# Gay couple asked to reverse shirt at Dollywood



## lex luthor (Jul 27, 2011)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A lesbian couple is asking for changes at Dollywood after an employee asked one of the women to turn her T-shirt reading "marriage is so gay" inside-out to avoid offending others on a recent visit to the Tennessee theme park complex.

Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton said Tuesday they want the park to be more inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families after Odom was asked to reverse her shirt when they visited Dollywood Splash Country next to the Pigeon Forge amusement park. The story was first reported by WBIR-TV in Knoxville.


Source


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## AlanJohn (Jul 27, 2011)

This is the most valuable news in the world.


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

Ugh. Just... ugh.


PS
[horrible joke]They should have called Superman, right, OP?[/horrible joke]


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## The Catboy (Jul 27, 2011)

Well that's not cool


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## Paarish (Jul 27, 2011)

*senses a potential gay marriage thread*

*runs away like mad*


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## Deleted_171835 (Jul 27, 2011)

I don't find this appalling at all. Dollywood is a theme park primarily for kids and to some people, that shirt may be offensive.


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## Terminator02 (Jul 27, 2011)

i don't see why gay people attacking straight people should be ok when the other way around isn't


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

SoulSnatcher said:
			
		

> I don't find this appalling at all. Dollywood is a theme park primarily for kids and to some people, that shirt may be offensive.
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Huh?  Who's being 'attacked' by gay people?


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## Veho (Jul 27, 2011)

A guy wearing this shirt was barred from boarding a plane, and was almost arrested, because the shirt "scared people." So yeah, it happens.


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## emigre (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

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homophobic values?


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

Dolly herself is a big LGBT rights supporter, hopefully this will make her screen the bigots out of her staff. I mean come on, it's Dollywood.

And TBH even if it was that bad they should have turned them away at the gates instead of deciding it was offensive after happily taking the couples money.


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

Wait just one goddamned minute. How is this offensive in any way at all? People can QQ and rage and troll as much as they wish but unless there's any other indication, the term "gay" can mean "happy". Just in case everyone forgot the English language. Gee.


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## Jamstruth (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

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Gay is often used as a derogatory statement. That's really the ony thing offensive about it.

This decision had nothing to do with the couple's sexual orientation and everything to do with the shirt. I know its not THAT offensive but the staff took the decision to ask her to reverse it just in case. Its a dumb decision but its not an anti-gay thing.


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## dickfour (Jul 27, 2011)

it's a private business. If they don't want people advertising their sexually to children they have that right. If that gays have a problem with that then go to Disney World on one of it's gay days.


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## Narayan (Jul 27, 2011)

Veho said:
			
		

> A guy wearing this shirt was barred from boarding a plane, and was almost arrested, because the shirt "scared people." So yeah, it happens.








 that...scared people?


on-topic: i agree that the shirt not be worn in that kind of place. because there are some who might be offended, it depends on the people who read it. some may think that it's offending those who are married. and may cause a ruckus.
though the reader may lacked understanding, the management have to prevent such events at a place where you have fun with your families.


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> it's a private business. If they don't want people advertising their sexually to children they have that right.



Does this count both ways?  Like, if a guy had a shirt saying "I love my wife" is he advertising his heterosexuality to children?


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> it's a private business. If they don't want people advertising their sexually to children they have that right. If that gays have a problem with that then go to Disney World on one of it's gay days.



It's Dollywood!!! Expecting not to come across anything gay is like a gay person expecting to not be offended at a talk at a Church or Mosque about teh gays.

And I bet you anything the owner of this particular private business will cone out against this decision.


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## Lily (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> go to Disney World on one of it's gay days.



In the next year or so, I hope to be able to go -- apparently it's an amazing time! Disney World staff are accepting of anyone on a regular basis (I know this from my trip there a few years ago), but with the park filled with LGBT? Whoo!


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## Terminator02 (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

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the shirt didn't say i love my partner, it attacked heterosexuality


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

Terminator02 said:
			
		

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Don't be ridiculous, you have to have a serious victim complex to think that shirt "attacked" heterosexuality.


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## emigre (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

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Marriage is a civil/legal agreement not an exclusive heterosexual concept.


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## Terminator02 (Jul 27, 2011)

it used gay as a derogatory term, pointed towards marriage


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

Terminator02 said:
			
		

> it used gay as a derogatory term, pointed towards marriage



They're lesbians, genius.  You think they're using gay as a _derogatory term_?

And even if they were being derogatory towards marriage, how's that in some way 'attacking heterosexuals' when gays can get married too?


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## Terminator02 (Jul 27, 2011)

that's the point of the shirt


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## thela_kid (Jul 27, 2011)

I still don't quite understand. Does the shirt promote homosexuality or criticize it? Were the people wearing the shirts same-sex partners? If it's in the source, my bad for being a tl;dr person.

Nvm, just read "lesbian couple" haha I'm blind. My bad.


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## Veho (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

> They're lesbians, genius.  You think they're using gay as a _derogatory term_?


Hey now, let's not drag sexual orientation into all this


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## nando (Jul 27, 2011)

SoulSnatcher said:
			
		

> I don't find this appalling at all. Dollywood is a theme park primarily for kids and to some people, that shirt may be offensive.




i'm sorry but dolly partons boobs are more offensive than a shirt like that.


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

Terminator02 said:
			
		

> it used gay as a derogatory term, pointed towards marriage


The Bible is much more derogatory towards marriage than that. So therefore Christianity is attacking heterosexuality.


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## Terminator02 (Jul 27, 2011)

nando said:
			
		

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haha, can't argue with that

@cwstkasdhfalkncawejlkh how is it?


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## impizkit (Jul 27, 2011)

The shirt is stupid and shouldn't be worn. They were asking for it. Its not like they were asked to leave for acting gay. As mentioned previously, this is a theme park aimed towards children and the light hearted. I dont have a problem with gay/lesbian people, just those that provoke, and that shirt was provoking.


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## prowler (Jul 27, 2011)

The shirts saying isn't that bad, at least it's not something over the top like some other gay people wear _or don't wear_.
Like when _old_ guys were fully naked at the gay pride in Canada, in front of Children.
Not cool.

We're not all like this, honest.


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## thela_kid (Jul 27, 2011)

nando said:
			
		

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xD The hypocrisy of American culture. It's "TITS or GTFO" but "ew gays!". Don't get me wrong, I'm proud to be American, but I do sympathize with other countries who look down on us. Just so everyone knows, our portrayed image and our media =/= the citizens like me (which make up a good sum of the population.)


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## The Catboy (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

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I agree.
People get upset when homosexuals advertise, but is it not the same when anyone advertise their sexuality?
I see countless guys wearing shirts like "Boobies make me smile" "FBI, Female body inspector." And no one gets offended, but someone wearing a shirt such as "Marriage is gay" which can mean several things including happy, that is a problem? Sorry people, but you can't have one side without the other.


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## stanleyopar2000 (Jul 27, 2011)

Veho said:
			
		

> A guy wearing this shirt was barred from boarding a plane, and was almost arrested, because the shirt "scared people." So yeah, it happens.



AH OHMYGOD BADmICHAELBAYMovAIE!...DOn'TLet IT Keel Me!!


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## thela_kid (Jul 27, 2011)

stanleyopar2000 said:
			
		

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I think people were afraid his shirt would explode


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

Terminator02 said:
			
		

> @cwstkasdhfalkncawejlkh how is it?


Read what Paul had to say about it. Typing this up on a Wii atm so will have to come back to it if you need more than that.


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## lordrand11 (Jul 27, 2011)

Wasn't this a sensitivity thing here. I mean not to come off as rascist or anything but how can they feel justified using that word be it any format if they don't want other people using it. It's kind of like the whole black slang term here. I'm not siding with either of them but they want people to give them due respect than respect should be all around.

I can't agree with you more Catboy, Acceptance needs to be on both sides not just one. I didn't find her shirt offensive but due to nowaday standards I could consider anything offensive and justify it to some degree. It's just irritating.


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## jonesman99 (Jul 27, 2011)

The saying on the shirt seems open ended to me. One that leaves the reader thinking about what it truly means. Some take it at ground level, some go deeper.


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## omgpwn666 (Jul 27, 2011)

lol The shirt sounds funny to me.


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## Serina (Jul 27, 2011)

as usual, the world is full of idiots.


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## dickfour (Jul 27, 2011)

This is a typical gay activist move. Do something provocative, cause trouble and then bitch about it to get as much media attention as possible. As far as I'm concerned this is what they wanted. It probably made their year getting all this attention. Seriously, if they didn't want this to happen they wouldn't have turned them self into a walking billboard. The problem with gay activists and it makes gays look so bad, they want to push their sexually if your face and if you don't scream how wonderful it is then you're backward, a hater and so on. As far as I'm concerned it's a lame ploy for media attention and I'm not buying it.


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> This is a typical gay activist move. Do something provocative, cause trouble and then bitch about it to get as much media attention as possible. As far as I'm concerned this is what they wanted. It probably made their year getting all this attention. Seriously, if they didn't want this to happen they wouldn't have turned them self into a walking billboard. The problem with gay activists and it makes gays look so bad, they want to push their sexually if your face and if you don't scream how wonderful it is then you're backward, a hater and so on. As far as I'm concerned it's a lame ploy for media attention and I'm not buying it.


Again, they could have turned them away at the gate, before taking their money. And I think it's fair enough for them not to expect this sort of treatment from someone who has made the vast majority of her money out of been a gay icon of sorts.


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## Forstride (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> This is a typical gay activist move. Do something provocative, cause trouble and then bitch about it to get as much media attention as possible. As far as I'm concerned this is what they wanted. It probably made their year getting all this attention. Seriously, if they didn't want this to happen they wouldn't have turned them self into a walking billboard. The problem with gay activists and it makes gays look so bad, they want to push their sexually if your face and if you don't scream how wonderful it is then you're backward, a hater and so on. As far as I'm concerned it's a lame ploy for media attention and I'm not buying it.


This.  You don't need to wear shirts saying you're gay, or boast that you're gay, or whatever.  We straight people don't go around saying "I love being straight!" or wear shirts saying "I like the opposite sex," etc.

They clearly just want attention, and for the whole world to know that they're gay.  -_-


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## The Catboy (Jul 27, 2011)

TDWP FTW said:
			
		

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True, but people do wear shirts like "Boobies make me smile" and such, which is just the same thing.


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## nando (Jul 27, 2011)

TDWP FTW said:
			
		

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but if you were to do so you are ok with being discriminated against? how about religious icons? and just because you don't do it, doesn't mean other people shouldn't be allowed. 

"well i don't do it, so it should be illegals y'all"


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

TDWP FTW said:
			
		

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Speak for yourself. I pretty much do as good as and as AGLCB pointed out others do too.


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## RPG_Lover (Jul 27, 2011)

Given the place (an family-oriented theme park where parents bring children) would you, as a parent, want to hear the question asked to you by your younger child, "Daddy, what does gay mean?" I personally wouldn't. Let's face it - given culture today the term "gay" isn't another word for happy. It lost that meaning a long time ago. 

BTW - The Bible isn't anti-marriage. Please learn facts before making such a statement. 

@gay little catboy: I find such shirts that you mentioned sexist and offensive, too. Usually they're a good reflection of the person wearing them. 

@Bluestar: I have an "I love my wife" shirt and my wife has the "I love my husband" shirt to match. We get stopped by people when we're out wanting to see the other side wondering what the "punch line" is, as if the statement is a joke. "I love my wife" is a statement of fact, (that could be used by any married couple - straight or gay). After all - I DO love my wife. IMO, seeing a fact like that as offensive suggests to me that the offended would be anti-relationship.  

The shirt mentioned in the OP is offensive. Marriage gets treated like a joke in society today (especially given the divorce statistics). That is what I find offensive. The concept of a life-long committed marital relationship seems foreign, and those that stay lovingly committed aren't always viewed with the respect and honor they deserve. 

/end rant


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## Forstride (Jul 27, 2011)

I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed.  I'm saying if they're gonna go out and purposely make a statement about their beliefs like that, they should expect to get some flak for it.

For example, I'm religious, but I don't go around bragging about it, or getting into lawsuits if someone says something about it.  I generally keep to myself about religion as to not get myself into situations like this.


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## dickfour (Jul 27, 2011)

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Well, maybe they should have asked for their money back and left the place and i wouldn't expect a 16 year old punching tickets to be able to handle the situation. That's a bit above their pay grade. That's for management and management handled the situation when they became aware of it. As far as Dolly being a gay icon. It's a family park, that's theirthing not it's not a drag club. So if gays feel slighted then they don;t have to go to there or buy her CDs, or dress up like her.


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## coolness (Jul 27, 2011)

blew gays thats not like the nature should be
MAN AND WOMAN
WOMAN AND MAN
MAN AND MAN IS WRONG VERY VERY WRONG
WOMAN AND WOMAN IS SEXY BUT ITS NOT NORMAL


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## nando (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> Well, maybe they should have asked for their money back and left the place and i wouldn't expect a 16 year old punching tickets to be able to handle the situation. That's a bit above their pay grade. That's for management and management handled the situation when they became aware of it. As far as Dolly being a gay icon. It's a family park, that's theirthing not it's not a drag club. So if gays feel slighted then they don;t have to go to there or buy her CDs, or dress up like her.




what makes you think we all go to drag clubs? wtf
do you go to topless chinese restaurants?


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## impizkit (Jul 27, 2011)

A Gay Little Catboy said:
			
		

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As true as this may be, the typical guy straight shirt doesnt offend the average Joe like the shirt in question. I respect those that are proud, just dont go out of your way. Also, the boobie and body inspector shirt are no more appropriate, just less offensive.


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## HeyItzRayy (Jul 27, 2011)

What is this I dont even...


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## impizkit (Jul 27, 2011)

HeyItzRayy said:
			
		

> What is this I dont even...



The point of that post was?


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

coolness said:
			
		

> blew gays thats not like the nature should be
> MAN AND WOMAN
> WOMAN AND MAN
> MAN AND MAN IS WRONG VERY VERY WRONG
> WOMAN AND WOMAN IS SEXY BUT ITS NOT NORMAL



Sounds like a kid at my old school's theory on porn. He says the quality of porn is directly proportional to the number of breasts involved. No breasts, gay porn, not interested. 2 breasts, standard porn, cheers. 4 breasts, lesbian porn, yay. Odd number, you've gone badly wrong somewhere.

Personally I don't care what your sexual orientation is. I don't see how it affects me. My friend Pete is gay. I don't care. It doesn't make him a bad person in any way. What he gets up to in his bedroom is none of my business. When he told me he was gay ('cause in all seriousness I wouldn't have known unless he'd said it outright) my response was a joking 'fine by me provided you're not inserting anything into me'. At which he laughed. I don't see why people get so up in arms about homosexuality. Are they afraid they'll be converted or something? 

You can't even hide behind religion. So the Bible says being gay is a sin. Even if the world was truly fucked up and that was true, provided you're not personally committing that sin, why should you care? That and it's blatantly not a sin. That sort of thinking was supposed to die out about a thousand years ago. We're supposed to be a civilised species and yet we still fight over stupid things like this and skin colour. We're getting better all the time, breaking down these walls of prejudice, but we're nowhere near done yet.


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

RPG_Lover said:
			
		

> BTW - The Bible isn't anti-marriage. Please learn facts before making such a statement.
> Please read the Bible before lying about it.
> QUOTEIMO Marriage gets treated like a joke in society today (especially given the divorce statistics). That is what I find offensive. The concept of a life-long committed marital relationship seems foreign, and those that stay lovingly committed aren't always viewed with the respect and honor they deserve.
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These people only want the right to marry. They aren't trying to belittle it. What's the point in wearing a "i love my wife" t-shirt if they can only call each other "my partner".


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## nando (Jul 27, 2011)

impizkit said:
			
		

> As true as this may be, the typical guy straight shirt doesnt offend the average Joe like the shirt in question. I respect those that are proud, just dont go out of your way. Also, the boobie and body inspector shirt are no more appropriate, just less offensive.




unless it was the wrong Gender wearing them i supposed. what i find truly offensive is the people saying that dollywood is Family Oriented and implying that a Gay Couple can't be considered a family. on top of that, that it may be the anti-family.


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## The Catboy (Jul 27, 2011)

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Not all gays are drags nor into drag. As well families with same-sex parents are still families that should have the same rights and respects as any other family.


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## prowler (Jul 27, 2011)

coolness said:
			
		

> WOMAN AND MAN


No, it can't be woman and man.
Woman needs to get in the kitchen.


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## machomuu (Jul 27, 2011)

I hate things like this, they obviously weren't talking about homosexuals.

That's like saying that black represents evil and for that reason is offensive to black people.


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

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Wait just one godforsaken second. When did we have a scale of what's more offensive? Huh? What, just because being gay/lesbian isn't as widely accepted as the fact that man are retarded, chauvinist maniacs makes it somehow more offensive than your typical "guy straight shirt"? WTF?

How is it that a shirt that makes fun [viewed either way] of an institution that is frankly getting even less respect from "normal" [aka hetero] people is viewed offensive? Do you people not watch the news? How many divorces in America? Hm? How many douchebags [and that's what they are] beat their wives, do some weird shit to their children, etc? Face it, marriage has been crap for centuries - one shirt doesn't suddenly make it this holy relic of the good Lord God, creator of Heaven and Earth that we should suddenly defend at all cost. Gee.


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## PeregrinFig (Jul 27, 2011)

Shinigami357 said:
			
		

> Wait just one godforsaken second. When did we have a scale of what's more offensive? Huh? What, just because being gay/lesbian isn't as widely accepted as the fact that man are retarded, chauvinist maniacs makes it somehow more offensive than your typical "guy straight shirt"? WTF?
> 
> How is it that a shirt that makes fun [viewed either way] of an institution that is frankly getting even less respect from "normal" [aka hetero] people is viewed offensive? Do you people not watch the news? How many divorces in America? Hm? How many douchebags [and that's what they are] beat their wives, do some weird shit to their children, etc? Face it, marriage has been crap for centuries - one shirt doesn't suddenly make it this holy relic of the good Lord God, creator of Heaven and Earth that we should suddenly defend at all cost. Gee.


I think you're reading way too much into that three-sentence post. I didn't even take it to imply half the things your post is about.


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## spinal_cord (Jul 27, 2011)

dickfour said:
			
		

> it's a private business. If they don't want people advertising their sexually to children they have that right. If that gays have a problem with that then go to Disney World on one of it's gay days.
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Seems to me that the shirt is celebrating the recent change of laws in some states to allow gay marriage, while at the same time poking fun at the derogatory use of the word.


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## coolness (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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your a damn evil man 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 xd


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

PeregrinFig said:
			
		

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Oh, yeah, and obviously everyone else isn't reading way too much into a shirt's one-liner witticism. Huh.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

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So you know that gay people are nothing to fear or hate and yet you still don't accept them? I really hope you're just trolling and you don't actually feel that way. Otherwise I can only hope that Mother Nature repossesses your brain as you're clearly not using it.


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

Just to check, telling someone to remove a t-shirt in case it offends someone of a certain religion or sexuality or whatever - this is an example of political correctness, yeah?


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

> Just to check, telling someone to remove a t-shirt in case it offends someone of a certain religion or whatever - this is an example of political correctness, yeah?



Yes.


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## coolness (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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im accepting gay people but it dont trust them becuase a friend of mine was ramped by a gay guy and never come over it
and now he is 17 and stil scared to go outsite :S
that why im not a fan of them


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

BlueStar said:
			
		

> Just to check, telling someone to remove a t-shirt in case it offends someone of a certain religion or whatever - this is an example of political correctness, yeah?



Ah, political correctness. Two words that should never be seen together. Like 'fun run'. 

And yes, this is supposed to be a 'political correctness gone mad' story. Political correctness is bollocks anyway because it inevitably creates a heirarchy, thus defeating the purpose of the entire endeavour.


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## prowler (Jul 27, 2011)

coolness said:
			
		

> im accepting gay people but it dont trust them becuase a friend of mine was ramped by a gay guy and never come over it
> and now he is 17 and stil scared to go outsite :S
> that why im not a fan of them


That's stupid.
Anyone could be a rapist.


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## machomuu (Jul 27, 2011)

coolness said:
			
		

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So you're letting one incident with one person influence your opinion?


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

^^ That's really unusual. The vast majority of male on male reap is committed by "straight" men.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

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My best friend Amelia was sexually assaulted by a group of 'youths', and technically speaking the act of rescuing her from that nightmare killed me 'cause one of them stabbed me in the chest. I still know that not everyone is like that. By all means hate people that hurt you and those dear to you. But don't tar everyone with the same brush.


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## coolness (Jul 27, 2011)

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no not really but thats what is on my mind just watch out for them
and my father is also not a fan of gay people so maybe i have got that mind of him


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## PeregrinFig (Jul 27, 2011)

Why are people so up in arms about this anyway? As it's been stated, they clearly wore this shirt to flaunt their sexuality. As the place in question is a private business, they have the right to turn them away, like it or not. What differentiates this shirt from one that's the same manner but about heterosexuality is that homosexuality is still highly controversial in America, and they wore a shirt like this to a public, family-oriented environment, knowing it would be offensive to some. If you can't see a problem with this, then you have no right to tell others to avoid doing anything that might offend a homosexual. It works both ways, and just because they're in the minority doesn't mean they should be put on a pedestal.


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

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Erm no, not women. They can kidnap, beat, and drug you and force you to have sex with them with a gun to your head, but they can't [censored] you.


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## machomuu (Jul 27, 2011)

coolness said:
			
		

> no not really but thats what is on my mind just watch out for them
> and my father is also not a fan of gay people so maybe i have got that mind of him


This post sickens me.  I hate people how let one incident affect their opinion of an entire group, but even more I hate people who can't break away from their parents' prejudices and create their own or expel them altogether and then afterwards actually have the gull to smile about it.


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## coolness (Jul 27, 2011)

machomuu said:
			
		

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whats the problem 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Im just no fan of gay people that i dont know xd
and if you get sick of it go f*ck yourself 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



EDIT: yay 1400 post


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## steveo1978 (Jul 27, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0

The staff member might have thought the shirt would was offensives towards gay people.


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## Sterling (Jul 27, 2011)

The irony here is that if society accepted gays more, this would be a non issue. One of the reasons you don't see straight men and women wearing such shirts is because it's the norm. However, they do indeed have the right to ask to reverse it. I can see why such a shirt would be offensive to _many_ people. Saying marriage is gay is not only an affront, but also a statement. Regardless of the message it isn't going to be widey interpreted as a compliment now is it?

That being said political correctness is extremely silly. Though the worse thing is that everyone does it regardless of their own feelings about it.


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## koimayeul (Jul 27, 2011)

PeregrinFig said:
			
		

> Why are people so up in arms about this anyway? As it's been stated, they clearly wore this shirt to flaunt their sexuality. As the place in question is a private business, they have the right to turn them away, like it or not. What differentiates this shirt from one that's the same manner but about heterosexuality is that homosexuality is still highly controversial in America, and they wore a shirt like this to a public, family-oriented environment, knowing it would be offensive to some. If you can't see a problem with this, then you have no right to tell others to avoid doing anything that might offend a homosexual. It works both ways, and just because they're in the minority doesn't mean they should be put on a pedestal.


smartest opinion on the matter i couldn't say it better.. thank you


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

PeregrinFig said:
			
		

> Why are people so up in arms about this anyway? As it's been stated, they clearly wore this shirt to flaunt their sexuality. As the place in question is a private business, they have the right to turn them away, like it or not. What differentiates this shirt from one that's the same manner but about heterosexuality is that homosexuality is still highly controversial in America, and they wore a shirt like this to a public, family-oriented environment, knowing it would be offensive to some. If you can't see a problem with this, then you have no right to tell others to avoid doing anything that might offend a homosexual. It works both ways, and just because they're in the minority doesn't mean they should be put on a pedestal.
> 
> 
> Wow... I was the one reading way into something, huh? I read the whole new report, nowhere did it say that they intended to offend anyone, and neither was there any evidence of anyone getting offended other than this one employee and this establishment's "policy" or whatever.
> ...




Wow. You expect people to take you with any kind of respect after you tell someone to F themselves. Oh, and that edit, real classy. Lovely touch, there.


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## Magmorph (Jul 27, 2011)

It wouldn't surprise me if a heterosexual person wore the same shirt.


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## PeregrinFig (Jul 27, 2011)

Shinigami357 said:
			
		

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Of course it didn't say that they were intending to offend anyone, I doubt even they said that, or for that matter thought it, however I find it likely that they realized it was probable it would offend. Come on, the shirt said "Marriage is so gay.". There are many people that are wholly against gay marriage, and on top of this, recently "gay" has become a slang insult. Is it really illogical to assume you would run into people that would be offended by that shirt, at a family-oriented theme park of all places?


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## Sterling (Jul 27, 2011)

@Shinigami357: It is common sense. You don't have to read far into the matter to recognize that the shirt is a statement, insult and affront all in one. Like Perigrinfig says it is still very controversial to discuss, condone, and perform acts of homosexuality in the US. It's going to offend many, and the park will get bad rep, and lose business. This was their intent. Attention and consequences are perfect ways to attract awareness.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

cwstjdenobs said:
			
		

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Why do I suddenly get the uncontrollable urge to smack you in the head with a dictionary? The word applies to any unwanted sexual contact. She can shove a strap-on up your arse and if you haven't asked for it, the term applies. 

And the reason why people are having trouble with your opinion on gay people you don't know is that your fear is baseless and unreasonable. You've been given no real reason to have any distrust of gay people you don't know. So why are they any different to straight people you don't know? It's that distinction which people take exception to, the way you're automatically suspicious of gay people simply because they're gay.


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## Sterling (Jul 27, 2011)

@Blaze: I assume that last passage is referring to coolness.


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

@Periginfig, If someone wears anything that identifies them as Christian or Muslim should I be allowed to make them take it off? They are much more offensive about me than that t-shirt supporting marriage is to heterosexual people. The only people who could be offended by that are bigots.

@blaze, not under UK law. I was talking to another Brit there.


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

Wait, so basically the lesson of the day is: "As long as the majority of suburban Americans can feel good about themselves and not be offended by anything that they themselves turned into a huge issue in the first place, it is alright to discriminate against minorities whether they intended to do any harm or not."

God Bless America, then.



And with that [and my two yet-upright middle fingers], I'm done.


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## Sterling (Jul 27, 2011)

Shinigami357 said:
			
		

> Wait, so basically the lesson of the day is: "As long as the majority of suburban Americans can feel good about themselves and not be offended by anything that they themselves turned into a huge issue in the first place, it is alright to discriminate against minorities whether they intended to do any harm or not."
> 
> God Bless America, then.
> 
> ...


I get the feeling that there is some hypocritical discrimination here. In the US majority rules, and every such private businesses have the right to refuse and ask customers to leave. It's just and proper for owners to be able to regulate things that make their customers uncomfortable or angry. Don't lump bigots into one group and call them Americans. Doing so is stereotypical and makes you just as bad as the people you're flipping the virtual birds to.


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## PeregrinFig (Jul 27, 2011)

cwstjdenobs said:
			
		

> @Periginfig, If someone wears anything that identifies them as Christian or Muslim should I be allowed to make them take it off? They are much more offensive about me than that t-shirt supporting marriage is to heterosexual people. The only people who could be offended by that are bigots.
> 
> @blaze, not under UK law. I was talking to another Brit there.


If they're on your private business's property, of course you could. You'd probably be in the center of a media frenzy though. If you're reading this as me personally being a bigot and offended by this shirt, that wasn't my point at all. The shirt doesn't really bother me. What I'm saying is that the business does have the right to send them away, regardless of whether I would do the same in their position.


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## Shinigami357 (Jul 27, 2011)

Technically I wasn't talking about the establishment as much as I was the people defending them on every turn. Obviously a corporation of any size caters to the majority, and as such, their policies are always what is more appealing to the masses, which in this case, happens to be American. If this happened elsewhere, I'd flip them the bird, too, believe me.


PS
@Sterling - seems Jellicent is at it again. LOL


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

Yeah, sorry. Messed up there. First paragraph a direct response to the quote, second part aimed at Coolness. Actually I misread your username, cwstjdenobs. Which given that it looks like your cat rolled over your keyboard to come up with it is hardly surprising 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. I saw the C and thought you were Coolness. No offence intended.

Why is homosexuality still an issue in this day and age? I thought by now we'd have evolved beyond hating anything slightly different to the 'social norm'. The fact that stuff like this still happens makes me just that little bit ashamed to be human. This isn't the Dark Ages where gay people were burned at the stake for witchcraft or something, but I'm struggling to see where any significant changes in the thought process have occurred.

I draw your attention to this interview, and to be more specific, 1 minute 30 seconds in. In which religious types hate on Life of Brian for it being 'blasphemous'. I think John Cleese's point made at the 1:30 time stamp pretty much sums up my point, really.

[youtube]Fx6w6cCWHHc[/youtube]


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## BlueStar (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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My point is I imagine if it was a "You can't wear that in here, it might offend muslims/gays/mexicans/whatever" story rather than "You can't wear that in here, it might offend heterosexuals/christians/social conservatives" story then we'd be seeing the words "political correctness" a hell of a lot in this thread.


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## machomuu (Jul 27, 2011)

Shinigami357 said:
			
		

> Wait, so basically the lesson of the day is: "As long as the majority of suburban Americans can feel good about themselves and not be offended by anything that they themselves turned into a huge issue in the first place, it is alright to discriminate against minorities whether they intended to do any harm or not."
> 
> God Bless America, then.
> 
> ...


Can we please not attack America today?  It riles me up deep down, not enough to do a rage post because I don't care enough nor do I have anything to rage about, but still...


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## Hadrian (Jul 27, 2011)

SoulSnatcher said:
			
		

> I don't find this appalling at all. Dollywood is a theme park primarily for kids and to some people, that shirt may be offensive.


OH NO DONT LET CHILDREN KNOW THERE ARE GAYS IN THE WORLD!


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## machomuu (Jul 27, 2011)

Hadrian said:
			
		

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I know right?  I don't see why people try to shield their children from reality.  I mean shielding them from sex until they're older is one thing, but it's just "guys who like guys and girls who like girls" that's how you'd explain it to a child, boom, done.

Well actually, I can see some repercussions of just presenting it to them, but if they ask their parents, that's all they need to tell them, really.


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## KingVamp (Jul 27, 2011)

PeregrinFig said:
			
		

> Why are people so up in arms about this anyway? As it's been stated, they clearly wore this shirt to flaunt their sexuality. As the place in question is a private business, they have the right to turn them away, like it or not. What differentiates this shirt from one that's the same manner but about heterosexuality is that homosexuality is still highly controversial in America, and they wore a shirt like this to a public, family-oriented environment, knowing it would be offensive to some. If you can't see a problem with this, then you have no right to tell others to avoid doing anything that might offend a homosexual. It works both ways, and just because they're in the minority doesn't mean they should be put on a pedestal.


I won't doubt if it was "Marriage is so straight" they wouldn't have been mess with.

I didn't even find that shirt offensive.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

machomuu said:
			
		

> Hadrian said:
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Starting to wonder if there's a link between over-protective parents who deny the existance of homosexuality to their children and kids that grow up bi-curious or think that being bisexual is a fashion accessory. Might be worth a study.

Parents need to stop being so paranoid about everything if you ask me. It's their job to teach their kids about the world, not the select bits of the world they personally agree with.


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## Veho (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

> Starting to wonder if there's a link between over-protective parents who deny the existence of homosexuality to their children and kids that grow up bi-curious or think that being bisexual is a fashion accessory.


Teenage rebellion?


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## dickfour (Jul 27, 2011)

I really don't care about gay identity politics. The same liberal politicians who want to make gay marriage legal have made it illegal for me to buy cheaper car insurance or health insurance across state lines thus protecting special interests while trampling on my rights as a human being. So if I can deal with my rights being accosted I'm sure the lesbians can deal with turning a shirt. I believe I have the bigger reason to bitch.


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## SamAsh07 (Jul 27, 2011)

First of all, what the feck is Dollywood? I've heard of Hollywood, Lollywood & Bollywood, but what the...


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## cwstjdenobs (Jul 27, 2011)

@PeregrinFig, I don't think I should. I am one of the people who thinks the UK needs a constitution and something like a bill of rights. Freedom of speech being the second most important thing we need from them. I do believe that freedom of speech also gives you a responsibility to just man up and take being offended by others exercising that same right. Also if a business is open to the public it is a sort of public place as well as private property. Again typing on the Wii but I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.


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## Deleted_171835 (Jul 27, 2011)

Hadrian said:
			
		

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Not so much the fact that they're gay but that the word gay is _offensive_ to some. In some places, it doesn't always refer to homosexuality but as a general derogatory term.


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## Blaze163 (Jul 27, 2011)

SamAsh07 said:
			
		

> First of all, what the feck is Dollywood? I've heard of Hollywood, Lollywood & Bollywood, but what the...



Lollywood sounds like something you get from watching dodgy anime...


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## RPG_Lover (Jul 27, 2011)

cwstjdenobs said:
			
		

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I wasn't referring to just gay marriage when I said I think marriage is treated like a joke. Let's see it for what it is: society and the media has encouraged people that if their spouse doesn't make them happy anymore, to just leave and find someone else. The marriage commitment is often ridiculed instead of celebrated. It takes a lot of work to be married and have a happy relationship with one's spouse. Media loves to show how we go through the work to get the 1st date, build a relationship then pop the question and have the wedding, but it often stops leaving us thinking that the couple is in happily-ever-after land instead of dealing with real life. Marriage is, IMO, a wonderful thing. I'm happily married, and my wife and I work hard on our relationship. The commitment of marriage isn't something to be taken lightly (again, IMO) - yet the society that we live in thinks believes otherwise. If two lesbians wore the "love my wife" or two guys the "love my husbands" shirts - all power to them. I think the "marriage is gay" shirt is offensive - since the term "gay" is being used in a derogatory way (Thanks, Soulsnatcher for also pointing this idea out). It's not my place to judge their lifestyle. I have my opinion & beliefs, but so long as other opinions & beliefs aren't forced on me, I won't force mine. Live and let live, you know?  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





At the risk of getting way off topic and starting a flame war, If the Bible is anti-marriage, why does Paul offer instruction to wives and husbands (that often get taken out of context and abused by couples who use them to try and get their own way, but that's another topic for another time) (Colossians 3:18-20, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1 Corinthians 7)? Why did Jesus attend a wedding celebration and transform water into wine (his first miracle as John notes in Ch. 2:1-11) for the attendees? (Weddings in that day were often huge multiple day celebrations, hence why Jesus created between 120-180 gallons of wine) Why did God allow the child conceived out of wedlock by David and Bathsheba to die, but once Bathsheba became David's wife, they had Solomon - the wisest king of Israel? (2 Samuel 11, 12) (Note I'm using NIV for my references) Again - I'm not trying to start a fight/flame war - just a reasonable debate...


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## Veho (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

> Lollywood sounds like something you get from watching dodgy anime...


I misread that as "doggy anime" and got some disturbing mental imagery going


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## KingVamp (Jul 27, 2011)

RPG_Lover said:
			
		

> I think the "marriage is gay" shirt is offensive - since the term "gay" is being used in a derogatory way
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## Necron (Jul 27, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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A Hollywood-like place where you lol a lot?


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## Arfiol (Jul 27, 2011)

I don't really know about this.
You have to remember that the couple were ASKED to turn the t-shirt inside out, not FORCED.
Still, not being able to wear a garment because SOME people MAY find it offensive is total crap to me. You should always be able to say and wear what you want, regardless of what others think. Moral and ethnics has nothing to do with the law.


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## steveo1978 (Jul 27, 2011)

Its nice to see so many people assume that the staff member that was offended was a heterosexual. Maybe, just maybe it was a gay person that saw the shirt and thought the shirt was using the word in a derogatory way.


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## _Chaz_ (Jul 27, 2011)

...

The shirt *is* offensive.


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## Devante (Aug 5, 2011)

People would get upset over someone wearing a "Keep Marriage Straight" shirt, so no point in getting upset over people defending these hypocrites.


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## Hyro-Sama (Aug 5, 2011)

Devante said:
			
		

> People would get upset over someone wearing a "Keep Marriage Straight" shirt, so no point in getting upset over people defending these hypocrites.




I hope you are saying *PEOPLE* are hypocrites. Gay and Straight do not display hypocrisy more than the other. Both do it equally.


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## koimayeul (Aug 5, 2011)

let this thread die ffs, enough with controversial crap on a gaming forum

period

EDIT : gay or straight, black or white, muslim or jew or christian or whatnot, we'r all HUMANS, and hypocrites at times all equally


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## RoyalCardMan (Aug 5, 2011)

Well, technically, by law, they had the right to do what they did. If you are employed by a company and in company property they tell you do something, you better do it or you will be kicked off.

Basically, what I am saying is if it is private property, than the couple should have done what they did, which was to reverse their shirts. Now, if it was public property, than it would have been wrong for the person to tell them to do so, but this was private property.

I am not saying it was morally right for the person to tell them do to what they were told to do, but I can't do anything about the law, so don't think I am morally wrong.


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## ninditsu (Aug 5, 2011)

finally, people who care too much about something not there business.


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## ShakeBunny (Aug 7, 2011)

As part of the LGBT community, I believe the women should not have been asked to turn her shirt at all. I went to Six Flags one year when I was little, and saw a ridiculous amount of people wearing /very/ offensive shirts full of dead bodies, blood, naked women, sex references, and alcohol references. If wearing any of those types of shirts is just fine in an amusement park, then wearing something that simply has the word 'gay' on it shouldn't be an issue at all.

I think it's ridiculous that it's 2011, and people still think as ass-backwards as they do.
Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia are for idiots who don't know how to accept people who are different.

That's all I have to say about that.


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## Sterling (Aug 7, 2011)

penguindefender said:
			
		

> As part of the LGBT community, I believe the women should not have been asked to turn her shirt at all. I went to Six Flags one year when I was little, and saw a ridiculous amount of people wearing /very/ offensive shirts full of dead bodies, blood, naked women, sex references, and alcohol references. If wearing any of those types of shirts is just fine in an amusement park, then wearing something that simply has the word 'gay' on it shouldn't be an issue at all.
> 
> I think it's ridiculous that it's 2011, and people still think as ass-backwards as they do.
> Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia are for idiots who don't know how to accept people who are different.
> ...


You do realize that as of 2011, acts of Homosexuality are still incredibly controversial in American society. Whether we deem it right or not, it is in their rights to ask the reversal of the shirt. As for the Six Flags comment, in the Texas park, I don't see any such shirts. Those naked women on those shirts are the kind in navy tatoos. They aren't naked, rather put in provocative poses. Dead bodies are also offensive to me. However, many metal heads and death metal enthusiasts will fight just as hard to wear such shirts as the LGBT community would. I also personally think sexual references and jokes are funny. Whether they make sense in a homosexual, or straight sense is a non issue. They are funny, and they don't hide any sort of meaning. The only people who complain about such shirts are soccer moms and other such conservative people. It is in their right to, and if no one complains, the shirts don't have to be reversed. The same situation goes for the event in the article.

Regardless of the consequences, the couple got the attention they wanted. Awareness comes not just from beneficial attention, but from consequential attention as well.


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## Hells Malice (Aug 7, 2011)

Blaze163 said:
			
		

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Sounds like the best place on earth, dammit.

EDIT: as I posted that I realized you meant something much more perverse.
For shame.


for both of us because I really shoulda got that quicker.


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