Roger Brigham on the context of homophobia and sexism for the Kobe Bryant and Tara Sullivan incidents

Roger Brigham usually has something interesting to say in his Bay Area Reporter column, and this week was no exception, with a look at the background behind Bryant's homophobic insult and Sullivan's exclusion from the sexist Augusta locker room. Here's an extract:

In predictable order, television apologists – err, I mean, analysts – began parsing Bryant's words to minimize the damage, gay rights groups raised their hackles, Bryant issued a non-apology apology, the NBA announced a $100,000 fine against the player (which he says he will appeal), and the Human Rights Campaign said it accepted Bryant's apology and would work with him to raise sensitivity. Move along folks, we are told, nothing to see here.

Not so fast.

Let's start with the studio "analysis" provided on ESPN almost immediately after the incident. Commentator Ric Bucher said punishing Bryant for the slur was "a slippery slope because this happens all the time." And by that he does not mean that it is frequently broadcast on national television, but that players routinely say it.

(By the by, if you do a Google search for "Kobe Bryant Ric Bucher ESPN," you'll find a pretty slick YouTube video of Bryant wiping snot on Bucher. Hilarious.)

Ahhh, but then Bucher goes further and tells us why it is wrong to object to the phrase. "They refer to it as a homophobic slur," he said, "but I believe it was just meant to be derisive."

To quote Scooby-Doo: "Huh?"
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As in not homophobic (mocking, jeering, contemptuous, and politically incorrect), just derisive (mocking, jeering, contemptuous but politically correct)?

Read in full HERE.