Kim Ficera made some good points but before aligning herself with another "Please luv me, Massa" half-thought from gay Republican and Reagan-idolizer, Cyd Zeigler Jr., creator of OutSports.com, she might have thought a little longer—and deeper. He and she, are wrong, and Andy Towle was right.

GLAAD was right, too, however belatedly, and however much they have become a mostly worthless organization, even before they sold their souls to American Taliban-funders Coors. Bill Maher still has a lot of homophobia flowing through his veins and occasionally out his mouth, but the important difference WAS very much the different contexts of his and the sportcaster's comments, in the same way someone recklessly lighting a match next to a pile of logs is culpable but not as culpable as someone recklessly lighting a match next to a giant vat of gasoline. Late night talk shows and earlier broadcast ballgame discussions with millions of young viewers incapable of splitting semantic hairs are not created equal.

As I wrote on Towleroad, I do think a better handling would have been only a suspension of the sportscaster followed by broadcasting his apology and the network's at the exact same point in the next program. I did not include, but add now that it could also have been an excuse for demanding ESPN invite back out pro football vet Esera Tuaolo for another discussion of homophobia within and without sports, with, perhaps, that particular sportscaster. I would respect Ficera and GLAAD more if either had suggested that.

Finally, and I'm sorry if this gets me banned, but the first indication of her selective perception was her casual use of the Q-word, which despite her apparent belief is just as poisonous used outside our subculture as the N-word is by people of color. Contrary to linguistic chic myth, our enemies have still not gotten the memo about its allegedly having been neutered. It still kills on and off the playground and playing fields.

keep up the good work