tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post4930852763226102947..comments2023-09-08T00:47:50.511-07:00Comments on Naked Reflections: What to Do About Tim Hardaway?Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02549770321948541384noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-63130049092667263272007-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:002007-07-02T15:07:00.000-07:00As a bisexual person who has grown up in an extrem...As a bisexual person who has grown up in an extremely homophobic Islamic patriarchal society (Pakistan), I also resonate with your thoughts here.<BR/><BR/>Here's a similar incident I know of, and one that seems more extreme. The ABC television show "Grey's Anatomy" used to have (African-American actor) Isaiah Washington playing "Dr. Preston Burke". Apparently, Washington, in a moment of rage due to the absence of a co-star on set, called said co-star a "faggot". It then turned out that this co-star was in fact gay. It became such a huge issue that Washington was eventually fired from "Grey's Anatomy" and won't be appearing on the next season.<BR/><BR/>What makes this even more ridiculous and petty is that Washington (a) issued a public apology admitted to having issues; (b) went in for anger management therapy; (c) filmed a pro-queer ad for GLAAD. Honestly, what more could the queer community want from him? Seriously, let it go! (Besides I really liked Dr. Burke on "Grey's Anatomy".)<BR/><BR/>Obviously I don't know the exact context of what happened, but what I'm saying is that the solution to such problems is not just to "punish" the perceived "oppressor" in a knee-jerk kind of way. Nothing is ever that black and white, because all of us have a common enemy which is our own inner darkness. There has to be some point where people from oppressed groups start to move beyond the victim mentality and start taking responsibility for themselves. If someone else is being reactionary, why should we make the same mistake?<BR/><BR/>For me, I often think it was a huge advantage that queer people don't have any sort of voice in Pakistan. It forced me to become self-reliant, to deconstruct the "gay identity", and to detach from it, effectively, so it no longer remained such a huge deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-83172686022497677542007-02-19T18:01:00.000-08:002007-02-19T18:01:00.000-08:00cc: I think he was in a management position with ...cc: I think he was in a management position with the Wildcats and Trinity. They would have a pretty broad right to end his employment. Even if his wasn't a PR job, he is a representative of his employers 24/7. His remarks, in the entertainment/sports industries, is severe. You have to be non-controversal and give your organization a positive, likable, friendly reputation. He needed to be "on" at all times; acting on behalf of his organizations.<BR/><BR/>nagarjuna: Generally, I very much believe in giving people the freedom to say whatever they feel like. The good in that is you hear the truth from people. I'm not disposed to hammer Hardaway.<BR/><BR/>BUT, as you and I know, the civil rights movement in this country was aided by lots and lots of societal pressures. We wouldn't have gotten as far as we have as fast as we have in the last 40 years if being racist and segregationist wasn't met by intolerance by society.<BR/><BR/>So, being intolerant of Hardaway's remarks can be helpful to the gay rights movement. Still, I think we have sort of moved beyond being a pressuring and "intolerant of intolerance" society. So, again, I would give Hardaway a break. I was happy to read that Amaechi was remarkably comfortable allowing Hardaway to have his say.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13718601770472939313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-52907600146763443052007-02-19T09:41:00.000-08:002007-02-19T09:41:00.000-08:00Yes, CC, I wonder what Stern would have done if Ha...Yes, CC, I wonder what Stern would have done if Hardaway had explicitly tied his opinion of homosexuality to the Bible or simply argued that having an openly gay player on the team could cause friction (no, not THAT kind of friction), or if ex-players Michael Jordan or Magic had made similar comments? Would THEY have been banned from All-Star Weekend and all future appearances for the NBA?<BR/><BR/>You make a good point, Tom. Hardaway's jobs with the basketball organizations for which he worked were presumably PR jobs, and he showed gross negligence or incompetence at THAT with his remarks. But do you think there is nothing negative he could have said about homosexuals or homosexual players that should have exempted him from being fired, or do you think he simply stepped over some kind of line between what was and wasn't permissible to say of a negative or critical nature?<BR/><BR/>Beyond that, how do you think we should respond, not as employers but as the general public, when people make the kinds of comments Hardaway did?Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02549770321948541384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-68536963258376141242007-02-19T09:35:00.000-08:002007-02-19T09:35:00.000-08:00Tom, I've yet to see what Hardaway's "business org...Tom, I've yet to see what Hardaway's "business organizations" have "written in stone" as a "philosophy" or "rules" before I can say for sure they had a right to fire him.<BR/><BR/>Thanks, CC<BR/><BR/>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Christianity_Debate/<BR/><BR/>http://www.airamerica.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-41799646431025369602007-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:002007-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00An excellent post.I think you hit the nail on the ...An excellent post.<BR/><BR/>I think you hit the nail on the head with your remark "A case can most certainly be made that when someone represents business organizations very much in the public eye, it is entirely proper to fire that person if he conducts himself in ways not in keeping with the philosophy or rules of conduct of those organizations and that could adversely affect their reputation and bottom line."<BR/><BR/>Hardaway is in the public relations business and for that reason he had an especially keen responsibility to know what he was saying and understand the implications. Thus, I don't think it is an issue of the measure of how terrible his remarks were; it is a measure of profound failure in the direct responsiblities of his job.<BR/><BR/>In another job -- say as a player -- I would think that he shouldn't have been canned.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13718601770472939313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10032287.post-41143953634984822962007-02-18T22:39:00.000-08:002007-02-18T22:39:00.000-08:00I believe you are absolutely correct, Nagarjuna.If...I believe you are absolutely correct, Nagarjuna.<BR/><BR/>If a Christian based his hatred and prejudice against gays by reason of his Bible, then I think everything would have been just hunky-dory. <BR/><BR/>Just WHAT would Stern have done if Hardaway teamed up his prejudices with the Bible's exact like ones?<BR/><BR/>I hope the next homophobic NBA player who speaks up does just that and we see if Stern handles it the same way as he did with Hardaway.<BR/><BR/>Thanks, CC<BR/><BR/>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Christianity_Debate/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com