“Is it anti-gay to use an anti-gay slur? Hmm idk might be lads! Might be.”
Last week, internationally-renowned Irish UFC proponent Conor McGregor used the homophobic slur “faggot” with the intention of insulting his competitor, Andre Fili.
Speaking to fellow fighter Artem Lobov after his bout on Saturday, October 21, a microphone picked up McGregor saying: “He [Fili] was a faggot and everyone knew he was a faggot and I was calling him a faggot.”
A video was posted to Twitter by the UFC’s official account before being removed after it received much criticism online.
However, a recording of the video Tweet has since surfaced online leaving little doubt as to McGregor’s intention to offend Fili using the slur.
https://twitter.com/fuufnf/status/921823200031453185
McGregor has faced much criticism from the LGBT+ community and their allies within Ireland and abroad.
Despite this, 98FM’s Dublin Talks show decided to ask whether McGregor’s use of the homophobic slur “faggot” was anti-gay.
It should be pretty evident from the negative descriptor which usually accompanies this word in civilised conversation that it is. However, the majority of the poll respondents did not agree.
https://twitter.com/dublintalks98fm/status/922381299414896640
Of the 430 people who voted in the Twitter poll, 60% felt that it was not anti-gay to use the word.
The slew of aggrieved comments from pro-LGBT+ Twitter users indicated that the issue was a more contentious than the poll result might indicate.
“Why is this question even being asked in 2017? Want an answer? Ask the young gay kids. Shocking behaviour from @DublinTalks98FM,” wrote HIV activist Robbie Lawlor on Twitter.
Why is this question even being asked in 2017? Want an answer? Ask the young gay kids. Shocking behaviour from @DublinTalks98FM https://t.co/etvGEmVpUR
— Robbie Lawlor (@Robbie_Lawlor) October 25, 2017
Pathetic.
Asking mostly straight people their opinion on a word that has never affected their lives or sense of worth.
— Iarnród Éireann BROCKOVICH ? (@yascaoimhin) October 24, 2017
Is it anti gay to use an anti gay slur? Hmm idk might be lads! Might be.
— ? (@kidfrommilfay) October 23, 2017
@DublinTalks98FM I love when people who've no experience of a type of oppressive act decide whether it's oppressive or not ?
— Tomás Heneghan (@TomasJHeneghan) October 24, 2017
It's not up for discussion. This 'poll' is disgusting.
— Billy Bunzari (@billybunzari) October 25, 2017
We are surprised that @DublinTalks98FM are even asking that question!!
— The GALAS LGBTQ+ Awards (@TheGalas) October 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/LeoDiarmuidGrey/status/923093163375517696
Is it racist for a white person to say the n word? Who can say! We just don't know.
— ? (@kidfrommilfay) October 23, 2017
A GCN poll on the matter indicated a near-unanimous sentiment that McGregor should apologise for using the slur.
Do you think @TheNotoriousMMA should apologise for using the word 'faggot'?@TodayFM @cooper_m #TheLastWord
— Gay Community News (@GCNmag) October 23, 2017
Let there be no mistake. The use of the word faggot is not okay, especially when it is meant as smack talk for an opponent. In this context, it implies that being gay or a member of the LGBT+ community is something that is ‘less than’ and in the modern world that is no longer acceptable.
Want to let people know it’s not okay to use these kinds of homophobic slurs? Then just share this article!
© 2017 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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