In a move that proves internalized homophobia exists even in gay-loving France, actor and comedian Pierre Palmade has ignited controversy for saying there’s a difference between a gay man and a homosexual man.
Palmade made the comments on the talk show We’re Not Asleep on May 4. During the broadcast, Palmade insisted that gay people flaunt their sexuality for no reason, whereas homosexuals don’t stand out from heterosexuals. For the record, Palmade came out as gay in 2008.
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“This is my little theory. There are gays and homosexuals, it’s two different groups,” Palmade said. “Gays are those who eat gay, who laugh gay, who live gay, who talk gay, who make gay movies. Homosexuals are gay but they don’t wear it on their sleeves, you can’t tell when they talk, you can’t tell when they live, you only find out when they go to bed.”
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"Il y a les homos et les gays. J’en ai fait deux schémas" @PalmadePierre #ONPC pic.twitter.com/hpwdsG99j2
— On n'est pas couché (@ONPCofficiel) May 4, 2019
Palmade’s comments ignited an immediate Twitter backlash, with critics attacking him for promoting internalized homophobia. The actor doubled down on his comments via a Facebook post, in which he insisted that he is not homophobic, and does not pass judgment on gay people regardless of their demeanor.
“It seems that the distinction I made in Laurent Ruquier’s show between gays and gays is controversial?” Palmade asked in the post. “I’m having fun with homosexuality and homosexuality. Who does it assume that it would be homophobia? I have been counting on my homosexuality for quite a few years to be as legitimate as an association activist to talk about gays and gays! Find your real enemies, but with me you have the wrong target! Or you are settling other accounts … No hard feelings, but calm down! Kisses!”
While we’ll concede that Palmade has a point–there are worse threats than his nincompoopery–we still contend that segregating gay people by their “pass” privilege just feeds into homophobia across the board. For that matter, we also contend that there are two types of comics: those who are funny, and those who are just morons.
Invader7
Does he have ISSUES ? YES !!!
TomG
Apparently he has never met a gay person and is basing his opinion on they way the media depicts them which is totally incorrect for most of us.
marion
I agree with his sentiment but not his phrasing. I would say there is a difference between a gay man and a man who is gay. Or to be less pc we can use that famous Chris Rock phrasing.
Donston
There are many people who use their identity and/or sexual behaviors to pretty much indulge narcissism. However, there’s also a lot of people who use this type of language and these distinctions to shield stuff like internalized homophobia, effemphobia, and straight/hetero-leaning worship. He is right that for a lot of people gay and homosexual are two different things entirely. I’ve actually been making that argument myself. If you don’t have genuine respect, affection, passions, relationship ambition towards guys who are unabashedly into their gender then you probably will never be comfortable with being seen as “gay”.
PinkoOfTheGange
My French sux, but that translations sux harder.
He is making a distinction that many here have already made: some guys just fck other guys and others engage in the community to differing degrees with differing degrees of camp. And he dose so with no judgement of which is better.
Stop looking to be offended.
Donston
There’s nothing to be offended by. However, he’s clearly talking about “acting gay” aka effeminate on top of everything else. And he’s also passing judgement on “gays”. Please stop acting naive. You know exactly what he’s doing.
startenout
We love it when you pretend to not understand what’s being said about passing as straight. It’s like there are smart idiots who act like they don’t get it so they can pander to heterosexual that “we’re just like you” and idiotic idiots who actually don’t get it, but neither is really worse. Oh wait…
Anyway, I’m sure you meant “no offense” to the femme men and drag queens who have stood up for GAY rights openly and without shame since day one, sister. They should just blend.
dwes09
He does not avoid judgement by any means.
But we see the same exact set of opinions here all the time. Misguided perhaps, but not necessarily buffoonery. And without seeing the presentation/interview in its entirety it is hard to gauge a comedian’s context or intent.
theafricanwiththemouth
Whatever to this joke of a human being.
Mack
What a dumbs—t.
Donston
His distinction would be be easier to swallow if he didn’t make “gay” come off as something that’s automatically extreme and over-the-top. He’s basically painting “gay men” as feminized guys who have nothing going on in their lives and nothing to promote but their “gayness”. While he’s painting “homosexuals” as “straight passing” men who are afraid to express themselves beyond the bedroom. Making the distinction between gay and homosexual is okay. I personally believe in the distinction myself. Just like I believe there’s differences between being a homophobe and being anti-gay. But his description makes both words look bad. Or rather, it makes him look bad at least.
It does seem like “gay” has become the only word within the “queer community” that everyone (including many gay-identifying people) feel okay with attacking. All these public figures walk on egg shells when it comes to everything else. But so many have zero problems talking about how “gay” is limiting and restrictive or is too “cultural” or is too feminizing or it has to mean being homosexual. There’s always a problem. We could be having meaningful and nuanced conversations on the subjects of identity, sense of self, orientation and sociology. However, most of the time it’s usually a subject driven by bitterness, segregation, ignorance, self-resentment and/or hate. And that’s all this dude is promoting.
Brethmas
NO.
This is a part cut out from a long sentance, that has been misused by some hard activists.
His explanations, translated above, are very clear.
I do not know what you mean with “buffoon”, but he is a famous theater writer, a famous theater actor, he also played in some films, and also an humorist.
Donston
His later comments aren’t very clear at all, except typical “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone” stuff. And even in that response he seems to not get that being an out “homosexual” doesn’t suddenly give you a pass to sh*t on “gays”. If it were only a joke and/or poorly translated he’s still speaking from a place of “privilege” considering he’s a more masculine man. He also seems to be speaking from a place of shaming guys who are unabashedly romantically/sexually into their gender and aren’t afraid to wear their “gayness” on their sleeve. Furthermore, he reduces both “gay” and “homosexual” to being properties that are purely about sex, culture and mannerisms. And that’s not what either thing is about to many people. Internalized homophobia, gay shame, effemiphobia, being scared of being out, etc. are too prominent for those types of blunt, shallow, divisive “jokes” from someone like himself. It’s basically corny, old-fashion gay jokes that happens to be coming from a “homosexual”.
There’s some humor to be mimed out of all this stuff, and it has been mimed by quite a few people. But that ain’t it.