Gonzaga's "Brokeback" chant

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Feb 16, 2006, at 1:52 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> That article is appalling on many levels. When spectators used to make
> monkey-like sounds and gestures when certain black players were on the
> floor, no one tried to justify any aspect of it. As one who is
> Jesuit-trained and who once considered joining the Order, I am
> embarrassed.

when the spectators did this, their church was not teaching that
black people are a lower order of creation from white people, closer
to monkeys.  the church is in fact now teaching that homosexuality
(well, a homosexual inclination) is an "objective disorder". when you
plug that teaching into widespread folk beliefs associating
deviations from extreme masculinity with effeminacy, weakness, and
homosexuality, you have a recipe for these sorts of crudely (in the
chanting) or elegantly (in the article) homophobic taunts.

arnold, in a dark mood

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org