Footballer Rio Ferdinand Under Fire for "Faggot" Comment

Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand (seen here with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo on a tour bus this week in Lisbon) ruffled some feathers during a BBC radio show today when he referred to the radio host as a "faggot".

"Ferdinand made the comment live on air after Moyles quizzed him over which of two Manchester United team-mates, Alan Smith and Paul Scholes, was more attractive. 'If you had to, who would you rather go out with - Smudger or Scholesy?' Moyles asked in a reference to the two players' nicknames. 'That is not my bag that, that is not my game, talking about going out with geezers,' replied Ferdinand. When Moyles jokingly suggested he would prefer Smith, Ferdinand told him: 'You're a faggot.' A Radio 1 spokeswoman said it had received two complaints about the exchange. As others in the studio expressed shock, the England defender said: 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm not homophobic.'"

Paul Scholes, one of the players Moyles and Ferdinand had been discussing, recently came under fire for calling a referee a "poofter."

While Outrage UK activist Peter Tatchell expressed dismay over the Scholes comment, Ferdinand's was met with a softer approach: "Even as a joke, homophobic quips are just as unacceptable as racist ones but since Rio Ferdinand very promptly apologised, I am happy to accept his regret and leave it at that."

BBC plays down Moyles 'faggot' row [guardian uk]

Man. United's Paul Scholes Under Fire for Poofter Comment

Manchester United player Paul Scholes is being pressured to apologize after allegedly calling referee Frank De Bleeckere a "poofter" after De Bleeckere issued him a yellow card during a match on Tuesday.

Gay activist Peter Tatchell issued a press release urging disciplinary action: "If he had made a racist remark, UEFA and the Football Association would have initiated immediate disciplinary proceedings. Why the double standards? We urge Paul to apologize and to express his opposition to homophobia...There should be big fines and match suspensions for players, managers and supporters who wilfully use anti-gay insults."

But should any homophobic remark, no matter the weight it carries, be dealt with equally? That's the question Pink News is asking: "In the context of being carded and angry, is the insult 'poofter' really wilfully anti gay, or just a throw away swear word? Is there a difference, and should this difference be important to us?"

Although "poofter" is not a common insult in America, what do you think?