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ESPN Readers Weigh In: The 27 Dumbest Comments About OUT Magazine Cover Boy Michael Irvin

The latest issue of OUT magazine with an oiled up Michael Irvin on the cover sparked debate even in the liberal, skin-loving gay blogosphere.

But what happened when the story got picked up by ESPN? Well, a firestorm of comments–over  3,000 in just the first 24 hours.

Some praised Irvin for his courage but most gave him a hard time for looking like a total “fairy,” just one of a plethora of even less imaginative anti-gay slurs hurled at the straight football stud.

Of course, a far-right interpretation of the Bible played no small role in guiding the discussion. So did Nietzche and Clay Aiken, for some reason. Other hot topics included biology, black people, “evolutionary ethics,” butt sex and the concept that minority groups must earn their civil rights by struggling first.

WARNING: If you get frustrated reading the Queerty comments, then you may not be ready for the public discourse (if we can even call it that) that took place over on ESPN.com. Here are a few for you to chew on, and, we hope, spew out. Our summaries of their arguments are in italics…

1. A freakin’ parade isn’t enough!?

2. Gays are recruiting straight athletes to make their lifestyle seem cool to kids.

3. Genesis, or something like that.

4. Work it out, gays! Or move on.

5. You may be an idiot, but your incest question is valid. Not!

6. What a waste of women.

7. I’m immature so I’m using preschool vocabulary to talk about anal sex.

8. Gays must earn their rights. Just like the blacks did.9. Three-year-old movie reference; “homosexuality equality.”10. If he’s oiled up like a gay man and shows off his underwear like a gay man…11. Sexual orientation is a choice like teenage pregnancy is a choice; run-on sentence about free will.

12. We shouldn’t deny gays’ equal rights just because they’re chemically imbalanced. 

13. I believe in “cival” rights for gays. As well as the “cival” right to kill whoever walks up to my front lawn.

14. Religion is detrimental to society. Also, I’m racist.

 15. No, really – I’m racist.

16. I’m going to make a really crude joke. Why? Cause I’m a NY Giants fan so I can be totally insensitive towards a rival team’s former player’s dead brother.

17. Hello! Biology!

18. Both gays and homosexuals need to realize that the word “gay” is part of straight culture. Why can’t they just let us have that one word!?

19. What came first: homosexuality or plastic?

20. I’m going to bring up Nietzche just ’cause.

21. It’s like the gays are converting all our bastions of masculinity!

22. I’m sure glad evolution has made me able to condemn homosexuality as immoral.

23. How many gay men can give birth???

24. Ha! I’m so clever.

25. We all know how emotional those gay guys can get about being treated like second-class citizens… gosh!

26. I got banned but came back because someone had to crusade for st8 folk!27. Homosexuals are ten times more likely to be sex addicts, pedophiles and to suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder. I read it on the internet!

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