There’s a limit to free speech for ‘vile, disgusting cunts’

These days, I don’t get my jockstrap in a knot over all the crazy people out there spewing their homophobic rhetoric under the guise of morality and religion. I power bottom for Jesus, so I know we’re good no matter what all the rightwing lunatics are saying.

Personally, I do not believe in censoring or oppressing the crazies. If you want to be a hateful, ignorant fool, that’s your business. Preach! I just won’t be listening.

But there is a line that should not be crossed, as a man in the United Kingdom recently discovered when he was arrested for a violent status update he posted on Facebook.

Posting about the Northern Pride festival in Newcastle, Paul Gair, of Kilburn Green, Gateshead, wrote, “If your parents were faggots, you horrible gay cunts wouldn’t of been born! Should be lined up and machine gunned, vile disgusting cunts!”

Gair was arrested for the threatening comments and reportedly told police that he is “not a homophobe and posted something he now regretted.”

His lawyer, Denise Jackman, spoke out on behalf of her client, saying, “He cannot explain himself why he did this. All he said to me was he was having a bad day.”

Keep Reading

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change