Dear Snowboarding: Stop Using the Word Gay as an Insult
Last week, pro skier Gus Kentworthy came out to ESPN. Overall, the response has been great and supportive, Kenworthy told the Wall Street Journal. “I’ve had a ton of people reach out to me, which has been amazing. I’ve had other athletes in my sport, Bobby Brown, Josh Christensen, Tom Wallisch, I’ve had snowboarders..” Unfortunately, one snowboarder, who’s legendary status raises his voice louder than the others, took to twitter with a poorly-worded joke.
This tweet has brought a firestorm of unwanted attention upon Terje, who just doesn’t seem to understand what the big deal is. “Every time someone shockingly “admits” to be gay he pins under “abnormality.” For me sexuality is insignificant,” Terje went on to tweet after receiving blowback on social media.
Terje is right in some ways – your sexuality doesn’t and shouldn’t matter when it comes to your skiing or snowboarding. But after the triple corking is done, Gus and every other athlete lives in the real world. In the real world homophobia still runs rampant, words and thoughtless jokes hurt, which is one of the things Gus opens up about in the article. Since Terje probably didn’t even read it, here’s the actual excerpt that explains it:
Kenworthy has watched carefully these past few years as the world around him has grown more accepting. Gay marriage is legal now, attitudes are changing. He was excited this spring when Caitlyn Jenner came out. He believes that people are more aware.
“But then at the same time,” he says, “people are literally oblivious.”
For him, there have existed day-to-day reminders. Take, for instance, the former sponsor who made a crude anti-gay remark about why Kenworthy was once late to a competition. Take his physical therapist, who once told Kenworthy that he couldn’t even imagine talking to a gay guy all night. (“I thought, ‘You’ve talked to a gay guy for two hours a day, four days a week for seven months.’ “)
Take the constant drumbeat of living in a culture that uses the words “gay” and “fag” as commonly as “stoked.” A daily check of social media for Kenworthy means encountering posts written by friends or peers who, without knowing it, reveal what they think about his sexuality. Today, it might be a Facebook rant or an Instagram post from a pro snowboarder who’s annoyed that “skier fags” have infiltrated another contest or complaining that a shoddy halfpipe is “gay.” Tomorrow, it might be a tweet written by an athlete he admires who is “sickened” by same-sex marriage.
“There’s a lot of testosterone in our sport, and those derogatory words get thrown around like crazy,” says Canadian freeskier Justin Dorey. “A lot of people don’t think twice about it because those words don’t mean anything to them.”
In 2015, where news travels at the speed of the Internet and you’re constantly inundated with new information, its easy for the non-affected to shrug and say, big fucking deal. But this is a big fucking deal, and it’s time for snowboarding and all action sports to remove homophobic slurs from our lexicon entirely. Terje made himself look like a moron and deserves every bit of media scrutiny he did and will receive. Todd Richards, who had a front row seat for the shitshow thanks to a seemingly out of nowhere mention in the tweet, said the whole situation is a case of stupidity.
“100 percent of comedy is timing, and if you’re going to diss someone in English, at least use spell check. Utmost respect for Gus’s courage in a close-minded world.”
(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
you PC bro?
This might be the most important yobeat article to date. Guilty as charged and excellent point.
Todd’s name wasnt mentioned out of nowhere. They had a beef since pre- Nagano when he Todd decided to go to the Olympics and Terje boycotted.
So the “joke” is that Todd’s came out beening gay 20 years ago – when he decided to to go the olympics. Get it? …hardly anybody did. That’s why it’s a pretty shit joke.
Just watch the Southpark episode where they change Websters Dictionary definition of the word “fag.”
thoughtless jokes hurt – says the person who makes their living on thoughtless jokes.
Thanks for context. Now I can see how homophobic that joke really is.
Terje has been running his mouth for years and until now nobody said anything because he’s a “legend”. Just because he’s a legend doesn’t mean he’s not an asshole.
The most offensive part was Terje’s grammar and spelling—yeesh!
well, english isnt his first language. PC principal says you shouldnt make fun of others for that!
You at a restaurant with grandpa. He throws out another joke about jews/gays/women/afro-ams that was funny in the 50’s and he cracks up about his own joke so loud you hardly can hear the punchline.
You smirk to be a little bit polite but also so you hope he gets you don’t think its funny.
Grandpa thinks you don’t get the joke and screams it out twice as loud and people in the restaurant start turning their heads.
You try to hush him up: – I got the joke the first time but we moved on, it’s not funny anymore!
Grandpa gets grumpy and mumbles: – The kids today don’t understand anything. All so darn politically correct.
Grandpa goes back to the other 80 year olds and tells the joke, half of them thinks it funny and pats him on the shoulder. Grandpa he feels he’s got IT again.
#dadjokes
I feel like most gay people don’t even give a fuck when you call something gay anymore.
was that supposed to be a greentext?
Your use of that reference is both wrong and idiotic. Goo back to shouting, “WHAT?!”, “YEAH!” and “OKAY!” with your annoying ass fraternity brothers, instead.
Go back to your country club, you Ritz cracker.
Gays are weak. Nature has decide their genes shouldn’t be passed down. End of story
You’re from Soviet Russia huh?
ppl like this is why i dont fuck with society anymore
Before everyone starts accusing Terje of homophobia, keep in mind that he’s been in a relationship for 10+ years with a woman (Mia Hundvin), who used to be married to a girl. It was a thoughtless tweet. But lets not willfully misunderstand his post just because it feels good to be outraged.
I ride PC
its official, skiing is gay
Americans don’t understand Scandinavian jokes. #lifestyledifferences
Yeah, but is he wrong
PC POLICE AT IT AGAIN
As long as no snowboarders come out as gay, itll be okay, thats why they ski so its easier to spread their legs.
I think he is saying he doesn’t want to hear nonsense about whether u wanna fuck dudes or girls. It is like saying on the Internet I am asexual but like to beat off to dragon movies.. Good for you, Nobody gives a fuck who you like to fuck
Whatchu talkin about? Gays are probably one of the most well dressed, attractive, physically fit groups in the US
So let me see if I get this: Terje is using the word “gay” to describe, The Olympics, TR’s participation in the 98 Olympics, and skiing…and how is this not a negative connotation of the word “gay” again ?
You guys are all fucking pieces of shit and I hate you.
I’m talking about 90% of you who commented on this article.
at least u said nature and not god, but ur still totally wrong haha
Yees! You got it
Do we all have to take this so seriously?
So Terje made a joke he probably shouldn’t have at that exact moment, but there is no reason for everybody to there panties in a bunch.
He was trying to diss skiers in general, but timed it very wrong.
Whatever happened to the feud between skiers and snowboarders? When did we all decide to just get along, instead of keeping the friendly, fun and healthy rivalry going?
Well it doesn’t really matter, but i for one like it.
Spray skiers, all day everyday.
And since everybody assumed this is because Terje has an issue with one particular skiers sexual orientation,… he doesn’t, he just made a bad joke.
GET OVER IT!
I wonder what Yobeat’s reaction’ll be to the first trans snowboarder
Aren’t we all a little gay?
soooo like, is todd richards gay or not? im still confused
IHOCOC
Who cares? It was a joke. People taking twitter and social media in general too serious is the real problem here.
yobeat is pretty fucking gay
Yeah but have you seen his method?
Seriously, you are all soul-less assholes.
Now a days people shouldn’t get so hurt by those words because they are used so much their true meaning has been lost. Therefore, people aren’t trying to hurt anybody and if you do take offense then just remember it isn’t personal.
As a queer-identifying person, I give a fuck.
Yeah too bad it’s different when you are part of a community which does more than snowboard. I listen to a bunch of hetero friends and all of the shit they say about who they want to fuck, but if I said anything remotely indicating I’m queer it becomes a big fucking deal.
Yeah make fun of skiers for skiing, but don’t do it by implicitly stating that queer persons and gay people are beneath you.
This isn’t fucking hard.
It’s pretty easy to tell other people not to take their identities seriously when you aren’t the butt of the fucking joke.
Like this is why I don’t spend time with snowboarders, there are too many unreflective jocks in core clothing who don’t want to actually think about what they say or what they do.
Are you 4Chan
This drama will end when the next weekly drama all be up.
Although it’s a bad joke, and Terje is definitely not snowboarding’s greatest persona, I don’t see him as homophobic. He is, for instance, good friend with legendary photographer Chris Brunkhart, who’s openly gay. It was just a very clumsy attempt to make fun of a situation that’s still sensible and shouldn’t be in 2015. Big ups to TR for making a strong and thoughtful statement.
Anyone remember #gayforpay in the Jed Anderson article???
HEY! YOU CAN NOT CALL SOMEONE A BRO WITHOUT KNOWING THEIR GENDER IDENTITY. 10 WEEKS OF DETENTION YOU INTOLERANT FUCKING ASSHOLE!