![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Writer's Block: Yes, offense taken
Oct. 26th, 2009 09:58 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
It really depends. I'm big on choosing your own battles. It's perfectly acceptable and, in my opinion, morally obligatory to speak up when someone's making racist, sexist and/or homophobic remarks. But I try to use my judgment. If I know my calling an individual out will just start a debate over homosexuality or prejudice in general, I'm probably not going to say anything unless it's something I can't possibly let slide.
But when friends and relatives say shit like that? Unacceptable. When I was as young as thirteen, a friend of mine started using that tired "that's so gay" line in civilized conversation. Figuring she didn't really mean it as an insult, I let it slide the first few times. But eventually I had to ask her not to use that insult around me (or anyone, really) because it speaks ill of gay people. I don't remember the conversation that well, but it must have worked on some level because she stopped using it and there hasn't been a problem since.
Sometimes friends of mine will say something homophobic, like claiming that homosexuality is wrong and sinful, but they'll disguise it by clinging to their Christian faith as an excuse or explanation. I believe (actually, I know) that this is not only untrue, but incredibly homophobic. The trouble is that I have trouble calling those friends out because of how they disguise it, and because I know it will just start a fight and cause feelings to be hurt.
I am, over time, becoming better able to confront this sort of thought. And I definitely don't let sexist or racist remarks slide, so it seems only right and fair that I treat homophobic remarks with the same disdain and attempt to educate the people that use them.
It really depends. I'm big on choosing your own battles. It's perfectly acceptable and, in my opinion, morally obligatory to speak up when someone's making racist, sexist and/or homophobic remarks. But I try to use my judgment. If I know my calling an individual out will just start a debate over homosexuality or prejudice in general, I'm probably not going to say anything unless it's something I can't possibly let slide.
But when friends and relatives say shit like that? Unacceptable. When I was as young as thirteen, a friend of mine started using that tired "that's so gay" line in civilized conversation. Figuring she didn't really mean it as an insult, I let it slide the first few times. But eventually I had to ask her not to use that insult around me (or anyone, really) because it speaks ill of gay people. I don't remember the conversation that well, but it must have worked on some level because she stopped using it and there hasn't been a problem since.
Sometimes friends of mine will say something homophobic, like claiming that homosexuality is wrong and sinful, but they'll disguise it by clinging to their Christian faith as an excuse or explanation. I believe (actually, I know) that this is not only untrue, but incredibly homophobic. The trouble is that I have trouble calling those friends out because of how they disguise it, and because I know it will just start a fight and cause feelings to be hurt.
I am, over time, becoming better able to confront this sort of thought. And I definitely don't let sexist or racist remarks slide, so it seems only right and fair that I treat homophobic remarks with the same disdain and attempt to educate the people that use them.
