Dan Savage on Calling the Christian Teen Walkout 'Pansy-assed' and on Calling Religion 'Bullsh*t'
Yesterday, Dan Savage reacted to the conservative fury over his remarks at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, which Brandon featured over the weekend and which you should surely check out HERE.
Writes Savage at Slog:
I would like to apologize for describing that walk out as a pansy-assed move. I wasn't calling the handful of students who left pansies (2800+ students, most of them Christian, stayed and listened), just the walk-out itself. But that's a distinction without a difference—kinda like when religious conservatives tells their gay friends that they "love the sinner, hate the sin." They're often shocked when their gay friends get upset because, hey, they were making a distinction between the person (lovable!) and the person's actions (not so much!). But gay people feel insulted by "love the sinner, hate the sin" because it is insulting. Likewise, my use of "pansy-assed" was insulting, it was name-calling, and it was wrong. And I apologize for saying it.
As for what I said about the Bible...
A smart Christian friend involved politics writes: "In America today you just can't refer, even tangentially, to someone's religion as 'bullsh*t.' You should apologize for using that word."
I didn't call anyone's religion bullsh*t. I did say that there is bullsh*t—"untrue words or ideas"—in the Bible. That is being spun as an attack on Christianity. Which is bullshhh… which is untrue. I was not attacking the faith in which I was raised. I was attacking the argument that gay people must be discriminated against—and anti-bullying programs that address anti-gay bullying should be blocked (or exceptions should be made for bullying "motivated by faith")—because it says right there in the Bible that being gay is wrong. Yet the same people who make that claim choose to ignore what the Bible has to say about a great deal else. I did not attack Christianity. I attacked hypocrisy. My remarks can only be read as an attack on all Christians if you believe that all Christians are hypocrites. Which I don't believe.
He adds:
...while those slamming me most loudly for "pansy-assed" may be on the right, they are also in the right. I see their point and, again, I apologize for describing the walk-out as "pansy-assed." But they are wrong when they claim that I "attacked Christianity." There are untrue things in the Bible—and the Koran and the Book of Mormon and every other "sacred" text—and you don't have to take my word for it: just look at all the biblical "shoulds," "shall nots," and "abominations" that religious conservatives already choose to ignore. They know that not everything in the Bible is true.
All Christians read the Bible selectively. Some read it hypocritically—and the hypocrites react very angrily when anyone has the nerve to point that out.
Eric Miller, you are so full of it. Basically what you're saying is that Christian apologists have come up with BOGUS categories like "prescriptive" and "descriptive" to make excuses for what the Bible says, to let YOURSELVES off the hook. Because let me tell you, I have SEEN the sermons preached in the mid-1800s and Southern ministers were NOT making any such distinction when they used the Bible to support slavery!
Just like Christianists do today in regards to gays, they used the Bible to support the practice of OWNING other human beings.
People like you ALWAYS have an excuse why the rules that apply to YOU, that inconvenience you, don't really count. Jesus himself never said that he was supplanting the laws that came before BECAUSE HE WAS HIMSELF AN OBSERVANT JEW. So stop trying to make excuses and face up to your own hypocrisy because this holier than thou business isn't cutting it!
Posted by: Caliban | Apr 30, 2012 4:46:11 PM
Good on you, Savage. I don't always like you--your opinions on other things offend me--but I like that you can (mostly) apologize for something you did wrong.
Posted by: Yuki | Apr 30, 2012 5:52:17 PM
Always interesting to hear someone who's obviously spent so little time studying something (in this case the Bible) spewing their misinformed opinions. What a joke! So the speaker on anti-bullying begins verbally bullying part of his audience of high school students. What a sad little person.
Posted by: David | Apr 30, 2012 6:40:21 PM
David what are you doing here, trolling?
Posted by: GeorgeM | Apr 30, 2012 7:20:19 PM
These kids will grow someday, it's hard sometimes hearing the bad things but gay kids get it often. They have a long life ahead, not everything they hear will be "pro" this or that. They'll be fine
Posted by: GeorgeM | Apr 30, 2012 7:25:28 PM
@Marsha_isms AND OTHER TROLLS
GUESS WHAT? That prosethelytizing thing does not work, except on yourself.
And OF COURSE Christians read the Bible selectively, at least the Old T.
I suggest you go sit with the stupid pansy-assed queers who condemn Dan but do nothing for the cause themselves.
Perhaps you could have a discussion about how the recent mormon "it gets better" videos are completely true, not well produced propaganda from the mormon machine.
Posted by: Bob | Apr 30, 2012 7:27:26 PM
What CALIBAN said + 1
Posted by: TJ | Apr 30, 2012 8:00:53 PM
I want to see/hear Dan's entire presentation, not just this bible part, which has become so sensationalized. I think it's sad that even gay blogs are only linking this one part of his speech.
Andy, can you get your hands on it?
Why are so many trying to make Dan into something THEY want him to be? Dan is Dan. He was asked to speak as Dan, and he spoke as Dan. If Dan wants to speak casually and use "pansy-assed" and "bullsh*t" he CAN. He wasn't invited there to be The Spokesman For The Gay Population.
On another note, I can't wait until one of the smirking walk-outs slips up and blabs on facebook, admitting that it was planned, and identifying WHO was behind the walkout. Kids do the darndest things sometimes, and the walkouts are being made to look rather childish and foolish in a LOT of comments on posts about this, on many blogs. At least one of these kids has to be feeling really stupid and used right about now.
Posted by: jim | Apr 30, 2012 8:26:40 PM
@David: I have spent many years studying the bible. First as a youthful believer, later as an adult non believer. Briefly put: the bible is a collection of books written by scores of individuals over a period of many centuries. It is a collection of myths, made up history, contradictions and an awful lot of vile morality. It is a totally human document, more flawed than most and belongs in museums with other ancient myths. If our billion gallaxy universe has a creator we can be certain "IT" had nothing to do with writing or inspiring this all too human book.
Posted by: jack | Apr 30, 2012 9:17:21 PM
He gave a provocative speech [at least for young adults],used some un-P.C. slurs, apologized [I don't think he needed to apologize] and called some interpretations of the bible BS, for which I don't think he needs to apologize. I don't particularly care for Dan Savage, but this is manufactured 'outrage'.
Posted by: ratbastard | Apr 30, 2012 9:57:04 PM
It's likely that most of those kids never offended anyone so why do they deserve this? I don't like religion anymore than Dan, but he's being a bit hypocritical(being anti-bully but bullying).
"Unfortunately if the christers are good at anything it getting outraged and convincing the media go along with their outrage hook line and sinker."
Sounds a lot like what some homosexual groups do too.
Posted by: MingTian | Apr 30, 2012 10:02:13 PM
Also, anybody(even gays) would've reacted the same way if this happened to them(which I understand, don't get me wrong) so don't call them pansies. Those christcunts handled it pretty well.
Posted by: MingTian | Apr 30, 2012 10:11:27 PM
Ming be real you a troll?
Posted by: GeorgeM | Apr 30, 2012 11:34:50 PM
Dan Savage has contributed a great deal to the cause, and I think I understand where he was trying to go. That being said, one wonders whether sometimes he worries more about attention to Dan Savage more than the greater good.
Posted by: LincolnLounger | Apr 30, 2012 11:40:31 PM
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Radical gay mafia members have zero tolerance for anyone or anything that fails to cave-in to their intimidation, while at the same time, demanding total tolerance of their abnormal existence from everyone.
Posted by: Savage_is_a_monster | May 1, 2012 12:48:10 AM
A Crusading Degenerate Bullies Christian Children and this is something the militant queers stand up and cheer.
How sick can one tiny sub-sect of people be?
Posted by: Savage_hates_America | May 1, 2012 12:50:46 AM
Seems the bravest “speaking truth to power” tends to either be to captive audiences or within a context of anonymity and generalities (re: Occupy-Space-Cadets and other immature, histrionic hyperventilating hyperbole-throwers). Oh-so-predictable M.O. of our tolerant cultural and moral “betters”. It makes them feel soooooo superior…
Let this oh so brave cultural warrior take his pathetic shtick to the nearest mosque, let alone other Islamist-ruled countries, and let the phlegm fly.
Just let is know in advance where you’d like the body shipped…
Posted by: Savage_is_a_liar | May 1, 2012 12:54:39 AM
Savage was described perfectly by the high school students. “He’s a Pig.”
But I take issue with that statement – Pigs are useful. Savage is nothing more than a stereotypical “angry gay man.” By the way, Savage, last time I checked, gay marriage statutes are voted down by Blacks and Hispanics in large numbers. And these two groups are very religious. So you bully these groups?
So, using the left’s logic, you’re nothing but a bigot and an effing RAAAAACIST.
Posted by: Savage_is_a_cancer | May 1, 2012 1:04:38 AM
blah blah bigot --^
Posted by: mld | May 1, 2012 1:14:14 AM
The bible is a lot of primitive B.S and anyone who points that out should be applauded.
Posted by: jack | May 1, 2012 1:24:35 AM
SAVAGE IS (fill in the blank): Seriously, you need to go away. Better yet, GFY. Because you are an idiot.
Posted by: TJ | May 1, 2012 1:40:05 AM
SAVAGE IS (fill in the blank) is why Dan Savage is right. The ignorant beliefers must be called out.
Posted by: TJ | May 1, 2012 1:42:51 AM
Wow the trolls are hot on this one
Religious losers
Posted by: GeorgeM | May 1, 2012 6:03:56 AM
I'm surprised he apologized, but this is good. He might have been a tad more contrite about the bs remark, to kiss up to our liberal christian allies. But he still has done an ok job here.
I think he's learned his lesson from this and will be a lot more politically careful in the future. This is a good thing.
Posted by: Wilberforce | May 1, 2012 10:53:03 AM
The First Amendment was not just written so the state would advocate for religion , it was writen so certain denominations would not have to be subjected in a state fucntions just as this one to religious intolerance of their denominational beliefs. The vast majority of bullying in public schools is not done by religious kids , bullies pick on kids that appear weaker and who are different . Thats what Dan did here . Took an opportunity and goofed big time . The First Amendemnt does not just protect the beliefs we support , or it would not have had to be written . We all support the beliefs we agree with .
Posted by: Mick | May 1, 2012 8:14:19 PM