As we know, the Twitterverse is a place of great touchiness when it comes to language, and its denizens are always on the prowl for errant word crimes.
Related: Press Secretary has no idea whether Trump will roll back LGBT protections
Today, they have their sights set on 31-year-old pop star Lily Allen, who wrote “Fags hate Trump” in a tweet pushing her new song, a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going To A Town,” produced by Mark Ronson, and created specifically as a protest against U.S. President Trump.
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Allen was retweeting an article by Gay Times that heaped praise on the song, which you can see below:
Fags hate trump https://t.co/VZekBaX7o5
— lily allen (@lilyallen) January 25, 2017
That’s when the angry responses began pouring in, by people who were furious she’d use a word that is often used to insult gay people. Others were angry that she only mentioned gay people.
@lilyallen “Fags hate Trump”? Umm..that is considered an insulting term, Lily. How insensitive and homophobic of you.
— DeplorableUno (@Shapopo_Joe) January 26, 2017
Congrats to @lilyallen who hates Trump for his use of bigoted rhetoric, but last night tweeted: ‘Fags hate Trump.’
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 26, 2017
Has this woman’s bigotry and idiocy no bounds?? ‘Fags hate Trump’ smdh https://t.co/Cmdrl7QjNL
— BrightAngel (@BrightAngel1000) January 25, 2017
As Lily Allen points out, these people are totally taking her words out of content. She’s referring to one of the protest signs featured in the video:
Of course, the absurdity of the situation isn’t lost on Allen:
How apt that this should arrive today ?mimi marinucci book ? pic.twitter.com/GUYpaPI10x
— lily allen (@lilyallen) January 26, 2017
Later in the day, gay rights activist Peter Tatchell came leaping to Allen’s defense, saying she was only using the term as it’s been reclaimed by gay people as a self-powering act of defiance:
The fuss over placard ‘Fags Hate Trump’ is well-intentioned but misguided. ‘Fags’ is not used with insulting intent.
Placard is held by gay person who’s using the word fags in a positive, affirming way, as gesture of pride & defiance.The way fags was used was not derogatory but proud and defiant.
Congratulations Lily Allen for your hauntingly beautiful, powerful and moving anti-Trump version of Going To A Town.
It’s a sentiment you’ll share after checking out the track:
Don't forget to share:
Zombiez8mybrain
Maybe my age is showing, but I really don’t see the difference between “f*g” and “queer.” Growing up, both words have been used to ridicule/shame/hurt me for being gay, and I still find both of them extremely offensive. Maybe Lilly thinks we’re “taking back” the f-word, due to Milo’s self-identification with it, as many people seem to think we’re doing with the q-word. Neither word was ever mine, so I won’t be “taking them back” anytime soon.
Heywood Jablowme
As has often been noted: perhaps you are on the wrong site. It’s named QUEER-ty and has had that name since 2005.
If some young gay men have already “reclaimed” the word f@g, you can’t stop them. I wasn’t aware that anyone HAD done that, or had any desire to do that. But if they’re doing it, they’re doing it. Probably will be the same trajectory as “queer” which still upsets some older guys (but not me anymore; who has the time?).
I’m still not entirely sure what Twitter is, though!
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Queerty, please give a well deserved nod to this excellent example of top drawer journalism, about murdered gay basketball player Michael Wright
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/213869756/michael-wright-murder-mark-holdbrooks
DMRX
Why?
After reading that article, the only thing that points to that guy being gay is rumors — and stories from the guy who likely murdered him.
Heywood Jablowme
What would have been REALLY offensive is if someone twitted “F@gs LOVE Trump!”
Wolfechylde
You are truly an ass. Even if you disagree with the words she used, her intent was and is to stand with the gay community. People of conscience can disagree with each other without becoming dismissive, condescending and hateful. What do you know about the man holding the poster with the words that have so incensed you? Absolutely nothing, yet you sit behind the security of your keyboard and hurl epithets at him and Lily that make you worse than the bigots you supposedly despise. Most bigots are born from ignorance and fear. You are just vile, calculated and hateful
Chris
Wow. When did we lose our sense of irony?
Winter
I’m that kind of person that takes no offence to the word fag. If someone wanted to insult me and denigrate me they could also just do it with the word gay. Do I get offended when I see a person using the term gay, No. So why would I get mad at someone using the word fag, in this particular context. It’s all about context.
If you want to forbid people of using certain words due to their history and association, you keep giving power to that word and giving it the power to hurt you.
But that’s just my faggy opinion.
Armiya
Major fan of her music and she’s also been a major supporter of us and I get the parallel she’s made, especially her video reference bashing the WBC. Will&Grace used every negative word describing gay people on the show in the name of comedy and we didn’t care. Now this? Nah. #imwithlily