I'm too cranky to title this post.

[trinityofone]

Got my economic stimulus check yesterday. Immediately donated more money to Barack Obama.

Suck it, George.

This was going to be a purely triumphant political post, but then I got into work this morning and found one of my magazines’ mail columns on my desk to edit. In it was a response to some of the homophobic language I objected to a couple months ago.

Here’s the letter:

I subscribe to [Magazine]. I was shocked to see the phrase “limp-wristed California and Massachusetts” in bold print in the July ‘08 issue Mailbag by [Editor]. As a reader, consumer, and fellow off-roader, I was deeply offended by this jab. Making fun of a group of people because of their sexual orientation is very unprofessional.

The two states you mentioned to be limp-wristed just so happen to be the two States in the USA with laws now allowing gay marriage. So the jab was intentional as I see it. If you didn’t mean it as a jab toward gay people then I think you would have clarified as such.

Having fun is great. Making fun of someone with a characteristic that they cannot change is not having fun. Until you have been in these shoes (have you?), then you would not truly understand the “overly sensitive” politically correct attitude. There are teens and young adults out there that will kill themselves this year because they cannot come to terms with being a gay person and have some acceptance from their closest friends and family members. Some of those lives lost will be off-roaders. So yes ... I’m overly sensitive to an attitude that can indeed push people further away from a happy and productive life.

I work hard for my money and spend a lot of money on the two Jeeps in our family. We off-road and attend Jeep Jamborees year after year. I hope that this e-mail finds the right few people in the industry that may have friends or family that happen to be gay and let [Editor] and [Magazine] know that this was very disrespectful. Surely some of your advertisers have nondiscrimination policies which may include sexual orientation protection, if so please makes sure the person in charge of their marketing and human resources gets a copy of this e-mail.

Love to all,
[Awesome Person]

And here’s my Editor’s response:

First of all, I hadn’t even thought of that when this was written! You do realize that the issue in question was written several months before gay marriage was passed as legal in my state (California)? And before it even hit the news locally as a possibility! So your argument is totally null and void. It’s purely coincidence.

What’s with the overly-sensitive PC attitude? [Magazine] is and always has been (at least since 2001) a fun magazine where we laugh at ourselves and expect others to do the same. I think the world is already too PC. Sorry if you disagree and wish the magazine to be overly politically correct and uninteresting.

Clearly, an off-road magazine poking fun at a couple liberal states (both of which the staff of [Magazine] have lived in) is far from the worst that is happening here in the U.S. I really think your efforts could be better applied.

ARGHHHHHH. This just drives me crazy. He is just so hugely NOT GETTING IT, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t like to be even the slightest part of perpetuating this shit. But I’ve brought it up with him before and he just seems to be incapable of catching the clue bus. So my question is: is there anything you think I can say or do to make him see how off-base he is, or am I just going to have to suck it up and let this see print? Now, I suppose, is a delightful time to mention that this month’s mail column is a week late at this point, so I have to finish it and get it sent out today.

I mostly really like this job. But then things like this happen and I just feel sick.

ETA: I responded:

I don't mean to get on your case, [Editor], but I would feel mad at myself if I didn't mention that I think your response here is totally off-base. You're right to mention that you wrote your previous response before gay marriage was legalized in California, so that connection wasn't intentional. However, considering that [Awesome Person]'s whole letter is an effort to explain why he is sensitive about this issue, I think to start your second paragraph by saying "What's with the overly-sensitive PC attitude?" just shows that you are not listening.

I also disagree that using homophobic language—even if you did not mean it as a slur against gay people, which I don't think you did—is the same as "laugh[ing] at ourselves" because as [AP] points out, that's not a group you consider yourself part of. And I also don't think that omitting such language would make the magazine uninteresting. I laugh at the articles' jokes all the time—impressive, when I know nothing about Jeeps!—and let me tell you, the random insertions of "limp-wristed" or "pantywaist" do not constitute your best material.

Anyway, I just think that you could still assert your point of view (even the parts I disagree with) without totally dismissing [AP]'s as "null and void." Though I have to say, I do admire that you're willing to print his letter and let his voice be heard in the first place.

I'll get off my soap box now.

We'll see how that goes over. :\

ETA2: Well, he listened, kind of.

This was his response to my response:

Thanks for the insight. He and I sent several e-mails back and forth. This is the combination of all that was said. I axed a few things. Should be a little nicer now. Thanks.

What he axed was "First of all," "So your argument is totally null and void," and "What's with the overly-sensitive PC attitude?" He also changed the last sentence of paragraph two so that it reads, "Sorry if you disagree and wish the magazine to be overly politically correct. Not gonna happen on my watch," which I think is probably just as bad if not worse, but...

Well...in general, it's better, I guess? Sort of? And he was polite to me, at least.

Is it better or worse that I think this is all arising from obstinate cluelessness, rather than maliciousness?

Anyway, I guess this was a draw. Now I'm just trying to decide if I want to thank him for listening or just leave it.

Comments

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

That's putting it very simply and eloquently, and I may steal your wording if he gets back to me about my response (above). I really don't understand why some people have such a hard time grasping this "subtlety."

[sonofzeal.livejournal.com]

Hopefully this will get the idea through to him. Feel free to rephrase it with smaller words if you think it will help :P