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Thursday, February 1, 2007

I Am Dumb

posted by on February 1 at 11:43 AM

I was just on NPR’s Talk of the Nation discussing Isaiah Washington’s use of the word faggot—I was there to make the “reclaiming hate words” argument—and we segued into a discussion of disabled people reclaiming the word cripple, nuts using the word crazy, etc. I pointed out that there’s an organization that advocates for the rights of adults that were adopted as children. It’s Bastard Nation. Then I said that those bastards are trying to “reclaim the stigma” of illegitimacy. I meant, of course, “subvert the stigma” of illegitimacy.

I am dumb.

We weren’t allowed to use the word “faggot” the whole time we were discussing the word faggot, which made it very difficult for us to discuss the “Savage Love” salutation from back in the day (“Hey, Faggot”), which was the reason I was on the show. I did, however, get to use the words queer, dyke, sissy, and homo.

Oh, and I outed my heterosexual male co-workers as casual users of the word “faggot” on national radio.

RSS icon Comments

1

I remember having a debate with my high school costume teacher about the stigma of being born illegitamate. I didn't think it existed anymore, she claimed it did in small towns. My parents were never married, though they live together for 18 years. I never experienced the stigma of being a bastard, and used the term often, even though it offended my teacher.
I am a lesbian and use the term queer often among my gay friends. But my gay best friend is offended when faggot is used even in jest among our gay friends.
It's interesting what offends people and what rolls off our backs.

Posted by Enigma | February 1, 2007 12:01 PM
2

i remember having this debate when i changed my college gay group from the every so wussy "Friends of Lesbians and Gays" to the Queer Student Alliance. We even sent a request for some stuff from HRC, and instead got chastised over our name choice. i hate that fucking organization.

Posted by konstantconsumer | February 1, 2007 12:05 PM
3

Aren't something over 50% of all children born outside of wedlock now? "Illegitimate" sounds a lot more pejorative than "bastard" to me. Kids born out of wedlock are perfectly legitimate kids, aren't they?

Posted by Fnarf | February 1, 2007 12:07 PM
4

As a white guy, I'm just glad Joe Biden is reclaiming the words "articulate" and "clean" for us.

Posted by DOUG. | February 1, 2007 12:10 PM
5

I just need to clear something up: Is Isaiah Washington actually receiving flak for using the "f-word" in his denial that he ever used the "f-word"? (i.e., "I never called him a faggot.") Really? Seriously? I mean, that's just kinda nuts, isn't it? I mean, he shouldn't have said it in the first place, assuming he did, but it seems perfectly appropriate to use the word people said you used when denying that you used it. If that makes sense.

Posted by Levislade | February 1, 2007 12:15 PM
6

I love all those terms. Especially "sissy." But it is not up to me to decide what offends someone else. If someone doesn't like me using a particular term, I give them respect and refrain. Unless they piss me off, in which case I call them FAGGOTBASTARDNIGGER.

:)

Posted by Mike in MO | February 1, 2007 12:25 PM
7

Dan, its easy to overanalyze yourself when you hear your voice on the radio, or see yourself on TV. But no one but you noticed that little mistake. Relax, dude.

Posted by mpls | February 1, 2007 12:29 PM
8

MPLS at 7: Apparently, you've never incurred the wrath of the marginalized. If it's anything like the LGBT community, the Bastard community will soon be sending Dan a tersely worded letter correcting his mistake and asking for a retraction...

Posted by David Schmader | February 1, 2007 12:35 PM
9

have you guys heard that new emo band, bastard community?

Posted by SEAN NELSON, EMERITUS | February 1, 2007 1:24 PM
10

I hate being call da dummie.

Posted by Teeven Hmith | February 1, 2007 1:41 PM
11

Ohhh might as well give a link to hear it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7117625

Go to the 9:00 minute mark to avoid the offensive chitter chatter.

Posted by jamier | February 1, 2007 2:21 PM
12

Hey Dan, you go on live national media to defend reason and sanity. Anyone who gets weird on you for a single malapropism needs to see their chiropractor for a priority adjustment.

Posted by Margaret L. | February 1, 2007 2:37 PM
13

Isaiah Washington and the "f"-word.

What a fucking mountain made out of a molehill. Did he personally apologize to Dan Savage ala Michael Richards?

Posted by BD | February 1, 2007 4:04 PM
14

When my mom was growing up there were two public school systems--one for the legitimate children and one for the illegitimate kids. The school for the kids with married parents was nice. The school for the kids with unmarried parents was shitty and the teachers (nuns) would beat the kids. No, she did not grow up in US.

Posted by Papayas | February 1, 2007 4:07 PM
15

shit...godamn! YOU OUTED MY USE OF THE WORD "FAG" TO MY MOM on the RADIO....dammit, thats really fucking gay, Savage, thanks. gah! did you tell her how I just L-O-V-E to use "turd burgler" as well? sheesh!

Posted by nipper | February 1, 2007 4:18 PM
16

It was interesting that you couldn't use the word faggot, because it was used, once, earlier today on 'Day to Day' during a discussion of a NYC ban of the n-word.

Posted by ellen | February 2, 2007 11:34 AM
17

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Posted by qxbg iyab | February 19, 2007 7:13 PM
18

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Posted by qxbg iyab | February 19, 2007 7:13 PM

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