It’s not used much at all really.
i would’ve never heard of it if not for fanfiction i don’t think, it doesn’t get used much here in my experience.
its definitely not used as much here, like, really at all, but i did register it as a slur when i read it— but thats probably why people arent talking about that as much
no one says it in the us unless theyre an anglophile, but i grew up on british soaps and sitcoms so i seriously recoiled when i saw that. i think a lot of americans just view it as “quaint”, and not as a slur, which is… horrifying tbh
Yeah that is what I was expecting. And god Sasha that is horrifying, I never thought of people interpreting it as “quaint” because it’s… really not. I can’t actually speak for what its like in Britain, but I imagine it’s similar to here which is… it gets used by people who commit hate crimes, and it gets used as justifications for hate crimes and basically it’s awful.
re: martin freeman
I am curious if this is a cultural thing because like… for me, as soon as I saw the word “poofs” I went “FUCK HIM I HOPE HE NEVER SPEAKS AGAIN”
and yet not many people seem to be calling that out so much as the rest of what he said?*
I’m just wondering if “poofs” doesn’t get used as much in the US so there’s not as much of a connection to hate crimes? because that’s instantly the first thing I think of when I see that word. it scares me. it terrifies as much as “fag” does, if not more. because as soon as I hear that word, I assume the person speaking it is going to hurt me.
“The funny thing about the acting business is that there are more [slur redacted] in it than you can have hot dinners thrown at you, but no one is out. It’s not so bad here, but in Hollywood - Jesus Christ. Why don’t they just admit it? No one cares if they’re gay or not. I certainly don’t. In this so-called liberal industry, no one has the guts to come out because of “the box office”, but someone has to be the first in the firing line. Without the suffragettes a lot of women would have thought, ‘Why should we have the vote?’ And I think that the same argument exists today. People should stand up and be counted.”
-Martin Freeman
Here’s the thing. This quote is making its way around tumblr, and a lot of people are getting very upset about a straight man telling people in Hollywood that they have an obligation to come out. I understand why the way he phrased it might push some people’s buttons. But in my opinion, if the only thing keeping you from coming out is a fear of what will happen to your box office gross, you should come out. If you’re famous enough that people would actually find out and possibly care, you are enough of a public figure that you coming out could make a huge difference. I understand that sexuality is a private matter, but the fact of that matter is, until LGBTQ rights are solidly established, sometimes it’s hearing about one celebrity you love coming out of the closet that makes close-minded people think twice, the same way finding out a relative is gay can make them rethink some of their views. I think the point he’s trying to make is that if, in any civil rights movement, none of the people in that minority were to ‘stand up and be counted’, to make it known that, for instance, they wanted the right to vote as women, then the status quo would be the status quo eternal. People’s sex lives are a private matter, absolutely, but right now we are living in a world where your conservative uncle might vote for a Republican, anti-gay bigot like Rick Santorum because he doesn’t know that you, his nephew, is gay. So I understand what he’s saying here. Famous people in Hollywood have more pull in society than most politicians, and when they come out and live their lives as who they are, they have the opportunity to lend that image and that media attention to the issue. They have the opportunity to be a representation of how being gay changes nothing about their talent, charisma, or skill as an actor.
And let’s also be clear - I see a lot of people discussing this quote in the context of anti-gay bullying and the high rates of suicide amongst gay teenagers. That isn’t what he’s talking about here. It should go without saying that if you are in a situation where your life or your psychological well-being are in imminent danger if you come out, then obviously it’s best to wait until you are at a more stable place. He’s talking specifically about the ‘Tom Cruise’ style stars who have been rumored to be gay for years but have refused to come out of the closet presumably because they fear a loss in revenue and public attention. That is what we’re talking about here - financially stable movie stars, not poor, financially dependent kids.
Regardless, I think Martin Freeman ought to be cut some slack. I don’t think his intentions were malicious - and I don’t even necessarily disagree.
Yes this. (Bolded by me for emphasis)
Nope you should shut the fuck up.
No one is obligated to come out. For any reason. Ever.
Today my mum told me that there’s a little girl at the preschool she works at who is scared of “those kinds of people” (as explained by the girl’s grandmother)
referring to one of the male workers
because her family has taught this three year old to stereotype a man as gay because he works in a “feminine” career.
and they’ve taught her to be scared of him and to hate him.
Reblogging because apparently it’s relevant again. Worth a read for Superboy’s canonical attitude toward queer people.
Trigger warning for heterosexism
This is Sparx. She was a member of “Superboy and the Ravers”, and she is the worst character ever. At least from my perspective as an LGBTQIA comic book reader.
These first two scans are right after Hero Cruz (an otherwise normal guy who uses the Hero-Dial to call up different superhero personas and powers — kind of like a comics precursor to Ben-10) has told her that he’s gay. Unfortunately, due to one of Hero’s H-Dial personas, he kissed Sparx and they started dating. So it was quite a shock for her to find this out. However, the hate speech that she spews is inexcusable and unforgivable.
Hero: Look — I haven’t come out to anyone else… not even my parents! But I knew you’d understand because of your family. You’re all different and may seem odd to the outside world, but you’re really—
Sparx: Don’t you dare use my family to justify this! Family is the most important thing in the world to me! You’ll never have a family, and that isn’t right! It isn’t natural!They were not able to discuss this any further because of the crossover event “Genesis” getting in the way. Later, they return to Event Horizon (the “never-ending rave” that makes them the Ravers of the series title…) and Hero begins spending time with another rave-goer — a guy named Leander. He’s the shirtless green dude in the final scan. Sparx is jealous of Hero’s new love interest, but mostly she avoids them by leaving the rave whenever they’re there.
She can’t avoid them in the final issue, though. This is when Superboy and the Ravers have to go to Qward and stop an attempt to merge the positive matter universe and anti-matter universe. She is nasty and cruel whenever she has to talk to Hero, seen here:
After Sparx uses all her power to banish the Qwardian Predators back to Qwardian hell (or whatever), she can no longer fly. She plunges out of the sky and is caught and saved from harm by Leander.
Sparx: Leander! Let go of me! I’m fine!
Leander: I… I just wanted to help you in return for saving me and the other ravers…
Sparx: Whatever. Just don’t touch me, either one of you.
Superboy: I can’t believe you’re being so uncool about this, D.C.! There’s nothing wrong with Hero or Leander!I stand by my assessment of her. She’s a homophobe and horrible. I love Kon even more for his response to her hate, though.
As much as I hate that there was ever a heterosexist character in my precious Superboy comics, I love love love that it was clearly a bad thing, and that we got the awesomeness of Kon telling us that there’s nothing wrong with being queer.
help i’m crying about Kon and I can’t seem to stop
