it’s that he blamed them, refused to admit his mistakes, and is a hypocrite. That is not at all what Lance did. Lance admitted his mistake and apologized, and then criticized how Queerty and the Advocate handled the issue.
boysonlytff
@Cam:
Deflection? There was no deflection in my reply but to begin discussing the amount of comments or lack therein that I have on this site is completely not relevant but is instead deflection.
And I’d continue on with this conversation had you not decided to become personal with snide comments like “you seriously ened to rethink your reading comprehension levels” as it’s crystal clear that an intellectual conversation with you is impossible at this point – and probably any point before this.
Cam
@Daniel: said..
“@Cam: Your own quote disproves your claim. He did not call himself a spokesperson, his interviewer did. He said “speaking out is important”, and “I can speak out to the masses.” He didn’t say that he speaks on behalf of the gay community.”
_______________
You claim that you are not tied to BAss and have no agenda yet your desperate torturing of facts to try to turn this around would seem to indicate otherwise.
LEts see, the interview asked why he decided to become a spokesperson..did he correct them? Did he say “Oh I’m not a spokesperson”? No, he answered and gave his reasons.
The Cain comparison is absolutely accurate, The media reported a truth about Cain that he didn’t like and he attacked Journalists for it. Bass did the same thing. Bend and dance all you want, but those are the facts.
I get that you want to somehow say that LAnce is wonderful and never does anything wrong, but sometimes you just have to realize that things happen.
Bass wants to be a spokesperson but obviously never reads gay publications and is uninformed. When this was reported Bass attacked the messenger.
Daniel
@Cam: Wow. You seriously are incapable of admitting any sort of wrong. Your arguments are so simplistic as to be laughable, and yet you accuse me of torturing the facts? I pointed out the facts you conveniently left out. Once again, Cain never admitted he was wrong or apologized. Lance did. Those are the facts.
And you keep moving the goalposts. It’s not enough that you were wrong about Lance claiming to be a spokesperson for the community, now he has to directly correct people if they call him that, instead of indirectly correcting them by just saying he likes to speak out. You’re argument is crap and you know it.
In any case, I agree with boysonlytff. Congratulations on demonstrating you’re incapable of a rational discussion.
AxelDC
@Daniel:
I see that the Lance Bass fans are just as nuts as the old Clay Aiken fans once were.
Lance seems like a nice guy, but he does indeed go around speaking for the community. He doesn’t seem to have bothered to read anything. If he had read any of the blogs, magazines or newspapers as Cam said he would have known this.
Cam is pointing out that rather than just apologizing and being done with it Lance had to try to turn it around on the media for reporting. That is sad and disingenuous.
Your constant strange posts continually trowing everything at the wall in a desperate attempt to make lemonade out of lemons come off desperate
Way2Go
As nearly everyone knows, the homocommunity is a very bitter, unhappy lot. When George Michael was ill, queens everywhere were so happy, so anxious to announce it was AIDS and he deserved it (young gays are saints apparently, no bathroom sex for those queens). The sad fact is, these tedious little blogs need things to write about, stir up passions so they can tell their advertisers that a lot of people are reading their blog. So minor stories get play and like cockroaches all the professional commentators come out and speak their wicked little minds. And the irony is, of course, that the people who comment are generally not in the public eye, do little public service, have not furthered any gay cause IN THEIR LIFE and yet, they can comment eloquently about what this or that celebrity should do.
AxelDC
@Way2Go:
Again, Lance could have just apologized. He did not do that. He turned around and said that the blogs reporting on the story of what he said was somehow bad for the community. If he had apologized I would have thought he was admirable. But to apologize, but then right away turn around and try to shove all responsibility off his own shoulders was just sad and I felt embarrassed for him.
Daniel
@AxelDC: Again, where has he claimed to speak for the gay community? I already said he speaks about gay issues. That’s not the same thing, that’s not torturing anything. That is a critical distinction.
“I see that the Lance Bass fans are just as nuts as the old Clay Aiken fans once were.”
This, boys and girls, is what we like to call an ad hominem. It’s what other people use to discredit you when they don’t have a response to your argument.
And seriously? Lance Bass fan? I’ve never owned an ‘N Sync album, or ever had any of there songs on my hard drive, iPod, etc. I hate boy bands. I’ve never read his book, and until recently, hadn’t heard or read anything about him for years. I don’t love him, but the difference here is that I don’t loathe him like many of you seem to.
Daniel
@AxelDC: Yes he could have just apologized. But his point was legitimate. He was not shifting blame for his mistake; he was making a separate, distinct criticism. What is so hard to understand about that? Is it really impossible to consider that he made a mistake, AND that the initial response by many media outlets was poorly handled? This isn’t an either/or proposition.
Cam
@Daniel:
Thank you, that was my point. He was acting like a child who accidentally, through no fault of his own, knocks over a box of cereal on the floor.
Then when his mother sees it, he apologizes, but then says that his sister should have come in and cleaned it up for him.
The criticism is invalid unless there is some rule I’m unaware of that says Bass shouldn’t ever have anything wrtten about him he doesn’t like.
But beware, the crazy fangirls will now be attacking you for daring to not feel that everything their idol does is perfect.
Cam
That last comment was a response to Axel not Daniel
Jack
Blogs are not news sites nor do they adhere to typical standards of “news journalism.” Blogs are opinion based, not news based. They seemingly are more and more mostly avenues for gossip. This, sadly, is the world we live in. If Bass hasn’t learned by now that people will notice when one puts their foot in their mouth he’s unlikely to ever do so.
Daniel
@Cam, keep setting up those strawmen you’re so good at knocking down. Do you not see how dishonest you’re being? Stop putting words in my mouth, stop lying about what I’ve said, stop attacking me personally just because you can’t address my argument.
Cam
@Daniel:
Wow, you are either a paid intern for Bass’s publicist or you really are a crazy fan. You seriously take any criticism of him as a personal insult it would seem. That is actually disturbing.
Daniel
@Cam, I was referring to you callling me a crazy fangirl. But keep it up, the level of dishonesty and stubborn refusal to address my argument is mildly entertaining. With every post you just prove my point.
Cam
@Daniel:
Every comment of mine was either my comment or addressing your comment. You on the other hand keep changing, deflecting, and then trying to invent a reality where what you say is true rather than what actually happened.
Again, the freaky importance you are putting on this would seem to indicate that the term “Crazy Fangirl” was pretty well accurate.
Jay Pat
@Cam: @Cam:
I agree.
Why is Lance Bass still famous? I’m sure he can sing, but why does this make him our community’s spokesperson? There are numerous well educated individuals who would make great leaders. I even went to college with a few of them. They studied such issues in depth and are brilliant speakers, but yes, a singer makes more sense. Or an actor? Or a socialite?
If he wants to speak for our “community,” then he should start by doing some reading like the rest of us. We all figured out tranny was offensive quite a long time ago.
But, alas, he is a celebrity and above us.
Daniel
@Cam, really? Where did I say “LAnce is wonderful and never does anything wrong” as you earlier claimed? I have said several times that he made a mistake, that he was wrong for saying “tranny”. You lied about what I said. Own up to it.
Libertarian Larry
@Daniel: Don’t sweat it, Dan. Cam appears to be an angry individual whose sole identity is his homosexuality, and trying to pull anything rational out of him is a lost cause, because he envisions himself a professional victim of the big old mean hetero establishment. And you’re right about Bass—he has no responsibility to anyone but himself.
boysonlytff
too bad we dont’ have like a thumbs up or like button 🙁
Allen D.
Queerty would be out of business! That’s all they do! Remember when this place used to be good & informative (not just pure sensationalism) ? Ah, those were the days.
Interesting
It takes a real talent for denial, foolishness, and nuttiness to defend Bass.
p²
What would be so difficult about an alleged journalist contacting the subject of his story for a comment or a response to the charge. That’s what I was taught was required of me when I went to Temple University for my degree in Journalism. But it is much easier to just blame Lance Bass for calling you on your shoddy journalism than it is to own your mistake. Oh wait, that’s exactly what you accused Bass of doing. For those of you that get confused about the definition of irony, here’s an awesome illustration of it.
JayKay
Queerty is quickly turning into another Bile-rico. Which is a shame, since one is already too many.
Interesting
@p²: Temple is calling to ask for your “journalism” degree back.
Fitz
Tranny
WillBFair
Queerty, don’t you ever loose the snarkles. Your captions are a spring of wit in an otherwise tired media boringscape. Daniel V especially, but all of your writers have a nicely jockular tone. It’s a breath of fresh air.
I understand why you have to adopt trans pc rules, even though the t word doesn’t have the history of violence and hatred of the f word and n word, and even though the ie ending is a sign of affection, and even though trans people have been spitting hatred at gay men for months.
I want trans people in our community, but I think someone should call them on their contempt for us.
As for this Lance Bass person. Whoozat? And why would anyone listen to a brainless celebrity on any subject other than his own wonderfullness.
Kurt
I have noticed this as well:
Queerty and the Advocate are two examples of sites which have been taken over by the trans lobby. Everything that appears now is filtered and centered upon transexual issues – although many of their proponents are quite openly anti-gay and hostile to gay rights and people.
I have also noticed how Trans people can be very biphobic, homophobic, and even heterophobic and spout hate at anyone who is ‘cisgendered’ or not Trans. No not all Trans people are like this but when Trans people want respect and don’t want bigotry thrown at them they should stop throwing it at bisexuals, heterosexuals, gay men/lesbians, and everyone who is not Trans.
heydrichmuller
I’m sorry since when was Tranny offensive? I need enlightenment on that front.
Interesting
I am sorry since when is “nigger” or “faggot” offensive. I have been using them forever, and I am not offended by what I say so why should you be.
JS
It sounds like Lance Bass wants a gold star for going out of his way to do what most other people would call social justice advocacy. It’s a fair point that perhaps these other projects (i.e., going to the Russian consulate to protest anti-gay legislation) should be highlighted more often by the LGBT media (maybe to get more people out there), in particular, and other media, in general; but at the same time, he should try to get of his high horse. I didn’t realize that doing work to promote equality required public recognition and admiration. Rarely is there such glitz and glamour to this sort of work. Sorry if he’s a ‘celebrity’ and wants more of it.
Yeah, he f-ed up and the LGBT media called him out for it. Perhaps they are the only ones who are ‘sensitive’ enough to realize the problematic language with which we operate; the only ones who care enough. His apology worked until he threw these media under the bus for not promoting his work as a ‘gay celebrity’ enough.
Interesting
@JS: and this line finally gets it,”… the LGBT media called him out… Perhaps they are the only ones who are ‘sensitive’ enough to realize the problematic language… the only ones who care enough”
The main stream does not generally give a shit about LGBT issues, or any minority issue, in terms of the specifics. If LGBTS wait around for the MSM to give a shit about any of our issues, we will be waiting a long fucking time. So, his argument is really strange: LGBT news outlets should use the standard of the MSM indifference to us to tell what should be covered.
JS
Also what I seem to find so interesting is that he cites Christian Siriano from Project Runway and RuPaul Drag Races as sources that legitimated the use of this particular word. Last time I checked, neither RuPaul, nor most (if any) of the contestant of the show, or Christian Siriano are trans. RuPaul’s showcases drag queen and not trans people themselves. So sure, many people — who perhaps are gay, lesbian, bi, etc — may have used the word freely and openly but how many times have we (I include myself as I am not trans) — as public or as individuals — come across trans people who accept the word and promote its usage? I don’t think it’s foul or overly-sensitive that transpeople, who struggle in society in so many more ways than most of us who are cis, want others to stop using the word.
I’d also like to note that calling out our privilege (the ‘cis’ people) is not necessarily a derisive act of hate. Sometimes, people who are overly-privileged fail to see the potential that can be achieved in realizing their own position within society (and necessarily, the power and privilege that others lack). At the same time, trans folks are human and thus prone to commit errors of judgment, too (e.g, biphobic or homophobic comments). Like what has been done to Lance Bass, they should be called out for their sometimes insensitive comments; this, though, should not be an excuse to trample all over them or their dignity.
a_she_male
Tranny is not insulting to all trans people.
A very vocal minority of transgender women of privilage have hijacked the language and become word Nazi. It is am empowerment fight with the white privilaged ones crying foul when they hear the word.
There is NO consensus in transgender circles on this word being derogatory and any attempts to make it so are meerly the screeming of certain vocal elements of the transgender comunity.
As a tranny I give ya’l permission to use tranny to your hearts content, I won’t take offence I promises ya’l.
Interesting
@a_she_male: “faggot” is not offensive to all gays, and, therefore, when someone says it, even if they aren’t gay, its okay. The same with “nigger” The only way we can know if a term is offensive is that we must all agree unanimously, or, else everyone knows that without 100 percent, its just not offensive. That’s the rule. Finally, as a fake “tranny” who is a lying douche bag bigot pretending to be one just to make up shit to fuck with another oppressed group, I must say I don’t know why anyone is offended by my being a bigoted. People are just too uptight these days. I mean- has anyone ever really died over bigotry? I thought not.
R.A.
It’s really a strange situation – usually people are offended by what you call THEM.
Here you have transgenders all upset because gay people refer to gay transvestites as “trannies.”
It’s sort of like having Britain’s royal family crying we need to stop calling each other “queens.”
Interesting
@R.A.: < its really strange, usually, when people lie, one is not able to find the definition. Look it up idiot:
"tranny definition
[?træni]
n.
an automobile transmission. : It looks like you get a new tranny, and I get 900 bucks.
n.
a transgendered person. : She said she was a tranny, but nobody could tell."
Oh, I know, you weren't using "that" definition. Its like calling black folks "coon" and saying I wasn't referring to black people.
Matthew Rettenmund
I didn’t read anyone viciously attacking him. I just saw sites calling him out that it was inappropriate. It does come off like he feels when people say unfortunate things, we should all give them the benefit of the doubt (which is fine) without so much as reporting that it happened first. Disappointing, as it was when he came out on PEOPLE and said how he was straight-acting.
Another point: I think the mainstream media was more willing to ignore or give him a pass because they don’t fucking care about gay issues and/or are afraid of being offensive themselves.
Larry
we fags are way too sensitive…which is not to say that some words really do hurt and they are meant to, but this is over the top. we love to eat our own and I do not mean that in a good way
R.A.
@Interesting:
There you go, Interesting.
You are a car installed with the wrong transmission.
Hopefully, someone will give you a stick shift where it can do some good, and we will be spared any more of your racist rants.
Kyle
Queerty, don’t ever report on him again. His planned tranny comment gets him in the news which was his intent. He’s a fame whore. Do him a favor, and us, don’t ever report on him again.
Interesting
@R.A.: <Desperately in need of a dictionary to realize that making shit up on a blog does not constitute truth.
Red
I get what Lance is saying about the gay media and the gay community ingeneral. I am so sick and tired of gay men cutting down their own. It frankly pisses me off to read homophobic jokes about gay male celebs coming from gay men on gay blogs. The gay community complain that there aren’t enough visible gay people. Yet, when someone is ballsy enough to come out, he is picked apart and his every move is doubly scrutinized. What really gets to me is the sense of entitlement, and huge expectations the gay community place on anyone who comes out and happens to be famous. And we wonder why more celebrities won’t come out of the closet?
Kyle
@Red: Red, get a grip. The gay community is large. Don’t generalize like a simpleton. And, there’s nothing ballsy about coming out. Coming out is what gay people are supposed to do.
Kyle
And, gay people don’t need asshole celebrities to validate them. They need regular gay people working regular jobs to.
No. 1
@Price Waterhouse: Three initials are more than enough for any cause: LGB.
laughriotgirl
@Red: Sorry, but it is “ballsy” to be a 15 year old who is out in high school. It is “ballsy” to be a working class lesbian who brings her partner and kids to a work function. It is “ballsy” to be a senior gay man who wants to share a room in a retirement home with his partner. It is “ballsy” for a young trans person to transition while also trying to get a degree in college.
Confirming what everyone already suspected a decade after it would have made real impact… meh. I’m not discounting the particular issues about coming out while being in the public eye. However, every famous person realizes (or soon learns) that because of their profile what they say and how and when and where they say it matters more because of their profile. I’m really sick of famous LGBT people expecting a party for doing what lots of us do with a ton more to risk and lots more to lose – because it is the right thing to do, not the expedient thing to do.
Oh Dear (John From England)
Interesting
You asswipe. When was n*gger EVER used as a tern of endearment towards black people? WHEN? When we were hosed down? Told to sit at the back of the bus or were freely hanging from trees?
But not once have I heard tranny being used as a term like n*gger or f*ggot. In fact it was used towards transvestites. This is only an Amercian thing so I won’t bother getting worked up cause you guys aee just OFF the charts but seriously, don’t try and pretend that the word Tranny has as much history or evil as n*gger or f*ggot.
Just say that was decided from now on, don’t make sh*t up.
Interesting
@Oh Dear (John From England): Deny, deny, deny. The dictionary says what works means. Not you and the other KKGays here trying to justify yourself. Look up the word you are using in the dictionary sweetie and stop making excuses for your own shit. What you understand “personally” is irrelevant to the conversation. You have no fucking idea what you are talking about with the word “nigger’ here:
“The word originated as a term used in a neutral context to refer to black people, as a variation of the Spanish/Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger, meaning the color “black”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigger
It became a pejorative. Just as “tranny” has become one. That you don’t get that is your own ignorance, which you seem to like to role around in like a pig in its own shit.
Here’s the dictionary list of the definitions for “tranny” There are in fact several, but one of them is in fact, the one used for the trans community. Pretending you are meaning one definition when you k now that it has a pejorative meaning is you and other fags trying to be bigots by parsing. Oh, I didn’t mean this. I mean that. don’t be so sensive. I didn’t mean to call you “faggot” in a bad way. Just like now, when people say “nigger” such as the recent Dutch magazine use it with Rihana, they feel its not a pejorative because blacks use it as a non-pejorative and they mean it in that sense. Again, see the above article on the word “nigger.”
The pejorative of using tranny which is both means transvestite AND transgender is that the later is somehow not a real woman since the transvestite certainly isn’t the same thing as a transgender male or female. So, ask yourself- why are they linked together as if they are? Therein lies your bigotry that you will never own.
For the word tranny you can look it up in both dictionary.com and urbandictionary.com with the later providing the slang and examples of how the slang is used. The usuage if in fact like this use right here:
“tranny 297 up, 227 down
An extremely offensive term for a transsexual man or woman, or any of the transgendered community.
On the same level as “nigger”, and “cunt” for most people, though, like “dyke”, some of the transgendered community are trying to reclaim the word, without much success.
“So your girlfriend’s a tranny?” “… Please don’t say that… She’s a woman, just like you are.””
The language should not be used because it is treated as interchange able between transvestite and transgender. pretending otherwise is of course the little like you queens here are playing. Oh, I always used it as “x” not y. Is like the Dutch magazine using “nigger” or someone pulling the historic orgins of the word out of the bag to say they meant no offense. Indeed, even the defense that some trans women use it is weak considering the same could be said of some blacks using “nigger” or some gays using “faggot.”
More importantly, its clear what you are defending here isyour rights to KKGay as per the comment about about how we need to remove T from LGBT. You are the other queens here are transparent.
Red
@laughriotgirl:
If coming out were easy for celebrities, then there would be no closeted celebrities. Being openly gay is a career disadvantage in the entertainment industy, that’s why most gay singers and actors stay closeted. Industry execs are not willing to invest in young American males who are openly gay. There is a shockingly homophobic situation. If someone can be successful and visible in mainstream culture in America, it is another positive step towards the gay community. I just think that it’s disappointing that the gay media and the gay community in general are more focused on the negative. A lot of gays love to break down our celebrities, and anything they do wrong, it’s focused on so much more intensely than what they do right. I wish accomplishments and good deeds got as much attention as missteps or mistakes.
Timmmeeeyyy
You don’t have to search too far back through Queerty’s archives to find this blog calling people “trannies” left and right.
R.A.
@Interesting:
If you’re going to tell people to consult a dictionary, you shouldn’t be sending them to “Urbandictionary.com” which is a blog where any fool can post whatever definition suits her.
The Oxford Dictionary of Slang shows “trannie” in 1983 and defines it as “referring to a transvestite” citing the magazine Gay Times: “By 11pm they seem drunkenly immune to the influx of trannies, trendies, and other creatures of the night.”
Anyone of a certain age knows gays were using “tranny” decades long before that – even longer before the term “transgender people” was invented.. I knew men who identified as drag queens and went on to have “The Operation” as they called it. I suppose today some of them might consider themselves transgenders – I have no idea.
Like most gay terms, “tranny” is yes, mildly pejorative, but no more so than other gay terms like rice queen, trade queen, old queen, etc. or using a female pronoun like “she,” a noun like “sister,” or a name like “Mary” to refer to one of our own. When Harris and Bass use inside-family talk on national television though, they open themselves and our community up to criticism from outsiders. So there is good reason avoid using the term other than offending trans-feminists.
That said, imagining that “trannie” is the reason the general public confuses transvestites with transgenders is ridiculous.
On its glossary, GLAAD defines “transgender” as “an umbrella term (adj.) for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexuals, cross-dressers and other gender-variant people “
So one is a subset of the other.
Forgive me if I don’t bother to consult Urbandictionary.com.
http://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender