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Dublin Bus ordered to pay passenger €7,500 over alleged homophobic slurs...

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    #122
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    There is no difference. Homophobia is homophobia. In the case mentioned it wouldnt make a difference legally as the discriminatory treatment is in relation to a person who is gay or is imputed to be gay.

    If I called someone "a queer" and they turned out to identify as "queer", is that homophobic?

    Just to clarify, I wouldn't, but I'm just wondering what leaps of logic you expect people to jump through in order for descriptors to be acceptable considering everyone can have a different one.


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    #123
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,815 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    If I called someone "a queer" and they turned out to identify as "queer", is that homophobic?
    .

    It depends on the context

    If it was "you queer ****ing ******" - thats homophobic
    If it was "oh you're queer - thats cool" - thats not homophobic

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #124
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users Posts: 26,070 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    ...Ghost... wrote: »
    I disagree with the premise entirely. No matter what someone says, there will always be someone who might be offended. You could compliment someone for doing a good job and someone else might get offended on their behalf because it may have sounded like you thought the person doing the job was incompetent. What matters most is intent. If no malice is intended, then most of the time, if my brother calls me a jew for not sharing my twix, it's no problem.
    Maybe ask a Jew if it's a problem, before you decree that it's not a problem?

    Malice or intent is not really the issue here. Once you're older than about 5, you're expected to understand that you have a responsibility for the consequences of your actions, even if they are not the consequence you intended, or they did not motivate you. If your use of homophobic or antisemitic smears contributes to a climate in which homophobic and antisemitic sentiments are normalised, and gay or Jewish people feel less comfortable or more threatened, then you are responsible for this, whether or not you intended or wanted it.

    Why are you responsible for this? Because (a) your actions brought it about, and (b) you are not a toddler.


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