Stephanie Rice apologises at a press conference in Sydney today over her Twitter remark:
Stephanie Rice is having a bad week. After broadcasting the most appalling thing on Twitter, she is being rightly castigated. And now there’s a knock-on effect for her wallet as Jaguar immediately terminated their sponsorship arrangement.
Stephanie Rice and what was once her Jag
It was really four words that ended the deal with Rice, tweeted in the high of the Wallabies’ win over South Africa on Saturday: ”Suck on that faggots!”
According to the director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at the Australian National University, Bruce Moore, there was nothing ambiguous about the sentiment.
While terms like ”gay” may have been divorced from their homophobic origins in the past 20 years, faggot is not in that category.
”What surprised us, I think, is we haven’t heard it for so long aloud in public. It had that power to shock, almost like the word nigger,” Dr Moore said. ”The faggot part just seemed to be an extreme, strong, divisive term for homosexual. I just can’t see that you could use it in any other way.”
”I made a comment on Twitter on Saturday night in the excitement of the moment,” she wrote on her website this week. ”I did not mean to cause offence and I apologise.”
Stephanie Rice
What was she thinking? She says she wasn’t. But for most people, no matter how excited or drunk or distracted…..that’s not ever a word that would slip out.
The word ‘faggot’ is so distasteful. There’s nothing fun or cute or camp about it. It is emphatically a word of abuse towards gay men who never ever use it about themselves.
But in all the swirl of argument and discussion about what she did that’s going on this week, one sentence keeps coming up “How stupid is that?”
The answer, obviously, is very stupid. But why is that a surprise?
I’m not going to get into a diatribe about the intelligence or homophobia of Stephanie Rice. I don’t know her. She may be a genius or a fool or like most of us, somewhere in between.
But I will say this: I have long had a massive problem with the way we elevate sports stars to be heroes.
Why? Because they can swim fast? Kick a ball with accuracy? Run quickly? Jump over high things?
Does that make you a hero?
Sporting stars may have great physical skills but that’s all. They’re no smarter or better or nicer or more well intentioned than the average Australian. In fact, I would argue that generally (and of course this is a generalisation), they are less informed, less aware and less street smart than the average bear.
This is because to become a great athlete, you have to spend many years from the time you are very young, refining your skills. That’s years swimming up and down a pool. Years running around a track. Years kicking a ball or hitting it with a bat.
Years.
That doesn’t leave much time to be a hugely well-rounded individual and it certainly shouldn’t make you deserving of the kind of fawning, heroic, ridiculous adulation we pile on sports people.
I’m happy for anyone who CHOOSES to spend years of their life dedicated to their sport. Go for it. But let’s not pretend it’s a selfless or noble pursuit.
Professional atheletes do it for many reasons. Sponsorship dollars. Personal satisfaction. A desire to represent their country or be the best at swimming or kicking or hitting or whatever it is they’re good at.
Fine.
But surely it’s time to stop raising these individuals to the heights of real heroes. Because surely when they disappoint us and show their ordinariness or, in some cases, their prejudices, it’s a very long way to fall.
What do you think about the Stephanie Rice ‘faggot’ comment and how we treat sports stars? Does it sit well with you? Do they deserve their place as heroes?
Comments
363 Comments so far
Just another case of spoiled rotten sports kid who thinks she can get away with anything seeing that she’s of a superstar status…
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This type of thing happens so often, I almost feel that when a young sports star starts earning more than a set amount they should be required to take a “sports star 101″ where they can have it spelled out in black and white that this type of accountability is what comes with the package. I remember reading about some young footy player a while back who was saying something to the effect of, I didn’t sign up to be a role model, I signed up to play ball, but it’s all part and parcel.
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The first point I would like to make is that professional sportmen/sportswomen are held in such high esteem as alot of young children, teenagers, young adults strive to have the abilities poeple such as Stephanie Rice have.
Secondly, these people represent our country. In Australia specifically, our culture has huge amounts to do with sporting.
So obviously the people who represent our country are going to be considered heroes.
Stephanie Rice may be a hero to a young girl with cerebral palsy, who once was an amazing swimmer.
Mia, just because you don’t consider these sportsmen/sportswomen to be
heroes” doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t.
I found parts of your piece to hit the mark, but others left me shaking my head.
Ultimately, your definition on what a hero is will be different to the next person. My heroes are my kids who on a daily basis remind me that life is amazing and remind me how lucky I am.
My nextdoor neighbour may think his hero is his best mate who lost a leg in WW2.
It differs for everyone.
Should we continue to hold these althletes in high esteem?
Yes & no. Yes, because they represent our country and for alot of people do our country proud. And no, because of course there are men and women out there performing acts of heroism everyday that go unrecognized.
We hold our defence personnel in such high esteem, because they’re fighting to resolve issues in another country.
Selfless acts.
As aforementioned mean some thing different to everyone.
In reference to Stephanie Rice, obviously she had a massive word vomit, a very big bad word vomit. The only reason why it kicked up such a stink is because she IS a high profile sportswoman. She represents our country. It reflects on us negatively, to an extent.
That and the fact it was on Twitter. Not smart.
However, she has apologized for what she “tweeted” and I feel that is enough for people to move on and forget about it.
There are far more worse things that could have been said and to be honest, if she was just a normal, everyday person without a high profile, I probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid, due to the context of what was tweeted.
Like some others have said, there was no intent. It was an “in the moment” lapse in judgement and all it meant to me was “Hahaha, in your face!”
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Well argued article in the SMH yesterday today that I think is worth reading: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/foolish-tweet-pales-in-culture-of-hate-20100910-154uy.html
We all seem to agree that Stephanie did a foolish thing, but this outrage and hate towards her is, in my opinion, misdirected and not called for. It was immature and showed a lack of awareness, but it was not overly offensive, especially in the context of many other far, far worse words we use towards each other every day, words which we seem to accept as OK. Many of us do it in front of our kids as well, but we think we have the right to tear down someone else just because they’re well-known?
If you see Stephanie as a role model to your kids, then talk to your kids about it and let them know it was silly and wrong, but not malicious. It doesn’t suddenly mean she’s a bad person who should be made a pariah and remembered only for this.
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As a mother of young girls, who look up to the likes of Stephanie, I agree that she should be put to shame for those remarks. Regardless if she was a little intoxicated or caught up in the moment, she has a huge influence on a whole generation of young girls. When you’re in the spotlight and have that sort of power, use it wisely. I want my girls to have positive role models not worship a silly sports star that slurs remarks like she did.
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Isn’t it just as educational for the kids to see that their idols can be dumb and do stupid things and apologise for them though?
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Wow – im suprised by the support for Stephanie here, I have nothing against her, but what she said was very offensive, and stupid, and obviously Jaquar feel they have a responsibility (and the pink dollar to look after) to make a statement.
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I do actually know plenty of young gay boys who do use the word. About themselves and each other.
Three quarters of the Gen Y I hear speak don’t even consider the C word offensive; it’s just a word in their everyday vocabulary. Their whole way of communicating these days is completely different, as much as we might not like it.
It obviously wasn’t used in a malicious way, so why all the fuss?
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But isn’t it the same as the wogs calling each other wogs?? It is a very different thing than a straight girl using “faggot” as a abusive term for a team or did i miss something?
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I’ve had people freak out when I say wog or leb, because I’m anglo. I grew up as a minority (ie Anglo Aussie heritage) and its a perfectly normal term for me and everyone I went to school and grew up with. Oddly no wogs or lebs are offended by it…
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i guess but i am both a wog and a towel head but i don’t like it when people who are not of these heritage use it against me. Same s with all my friends who are gayer than god, i can call them whatever i want but be afraid if you use the term to insult my mates i’ll kill you with my bare hands
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Yeah but its all in context as to whether its used against you, isn’t it?
I think this whole discussion has proved that!
Oh and if you’re a towel head – Happy Eid!
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I’m not Muslim. I am Assyrian/Persian towelhead we tend to be Christian,Church of the East or in my father’s case he converted to Church of England when still living in Iran. And my grandmother was Assyrian/Russian so Catholic. Confusing?? yes and thats only the half of it!!
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Wow that is confusing! The bloke’s oldies emigrated from Egypt, he’s had some funny asumptions in his time too. Including being picked as Indigenous for some school thing back in the day! Lots assume he’s Muslim too, but Coptic Orthodox (nominally). Dunno if he was christened though…
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I suspect that hero-worship for sportsfolk has more to do with them generating nationalistic pride. We don’t tend to cheer ourselves into a fervour over brilliant doctors or amazing teachers or artists. I’m not a particulalry keen follower of sport but I do like the feeling of cheering an Australian on in the pool or the track knowing that there ‘doing it for Australia’. It really pulls the country together, something that unites so many people for good. So the hero status is the energetic uniting of patriotism, and that’s something really powerful in my opinion.
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I’m sure she didn’t mean to be offensive, but gosh what she posted was tacky.
I think we should all ask ourselves ‘would my Nanna be offended by this?’ before we post anything in a public forum.
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I don’t get it.
People can walk around saying “Oh My God”, “Jesus” etc and that’s not deemed offensive to religious people, but heaven forbid a Gen Y should make an off the cuff remark with no malice intended and be crucified. And why? Becuase it was deemed offensive to a particularly group in society that is considered cool and very ‘now’ to support.
People say stupid offensive things all the time but I don’t hear the press (including you Mia) get offended by people saying “OMG”.
Do I support what Stephanie wrote? No. But does this matter deserve so much attention? Not in the slightest.
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She is a great girl, and she is entitled to her opinion. She did not offend any one in particular. She certainly did not want to be rude. It is the journalists who blow up every word those guys say. She is an extraordinary person, and I wish her every luck.
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I totally agree that this has been blown WAYYYYY out of perspective. She said sorry now lets move onto more important things. Anyone notice the post about a little boy, killed by his dad??
Once was nicky you seem to have made a comment on every single comment. Where are the mods when stuff like this happens??? I seem to remember other posters being told off and even deleted when they made muliple comments on the same post (and no I am not talking about the ones who change user names). Why has this particular poster been allowed to give her opinion over and over again?? Is it because she agrees with Mia??
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Agreed. Her tone is defensive and attacking but perhaps because she’s not name-calling it’s acceptable as well as the fact she agrees with Mia?
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Agreed as well. Why would someone go through every single post looking for things to be offended about and more or less making the same comments over and over again, its like yep we get it, your offended…..now move on, which is really what I should do haha…
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Sorry – you see the comments as an opinion splurge – I see them as a conversation. And that explains the number of my comments: in conversations with other commenters. And it’s not about being offended – it’s about rejecting the casual denigration of a whole class of people.
Don’t see how my tone is defensive – of what?
I don’t see it as attacking either – objecting to hate language and stereotyping vulnerable groups and challenging people who say that means nothing.
I think I’ve expressed my sympathy for Stephanie Rice and respect for her apology, as well as commenting about the general use of that language.
If you don’t want to chat in a public forum open to anyone to speak, why chat here? Why not do it at home with friends who agree with you?
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i agree with your points and i don’t think it is fair you have been singled out.
i comment a lot on posts that are important to me or relevant. i think commenting on multiple posts is what this is about. commenting a lot with different names is where it gets tricky.
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Couldn’t agree with you more Mia. I find the word “faggot” most offensive, and certainly haven’t heard that word used publicly in a very long time! I’ve never understood the “Australian of the Year” sporting candidates either. I mean c’mon, surely they haven’t contributed as much as those wonderful people researching the cure for cancer,or dedicating their lives to Mental Health issues etc..She deserved to have her Jag taken away. Silly, stupid girl with a big mouth.
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Do you know what the main point that resonates within me about this whole drama?
The absolute ridiculousness of Twitter. I have never understood the point of ANYONE wanting to read about someone elses mundane and boring thoughts numerous times a day.
Blogs are different, they usually have a point and are longer than a few words or a sentence but Twitter? It is far too spontaneous and that seems to have gotten SO many people into trouble. Not enough time to self edit before their idiocy is broadcast to the world.
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A guest post by Matt Baxter over at Mumbrella makes for good reading on this: http://mumbrella.com.au/the-gen-x-media-has-misinterpreted-stephanie-rices-gen-y-faggots-tweet-32955
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Bang on, IMO. Except for the bit about a minority of gay people. It doesn’t really seem to be any gay people kicking up a stink and carrying on about it!
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Except for Ian Roberts, who does seem to be ultra-sensitive about these things.
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I think he just likes being on the tv
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Yeah maybe… But I’m Gen Y and I would never use the word “faggot” and I am aware of its homophobic connotations. People of my generation might use the word “gay” to denote “lame” but the word “faggot” isn’t really in common usage with the Gen Yers I know. It’s an outdated and extremely offensive word, particularly in the context she used it (“suck on that, faggots!”) I think it is almost equivalent to “nigger” in its vitriol and historical meaning.
I agree that I don’t think she meant to insult gay people and that it has been blown out of proportion, but to suggest that it is a word in the common vernacular of the under-25s, interchangeable with “losers”, is just incorrect (in my experience).
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My gen-Y cousins call their parents “faggots” as an affectionate term. i think it’s vile and wince when I think about it, but to be honest they seem to have no clue it is offensive or homophobic. so maybe there is a generational thing at play.
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I agree with the others …the term “hero” is definitely inappropriately used when it comes to our sporting stars. SR is human like the rest of us. A Young woman with a bit of a naughty streak (just happens to be a world class swimmer), and yes she made a mistake and will probably make a few more…Whats done is done…she got her slap on the wrist, made her tearful apology..the world moves on….and so should we….
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The word ‘hero’ is completely overused. People who died and fought in war are heroes but sports stars are not and never will be. They may be role models and idols but never Heroes. As for Miss Rice, what a naive thing to say. When it goes on twitter, people are going to read it and you know it.
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I agree completely. I object to the overuse of the word “hero”. A hero is someone who has risked their life for others. Sports stars are not heros. Telstra ‘sponsors’ a herogram program to send encouragement to our sports stars every time we attend the Olympics or Commonwealth games. What about they start supporting a herogram program for our real heros, those in the defence forces who are away from their families defending our country? They’re the real heros.
As for Ms Rice, I suggest she stay away from all things internet. First the facebook photos, now the tweeting, what next?
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yeah I hate the way that we use the term “hero” for people who fought and died for our country and then use it for sporting stars. Yes many athletes have acheived great things but to use the same word for both types of acheivements just doesn’t sit right with me
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To a degree, I think Steph Rice has put her sport into disrepute with this comment. Maybe she should have a small ban from the sport like Nick D’Arcy did with Swimming Australia in 2008 (obviously, not anywhere near the same length of time). Just because she hasn’t been physically abusive doesn’t mean she hasn’t been as offensive with her verbal abuse. You would not get away with this in a workplace.
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Hi Mia, I’ve been thinking about the post since I first made my original comment and I think I’m begining to understand what point you were trying to make. Particularly with the Brendan Frevola issue coming to light. I agree with a few of the comments from anon below but don’t agree with the personal/agressive tone.
I was wondering if you could clarify a comment about placing sports stars on a pedestal. Could you give an example of how we tend to do this and how it differs from other with high public profile?
Also to those who have commented on the large number of responses to this post compared to the Caroline Overington I haven’t had a chance to watch the video, I have a interest in sport and also find it easier to find the words for this issue than the issue of child abuse.
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Preface: I’m going to be a bit soap boxy and tangential here….. sorry!
I say good on sports people for training hard, having goals, being great at what they do, and YAY for the sports people who are POSITIVE role models for our children. I am happy for my children to look up to sports people, to want to emulate their talent and dedication, but (as with TV/Film/Music “stars”) I think I would prefer that they DON’T try to emulate many of the attitudes and behaviours that seem come with the success.
My biggest issue is that I cannot abide the amount of money that is involved in sport!! It’s any wonder so many of them lose sight of why they started in the first place. Suddenly elevated to HERO status, with deals and endorsements, and papparazzi. Unfortunately though, these days if you DO want to be successful at sport, the hype is now what goes hand in hand with the success. I know (especially in Australia) that probably 90% of athletes never get recognised the way Stephanie Rice, or Kieren Perkins or whoever have been. I realise it costs money to train, and buy equipment, and support your dream of being a successful athlete. But it’s gone crazy – the amount of money and power involved in sport is utterly insane. Maybe we need to make everything amateur, or cap all sports funding, or make the clubs put more back into local sports, or something!
FYI Here are the top ten sports earners for 2009:
http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/20…-in-the-world/
(includes endorsements I think)
10. Alex Rodriguez – Baseball – £21m pa
9. Roger Federer – Tennis – £21.5m pa
8. Ronaldinho – Football – £23m pa
7. LeBron James – Basketball – £23.5m pa
6. Kobe Bryant – Basketball – £24m pa
5. Kimi Raikkonen – Formula One – £27m pa
4. Phil Mickelson – Golf – £27.5m pa
3. Michael Jordan – Basketball – £27.5m pa
2. David Beckham – Soccer – £31m pa
1. Tiger Woods – Golf – £71m pa
Total £297m
And converted into AUD we have the grand total of……
AUD $534,973,488
Ten men. In one year. For playing sport.
Liverpool FC = £250 million. IN DEBT. That’s an insane amount of money for a football club to even consider.
It boggles the mind…. imagine what ALL that money could be doing in the world.
Holy ****.
Stop the world. I want to get off.
And for the record, I think SR’s gaffe was stupid and thoughtless but I don’t think she meant offense. Unfortunately, she is in the public eye, and made a public statement. Now she has to wear that.
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Ugh – that amount of money is grossly obscene.
I would love to see a statistic on how much of it they all give away to charity – as a percentage of that massive salary – not some tokenistic donation here and there.
And as for those UK football ‘stars’ – they seem to be spending a lot of their cash on prostitutes – Wayne Rooney anyone??
I am a student and my income last year amounted to about $15,000 yet I make sure I afford $43 a month for my World Vision child who is way worse off than me.
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I feel sorry for her! She’s young and she’s made a mistake, who of us have never said anything offensive? Being in the spotlight she does have more responsibility than us, but enough of making athletes and celebrities out to be moral compasses and role models! They’re normal people who are talented and have a public profile. I feel for Rice and hope that this media sh**storm wraps up quickly. This is such trial by media nobody I’ve spoken to is fussed by it apart from saying “she’ll think twice next time she tweets”
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I agree. Isn’t it amazing the amount of perfect people who come out of the woodwork when something like this happens?
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Wasgoing to post exactly this – thank you for saying it for me
Also what about “he/she who is without sin should cast the first stone” ??
She made a VERY public mistake, has apologised and will hopeully learn from it. What would be great is if we could learn from it too.
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Totally agree.
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I couldn’t agree more, thank you for saying it like it is.
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I’ll know we’ve achieved a gentle state of balance when people of dignity, diligence, creativity, curiosity and humanity – who excel in any area of human endeavour – are given squillion dollar sponsorship deals, fabulous cars, and ticker-tape parades.
Somewhere in all of this – the issue of appallingly behaved, over-indulged, overpaid celebrities – is our collective consciousness and sense of expectation.
We – the general public – create this, when we treat our superstars like demigods. Hubris is hubris.
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Mia I find this post offensive. I completely agree that Stephanie Rice did the wrong thing and I do believe she is sorry. But the tone of this post suggesting that sports people are not well rounded individuals and that all they have to contribute to society is their ‘physical skills’ is just lazy sensationalist writing. My husband spent 15 years of his life as an elite athlete and whilst their are a few bad eggs that apparently have ruined it for everyone, I can guarantee you that most of the people that I have met are very well rounded individuals, ordinary, normal people. My husband certainly is not just his sport. Nor did he see himself as any sort of hero to anybody other than his own children. Certainly he was acutely aware that there were many thousands of children who did appreciate his sporting abilities. It is the media that thrusts this hero status upon them as it sells them papers.
I don’t see any difference in this at all to spending ‘years and years’ of your life editing a magazine thrusting makeup, clothes and sex advice on young girls. I am sure there were many young girls who looked up to you as their hero and say ‘i want to work in magazines when I grow up like Mia Freedman”. In their favour atleast sports stars actually do promote excercise and dedication not starvation or clothes and makeup you just “have to have’ to fit in. I don’t see how submersing yourself in this life for years and years would make a particularly well rounded, ordinary individual either but I would guess you probably are, so it is possible that there are many many sports starts out their that are plenty more than just kicking a ball but it is only the ones doing the wrong thing that we ever hear about.
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Anon, in no way was I suggesting that sports people were not well rounded individuals. Some are, some aren’t…just like the rest of the population.
My point was that they are regular people and to place them on a ridiculously high pedestal as we tend to do, is ultimately bad for everyone.
There’s a long way to fall from a very great height.
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And I quote “Sporting stars may have great physical skills but that’s all. They’re no smarter or better or nicer or more well intentioned than the average Australian. In fact, I would argue that generally (and of course this is a generalisation), they are less informed, less aware and less street smart than the average bear.
This is because to become a great athlete, you have to spend many years from the time you are very young, refining your skills. That’s years swimming up and down a pool. Years running around a track. Years kicking a ball or hitting it with a bat.
Years.
That doesn’t leave much time to be a hugely well-rounded individual”
Actually this is exactly what you said. It is the media that places them on a high pedestal and likes to sell the papers on the back of when they fall. They themselves don’t. I think the idea of the word ‘hero’ itself is overused. I also know a few surgeons that I wouldn’t particularly place in the hero status or that of ‘well rounded individual’. I think the distinction needs to be made of that of the ‘job’ the person does and the person themselves.
I did a little modelling when I was younger and from personal experience I would far prefer my children to play sport for a living that to become involved in the vacuous drug addled world of fashion. Perhaps you need to venture out of the easterns suburbs a little more often to meet some well rounded sports people or well rounded ordinary people in general.
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Here, here Anon! I agree that this piece of Mia’s was lazy sensationalist writing.
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Ditto
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funny that all of you have remained anonymous to make these rather rude comments and have also taken the time to read the blog of a person who is, in your words “involved in the vacuous drug addled world of fashion”. the bottom line is this: anyone, sports star or not, who choses to use the word “faggot” at all, let alone in a public forum, in a context that can only be interpreted as derogatory and hateful, is NOT a well rounded person.
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but that’s not at all what Mia’s article is about if you have actually read it. If you care to read my first reply I agree that Steph did the wrong thing that’s not the debate. Re-read the article.
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Mia, I couldn’t agree with you more personally. Using the same word, ‘hero’, to describe someone who excels in sport and someone who put their life on the line to save others on 9/11 does just not cut it.
I commend people like Stephanie Rice for their focus and determination to succeed in their sport and yes, I scream at the telly in support of them when they’re racing for Australia.
Clearly, from some of the posts below it is evident that there’s a wide range of what’s acceptable to different people regarding derogatory language. I hate the word faggot and put it in the same category of unacceptability as nigger. Stephanie stuffed up on 2 counts – 1) by using the word and 2) using it on a social media site. I’m gen X, maybe gen Y’s think about the use of these words differently?
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Gen x or Gen Y, it shouldn’t matter. Common decency and manners should span any generation.
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She said something stupid. We all say something stupid. She is young. She has apologised. She can’t do anything more.
I’m not clear how you can write about one swimmer’s stupidity and link it into hero worship when the word hero hasn’t been put out there in an article regarding this incident so far, but there you go. Your blog Mia, you do what you want.
Rice’s friend Mitcham: “I agree, it was offensive & very thoughtless, but being friends with her for 2yrs, I know she is not homophobic,” Mitcham wrote.
Mitcham went on to say he forgave Rice.
And leading Gay Activist Gary Burns in SMH: “Mr Burns, who has previously taken legal action against a series of high profile Australians over what he claimed were homophobic comments, said Rice’s tweet was offensive, but the reaction since had been “hysterical”.
He claimed many who have accused Rice of spreading hatred are themselves unfairly vilifying her.
“What I am concerned about is that she has lost her Jag sponsorship, which is really unfair, because there are people out there that are on this witch-hunt to destroy this girl,” he said.
“I deal with people who I believe publicly vilify homosexuals … but what Stephanie Rice did was make a mistake. She apologised for that mistake, but I now believe people are using her as a wedge.
“Yes, it is offensive, but it is not vilification, it is not hatred.”"
So there you have it. A Gay Activist Watch Dog says it’s not as big a deal as this blog would have you believe.
Appalling anyone?
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you’ve got that right…
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she lost her Jag sponsorship because the company thought it would be bad for sales to keep her. Simple market economics. Bad for sales because too many people would associate their name with someone using hate language. How is that unfair?
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Even though I condemn what she said, I do think she gave a heartfelt apology. It’s hard to tell if she understands the issues or not, but I think what happened is what should have happened and that’s reassuring: a high profile, valued young Australian, held up as a role model for kids says something ugly and hateful, the community reacts with revulsion and rejection, and she apologises.
The apology doesn’t wipe out the total wrongness of the original comment, and so it shouldn’t be excused by us. The apology should be accepted in the spirit it was offered. The community should have a conversation about this strain of negative stereotyping. I think it is just that she lost her Jag sponsorship. Gay people can be reassured that the general population doesn’t really tolerate this kind of thing in public speech as it once did and if people choose to say things like that, we don’t want them held up as our representatives. That’s the bottom line. So, I would hope the reaction is reassuring for young gay people, and older ones, and that Rice’s apology is accepted and she is forgiven and given the chance to show us she means it in the future.
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Well said.
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I think that people need to be accountable for their actions. Don’t put things on Twitter you don’t want people to read. Think about it before you do it!
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I think that people need to be accountable for their actions. Don’t put things on Twitter you don’t want people to read. Think about it before you do it!
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I love it when the very people who DO take legal action against actual vilification like Gary Burns defend (in this case) Steph Rice. And then others continue to carry on about it! Cos they know better. Hilarious! Its like people telling authors what they actually meant when they wrote their books.
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I think it’s more a case of people interpreting what has been said/written. People can say or write something, but we all hear/read/understand it differently depending on our own experience and knowledge.
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What about all the musicians and dancers and artist that have NO social lives as they train for their careers. Haven’t seen any ballerinas tweeting about “fags”. It’s like being called a breeder if your friends do it its ok other wise you want to punch someone in the head. I am not so concerned about the word but the fact everyone is so ready to forgive her because she is a sports star…….bored of that.
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The great thing about the creative arts is that musicians and dancers do have a great life while they are training, and also while they in the junior ranks of the theatre or film. Terms like ‘breeders’ are commonplace and not at all offensive. Gays, straights, musos, dancers, leading ladies and men are all part of the troupe. We all muck in together. It’s a world devoid of discrimination…I mean, there’s so many poofs, how could you..
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well i was one of those dancers training with no life because i was too focused on being the best and while it is an industry with many gays in the village, i still find the term breeder offensive depending on how is being applied.
When i was 15 at ballet school my entire focus was in the studio it didn’t make me blind to the world and insensitive. And if i was alittle naive i had to learn but observing and not using my training as an excuse but we give sport “stars” extra leeway on everything and it is so incredibly tedious that is still happens. Like i said before it bores me
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That ‘fag’ thing in private English schools probably helped to bring the word to its current meaning. The younger boy ‘fagging’ for the older boy may have also included, you know…
On the other hand ‘faggott’ is derived from the French for stick. The French word for the instrument the bassoon is ‘faggott’, ie a stick. It looks like one, if you’ve ever been in an orchestra.
All of that has nothing to do with this issue. Stephanie Rice used the term in a high school manner, and nothing more. To read more into it is being precious beyond belief.
As Chopper Reid says, ‘harden the f*ck up!’
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Right, so Stephanie’s just a dumb kid, and we should listen to a mass murdering media star for advice about our sensitivities about disadvantaged groups. Great reality to settle for.
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‘mass murdering’? I think you need to take a step back…
also read the comments since ours..
‘mass murdering’ no, that is beyond any sensibility…
the reality is that there is no ‘mass murdering’, what a strange comment…
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So Chopper Read is not a mass murderer? How many murders makes a mass?
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Oh yes, I see your point. The reason I brought him up was that Mia had featured a post and video about him telling people to ‘harden the f*ck up’. I’m sure it’s still there if you search. I appreciate that that wasn’t immediately obvious to you. At the time I found it distasteful as well, but Mia’s readers seemed to take advice from this hitman rather than from someone more moderate. Funny that.
I agree he is anything but a role model, but in this new age, newspeak generation apparently his words were more acceptable to Gen X&Y than a priest or policeman. Funny about that. Do the search and read the post and comments.
At the end of the day ‘harden the f*ck up’ isn’t bad advice. How else you gonna get through life?
With Mummy and Daddy holding your hand?
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No, by standing up for yourself and speaking out against injustice, and standing up for each other, too, in the knowledge that they will stand with you.
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OnceWasNicky, whatever happened to: ‘Sticks and stones can break me, but words will never hurt me’?
sort of like taking responsibility for yourself, instead of demanding everyone else treats you like you’re in cotton wool.
Harden up!
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Yeah, that doesn’t work when social and political institutions are still influenced by the “name-calling” or “words” (i.e.are actually made of words) and this involves the use of social and political power to stop gay people from enjoying the same rights as others.
Telling someone to F off and take their insults with them is hardly asking to be treated like you’re in cotton wool – it’s saying, get stuffed, you don’t deserve respect or kudos if you’re going to speak like that.
Why do I need to harden up? I’m not gay, I’m not curled up and crying in a ball. Where’s your line? How much hate is OK? Ok for Neo-Nazis to go around speaking pejoratively about non-Aryan people, OK for racists to go about speaking pejoratively about anyone they wish? At what point are we allowed to say, shut your mouth or go away?
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When my 4 yr old shouts something mean and nasty to me or someone else, she is generally placed in her room and told to come out and join us when she is ready to behave nicely.
This does not happen because I feel crushed or irrevecobly damaged by what she has said, but because she needs to learn where the boundaries of acceptable behaviour are, and that there are consequences to her actions and even words. She needs to learn this because it is true, and because that understanding will better equip her to make sound decisions in future. (She also knows, btw, that an apology – while important – does not rewrite history)
So you might think some people need to harden up, but perhaps there’s a growing up experience here as well.
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Better be careful there, Chopper hasnt been charged with murder at all, manslaughter yes but not murder. Wouldnt want a law suit on your hands.
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Are you talking about Heath Franklin doing Chopper? The piss take of Chopper Reid, with his Harden the Fuck Up Australia comedy show?
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Are you talking to me when you say
“All of that has nothing to do with this issue. Stephanie Rice used the term in a high school manner, and nothing more. To read more into it is being precious beyond belief.
As Chopper Reid says, ‘harden the f*ck up!’”
?
Because I clearly said when I brought up school Fags:
“It has no relevance to Stephanie’s use of faggot I’m sure. Just interesting.”
So I don’t really understand your comment.
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A stupid thing to say? Yes. Inciting hatred and “the most appalling thing”? mmm, over reacting a bit?
It was wrong, she has apologised. Lets all move on.
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When my Grandfather was at school, each prefect had a ‘Fag’: a younger boy who had to be their `Gofer’. He said they often would get the Fag to warm the toilet seat up for them. At the time he said it had no relevance to homosexuality. Just thought that was interesting. It has no relevance to Stephanie’s use of faggot I’m sure. Just interesting.
I understand what Mia is saying about Sports people being no better qualified to be role models than anyone else, but you could really say that about any of the people we hold up as ‘role models’. Why are actors/actresses, politicians, fashion designers, journalists better-equipped to be role models than the man next door who has a good heart, an enquiring mind & a positive attitude? I don’t think they are.
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huge huge huge huge massive massive massive overreaction. Faggots…. so what… big deal. What a beat up. Pffft
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you got that right
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Totally.
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FINALLY someone in the media has said it. No, they aren’t heroes. They play a sport they enjoy, and unlike many of us, they get paid for it. Doesn’t make them a good person.
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exactly.
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So now we have the Word Police. Don’t use certain words, whether you mean harm or not, just don’t use them. These words are no longer acceptable. However, check back with the Word Police, because every few years the list of unacceptable words changes. Where F**k and C**t were once deemed completely socially unacceptable, they are now de rigueur in the parlance of many tweeters, particularly young women.
On a lesser note, ‘chick’, a word much maligned by 70s feminists is now the preferred choice over ‘girl’. God forbid you should call women ‘girls’, yet somehow referring to them as ‘guys’ is OK. Obtusely, calling men ‘boys’ is still in fashion.
Of course words can change their meaning over time. The most recent cab off the rank is ‘gay’. In my childhood, ‘gay’ was a wimpy old school word for happy, carefree. In the 70s it was adopted by the homosexual community. It became a celebratory term, a word used with pride. Now today we have generations of school kids using this word as a derogatory, in the way that only kids can.
Some words do withstand the test of time and remain outside socially acceptable usage. Nigger is one, although it’s now adopted by African-Americans to refer to themselves, just as ‘wog’ is by Australia born Italians and ‘queer’ is by gays. Given that words are constantly changing, castigating someone on the basis of their usage of a phrase is allowing the Word Police too much latitude. Stephenie Rice is four years out of high school, she should be extended the benefit of the doubt. Her gay team mate has backed her up.
On a more worrying note is the trend to label anyone who speaks out against this Political Correctness as being ‘hate-mongering’, ‘racist’ and ‘homophobic’. Nothing could be further from the truth. While there are crazies and crackpots out there, there is also a huge populace who believes in a decent society, a caring society and a free-thinking society. Political Correctness, in the guise of social reform, is nothing more than a realisation of Orwell’s ’1984.’
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This is just rubbish. Words change their meaning when the social context of use changes. If the social context of use is that people called the pejorative name are often victimised, attacked, and treated with discrimination, then, yes, it is not acceptable to me to have someone use that word and go unchallenged.
There are no word police. Just people, citizens, saying we don’t want you to call our fellow citizens that, thanks. Take your words and go say them with someone who wants to hear them. If you don’t hate people, don’t use words that express hate for them.
Meanings change. And some meanings stay the same. The point is, what is the meaning NOW and when does it mean that? And NOW the meaning of the word Stephanie Rice used in the way she used it is gay = bad.
More like anyone who speaks out for honesty about language use and social meanings has people like you attempting to gag them for objecting. Is it really OK for things like this to be said in public speech – in front of kids and whoever is listening? How uncaring of the people who are subject to this kind of casual hate every day of their lives.
And the term “gay” has been used as a derogatory term for at least 30 years. There’s a struggle over using it with pride in the gay community – reclaiming it – and it being used as an insult. If young people are using it “unthinkingly”, someone should ask them to think about it.
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Oh for crying out loud, Stephanie did not use this word in a way that expressed hatred. Get over yourself, and your self-important so-called social issues. You have just proven there are ‘word police’. For the benefit of the rest of us, could you post a list of words that are currently unacceptable to you, so we can avoid upsetting you. You won’t know what we are thinking, but, yes, we’ll be using all the correct words…
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It’s the casualness of the expression that is insidious. Oh, she wasn’t being mean, just a word….
What’s your alternative, gigdiary? Anything goes. Never challenge anyone’s name-calling? any kind of derogatory stereotyping is OK? Who by? Ok if my kid runs past the house of an Aboriginal person and calls out nigger? Ok if my Dad calls out “suck on that bitch” when a female tennis player loses a game.
Fantastic. What a great place to live your world must be.
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no if a zanpankuto dies the soul reepar loses thier power (/is sealed), like when they are defeated and the sword breaks, they don’t die. the shinigami is the soil not the seed (if the soil is salted the plant dies).kenpachi’s sword is in shikai because of his intense spiritual preasure, like ichigo, so we have no idea what the hilt of his katana looks like but i asure you that it is the shape of a katana (only shinigami with katana style shikai retain the hilt’s form, this is not true for the sabers, rapiers, spears, ball & chain, or any of the other weapon type, yet all shinigami carry katanas).no zanpankuto is like their user, atleast not at the beginnig of their relationship (this only changes as the shinigami and zanpankuto grow closer together, they become like each other and grow stronger by finding balance) someone like kenpachi would never be like his zanpankuto or vise versa (in fact that is the only thing they would really have incommon from being forced into a relationship niether of them really wants, is their desire to stand apart), kenpachi does become like anyone else, he is stuborn and only follows his own way.kenpachi constantly reminding others to stay out of his way or he’ll kill them, in contrast (an thats the key to identifying a zanpankuto’s shinigami) his zanpankuto wants to gather his brethren to his side even though he shuns the companionship of shinigami.also i have noticed that he is scared, much like kenpachi’s blade, think of the beating he took under kenpachi’s hand without any empathy or appreciation, imagine what that might do to a zanpankuto’s personality.zangetsu emotion is in his words by the way, he like a father to ichigo, because ichigo relies on him in this way with all things shinigami, in his fight he voice reluctance and regret.and yes, they probably do have to beat their zanpankuto back into submission unless somebody defeats muramasa and breaks his bankai’s enchantment, still the opportunity exist for all lot of people without bankai to earn thiers now.oh yeah that’s another reason kenpachi and his zanpankuto would not be alike, they really only start to grow closer once they can manifest (after attaining bankai), before that they dont really speak face to face with thier zanpankuto, and lack this opportunity.however muramasa’s bankai is one keny might actually use despite his distaste for non physical attacks, of course he would have to find someone who made him take off his eyepatch before he would even consider it, and then only as a last resort (basically i feel bad for muramasa even if he is acting like a brat, he shouldn’t have to live under that kind of oppression, it must be like hell for a zanpankuto especially one that probably doesn’t want to fight judging from his power).
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definitely not condoning what she said, it was highly inappropriate however; I was at a fashion Television party last night in Toronto. There were several gay men present. I was talking to someone who is openly gay. He was wearing a suit and looked very smart. We were commenting about a few of the guys not really respecting the formal dress code who were wearing quite shorts / capri pants / singlets etc etc. I was quite shocked when he used the “F****ots” very loud, several times when describing them and nobody flinched. Sad but true I think the reality is that homosexuals do use this term frequently.
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Sports star or not, “excited” or not, I’d be confronted if any of my friends or acquaintances used that term. I guess it’s an aggressive sounding word in itself (those hard consonants), but ultimately it’s implication is really unpalatable: not at all at the targeting of the person being called that (although it’s evident that the term isn’t meant to be complimentary), but at the person doing the calling. What an unfortunate reflection on the nature of the ‘caller’.
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Exactly. I actually hate the way “gay” is thrown around as a term of belittlement still – and somehow now if you say that’s homophobic everyone says it’s not. Why not? Calling something gay is saying it’s bad or dumb or whatever – how is that not a homophobic use of that word? My friends (some of them gay) and I absolutely cringe and then feel drained with contempt for the lack of thinking behind this use of words.
Anyone who uses these terms in that way is homophobic, like it or not. They might be nice to gay people or whatever, but underneath it is contempt and belittlement, and not-quite-equal treatment. It’s an easy excuse and copout to say it wasn’t meant to offend.
Totally agree we should keep sports stars to the sports pages – and then preferably just a photo and the scores. No private lives stuff. Brendan Fevola, anyone? I tell kids these people are young and stupid and full of themselves and are too busy spending their money and loving being admired to spend any time thinking about being decent human beings. Since it matches any reality they see, it works!
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excellent commentary. thank you.
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So are gay people homophobic when they use the same terms in a derogatory way?
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Do they use the term in a derogatory way? Or is it ironic and claiming the word back?
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Derogatory. Thats why I described their use of it that way.
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Maybe she was pissed. Twitter should have some sort of ‘under .05′ alcohol restriction.
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Drunk (wo)mans words are a sober(wo) mans thoughts…
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haven’t heard that before. so true!
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There is definitely a difference between achievement and heroism… Sports stars may certainly be INSPIRING, for all the hard work and dedication, but it’s not the same as being a heroe.
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What annoys me more than the “hero” status of sports stars, is the amount of money they earn! Its ridiculous. All those millions of dollars could go to much better use in the world…
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the majority of money is from sponsorships, not all athletes are well paid at all, so if it annoys you that much then boycott the products which they are paid to endorse
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Sooo sooo true!!!! Athletes are talented, they work insanely hard to get good at what they do, and they sacrifice a lot to get it. But so do lots of people in different careers.
It doesn’t make them heroes!!
They even get paid well to do it.
People like fire fighters and police and soldiers who risk their lives everyday to help other people for crappy money and no recognition are heroes.
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FINALLY!
thank you Mia – for ages I have been making the exact same argument you just made above.
how many times does a sports star have to be involved in a sex scandal, get busted for drink driving, a swim star abuse drugs, or be shoot their mouth (or tweet) off before we start making them accountable for their poor behaviour and impulse control?
maybe they should be forced to live in the real world and they may start to realise they are not the centre of the universe, and that people won’t always be there to make their decisions for them. they need to start taking responsibility for their behaviour BEFORE it becomes a scandal, rather than making a clumsy apology after the fact.
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Wonderful story, reckoned we could coinbme a few unrelated data, nevertheless really worth taking a look, whoa did one learn about Mid East has got more problerms as well
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I don’t even know where to start with sportspeople. They are supposed to be role models for everyone, especially younger generations who aspire to be just like them. It’s always such a shame to hear about one of them, once again, doing something just plain dumb (i.e. Stephanie Rice and Brendan Fevola – suspended again this morning for indecent behaviour. A surprise? No).
I don’t care if she said it on twitter, if she was drunk or just being silly, she obviously uses that word in general. If I was sitting next to her at a sporting event and she used a word like that, I would’nt have been able to help myself. I would have confronted her about it. I hear her saying sorry, but is she sorry or is she just sorry because she’s lost her sposorship and the support of the general public.
It’s unacceptable. Completely.
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I agree that some people act in unacceptable ways and it is a shame when they are in the public eye and held up as role models. However, how high a pressure are we placing on these people and why are they deemed to be the role models for our children? They are human after all. The Stephanies of the world aren’t the only people our children will see saying and doing the wrong thing. It’s the role of parents to guide their children and steer them towards the right role models. There are lots of people in the public eye who act in a responsible way whether they be sportpeople or something else.
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I agree. My parents were always very good about realistic and appropriate role models and provided wonderful examples themselves. I even remember my Dad being absolutely mortified that he encouraged me to support the Kangaroos in the light of the Wayne Carey scandal(s).
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Great article. Very, very true.
Especially like the following:
“But surely it’s time to stop raising these individuals to the heights of real heroes. Because surely when they disappoint us and show their ordinariness or, in some cases, their prejudices, it’s a very long way to fall.”
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Total overreaction, it’s just a word and honestly if people are LOOKING to be offended then of course they are going to be…
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‘it’s just a word’ – you’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t you think words can offend, hurt, upset, cause pain? Don’t you think people can actually be offended? Hasn’t someone ever hurt you with their words? Your comment is completely bizarre.
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People have said hurtful things to me in the past but at the end of the day it’s up to ME whether or not I let them affect me, they are after all only words and they only carry as much hurt and weight as I/you allow them to.
I don’t think the comment is bizarre at all, I think in fact that the commentator makes a valid point, people CHOOSE to be offended.
If we CHOSE, we could ALL be offended all day everyday with alot of stuff people say but we choose NOT to be.
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It might be up to you, but what about the toleration of hate that is part of using words like that? What about when it spills over into hate-fuelled violence and gay-bashing? The comments are all part of it, Frugal. Do people choose to feel hurt when someone punches them, as well? Belittlement and bullying are real, not just a matter of shrugging it off.
I choose to be offended by your comment, and your toleration of the language of hate. Having to live side by side with people who think we have no effect on each other is fairly easy for me, not so for the gay teen hearing words like these while he’s deciding to tell friends or family. You’re giving the hate permission.
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No I’m not because I choose NOT to let it affect me.
If you choose to let it affect you then you’re giving hate permission.
Be offended by my comment, I don’t really care LOL
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Right, so I guess gay people should just choose not to let the fact that they can’t get married like the rest of us offend them? Or, thirty years ago they should have chosen not to let it offend them that they would get fired from their jobs and lose their friends if they were open about their sexuality? Prejudice is a social fact with very real consequences. Not just hurt feelings. Pretending otherwise is a vote for the status quo and does nothing to change the inequity.
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To oncewasnicki, massively off topic but while we are on the subject of taking offense, I choose to be offended at your dismissal last week of people who live in rural and regional Australia, you more or less said that they dont deserve a say in the way our country is run and why should they have more influence in parliament and Im not even going to go into what you said about farmers, yes the ones who give you your milk for your cereal every morning.
You choose to keep your blinkers on and be the morals police for everyone else EXCEPT the backbone of this country. But why would you care about them, its not trendy to stick up for country bumpkins right??
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I actually said it was a Dorothy Dixer, and also that some people in regional Australia actually got more than their “fair share” – not those struggling with lack of services, but well-off private landowners with lots of push.
Your swipe at me misrepresents what I wrote. And actually it IS trendy to stick up for country bumpkins. Which is why noone resents the Independents getting a good deal for regional Australia.
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Given the reaction, this didn’t just impact those who are ‘looking to be offended’. It’s a word that represents hatred and discrimination. This is absolutely not what Australia stands for.
The backlash against Stephanie Rice should indicate to others that it’s unacceptable to use such language, no matter the context.
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202 comments so far on Stephanie Rice… and a measly 30 or so comments on Caroline Overington’s amazing investigative journalistic work.
I guess it just shows where people’s concerns lie…
I very much doubt the athletes consider themselves heroes… it’s the media and the public who treat them as such. This issue has been blown way out of proportion. Yes she said the wrong thing and she shouldn’t have broadcast it over twitter. She’s apologised now – and I believe she was genuine in her apology.
I for one wouldn’t jump on a soapbox every time someone makes a derogatory comment because we ALL do it in our day to day life whether we broadcast it on twitter or not.
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Maybe it just shows that such horror is hard to digest, let alone comment on. Sometimes there is nothing to say. Just being a witness is important, if just about unbearable.
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Agreed. I read the piece on Caroline yesterday, skipped over this post until now. I think the piece on Imran is one of the best posts ever done on this site. But child abuse, murder, ‘evil’… There’s an enormity to that post that I feel I can’t tackle in a comment.
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While I agree that they shouldn’t be heroes, why do you think kids want to play certain sports…so they can grow up to be like THEIR heroes. Whether we think they are or not, our kids do. I think there would be a lot less children participating in sports if they didn’t have “sporting heroes” to look up to.
Also, I think a lot a athletes make their money from sponsorship rather than all of them having it thrown at them from the government. I had a swimmer friend who went to the Commonwealth Games a few years ago and she had to do a lot of fundraising to get there.
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Oh, and I think the Stephanie Rice thing has been blown out of proportion, but as a role model she should be more aware of what she’s putting out there.
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Stephanie Rice made a mistake. I can understand that she is in the spotlight and therefore she is scrutinised for what she says and does. She is young and she has made a mistake… she acknowledges that. I wonder at what point we will forgive her for that?
Mia, I don’t agree with the need to connect the two issues which are quite separate in so many ways.
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I agree I don’t think the two issues are related at all.
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How is a sports star’s comment making headlines and the over-valuing of sports starts as role models not connected? It’s part of the same phenomenon.
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OnceWasNicky, do you think that Stephanie Rice made the comment because she’s a sports star? If she was some plain Jane would the comment be any less stupid? The difference is she famous… it would have invited a similar response if it was a politician or a TV star. They are completely separate issues.
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I work in a high school where daily I hear teens use homophobic slurs as everyday put-downs. “That’s so gay!” is typical. This afternoon it was: “You fag!” to someone who had annoyed them.
Every time I hear one I start on my little speech about how derogatory such remarks are to gay people. (And, not to throw stones, I remember how we used to call each other “spastics” when I was a kid. Shhudder. Cringe.) This generation just blinks at me and play dumb. “But Miss, ‘gay’ means happy”. They get it, but they don’t get it.
So how good did it feel this afternoon when I could tell them all about Stephanic Rice – you know, that mega successful swimmer? Yep, they all know her. And they all learnt about what using the word “Faggot” cost her: a whole lot of money, her luxury car, not to mention public face. They finally got it.
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I love this! I’m a teacher and I recite that same speech over and over. And now I’m going to remember this for the next time one of them says it!
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Ditto!
I’m a high school teacher but work at a K-12 school. I’ve heard kids in both the senior AND junior school use “faggot” many, many times. Girls and boys. Embarrassingly, I’ve heard my 20-something younger brothers call each other that as well.
It’s a disgustingly homophobic word in definition but sad to say, I fear it is quickly becoming part of the careless vernacular removed from it’s original meaning. Similar to ‘bugger’ and more recently, ‘gay’. I know my brothers aren’t homophobic but use the term in stupid, good natured fun toward each other. The mind boggles!
I do intend to use Stephanie Rice’s consequences as an example as an educator in the future. If it at least makes students aware of the offence it can cause by nature of it’s original homophobic meaning.
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Good thing there is someone out there addressing this issue with high school students and teachers…they’ve even named their book “That’s So Gay”
http://www.thatssogay.com.au/boo/
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Sports stars are not “heroes” to me. And I agree that there’s no reason to think that excellence in sport qualifies someone to be an insightful social commentator, neurosurgeon, literary genius or anything else (nor does it necessarily disqualify them either).
Like it or not, however, they ARE role models. And given the amount of public support they receive to reach those dizzy heights, I don’t think its too much to expect them to model decent, compassionate and civilised behaviour. (This is a general comment, not directed as Ms Rice in particular.)
And I think it would be very very nice if the pool of public role models was far more diverse.
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Well said Bowerbird. I worked in elite sport for 15 years. I know many high level athletes. While many of them would make great role models, I can honestly say that out of the hundreds I know, I would only call one or two heroes, and that’s purely because of the personal tragedies they’ve overcome and then gone on to excel on the world stage.
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A sincere apology has helped people make up for much worse things than what Rice has done. In my opinion her apology was sincere and heartfelt, it’s time to forgive and move on.
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I agree… so much media attention has been wasted on this.
Stephanie is sorry – it was a mistake, she didn’t mean it and doesn’t deserve the amount of vitriol comments that have been made about her.
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I don’t normally comment, but I think I will on this one..
Let me preface my comment by saying I have a gay brother. He’s only 19 and has been open about his sexuality from quite a young age. I have seen him upset by the cruel comments that people have made to him. I’ve seen him struggle with existing personal relationships because of preconceived prejudices. So I’m very aware of the impact that words and comments such as this can have personally and I wouldn’t want anybody to suffer like that.
That said, I think the comment SR made on Twitter was blown out of proportions and the criticism that she has faced has been too harsh. I’m starting to get rather tired of the way the use of Twitter has been turned into an avenue for the media to get its stories – both negative and positive. Yes the comment was irresponsible and an error in judgement. But she apologised, and her character has otherwise been considered good. Leave it be. Use it as a learning experience and ongoing conversation for Australian society in general, but leave it be.
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