Can you defend a group you don't belong to? (Re-routed from the humor item)

Apr 2 16:04 UTC 2002

From the humor item...

> #106 of 119: by    (bdh3) on Mon, Apr  1, 2002 (00:10):
>  Hahahah!  That is so funny.  Russ who prides himself on being
>  so 'rational' - is an 'engineer' - yet tells a 'funny' joke
>  that reveals he thinks at best all catholic priest are homosexual
>  and that homosexuals are a subject of humor.

...

> #113 of 119: by Paul Kershaw (brighn) on Mon, Apr  1, 2002 (09:27):
>  (#111> Billy CARTER)
>
>  #106, first para> I dunno. I'm queer, and I find jokes like #105
>  humorous.  I've just heard it before. Maybe you're the homophobe, for
>  coming to such quick and obvious defense of gays.
>
> #114 of 119: by Mime Radio Hour (orinoco) on Mon, Apr  1, 2002 (15:25):
>  <blinks>
>
>  Come again?  I agree that #105 was almost funny, and not really
>  offensive, but what's wrong with "coming to such quick and obvious
>  defense of gays"?
>  Isn't that, in principle at least, a good thing?

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> #118 of 119: by Paul Kershaw (brighn) on Mon, Apr  1, 2002 (20:14):
>  #114> I find it pretentious and demeaning for somebody who is not a
>  member of group X to tell somebody else who is not of group X that 
>  telling jokes about group X isn't funny, especially if that first
>  somebody is known for making abusive comments about a wide variety of
>  groups who are, presumably, capable of taking care of themselves. No,
>  it's not a good thing in this case, it's beady saying, "I can abuse
>  everyone under the sun except faggots. They're helpless and need my
>  support and defense."