Should We Forgive Jon Stewart?

[suzifrommd]

Should We Forgive Jon Stewart?

By Suzi Chase, 7/7/15

https://www.susans.org/2015/07/07/forgive-jon-stewart/

It is the single most offensive thing I have ever heard on TV. In case it isn't obvious why this rises above a run-of-the-mill hate slur, I'll point out that in nine words, Stewart manages to use an extremely derogatory and profane term for a pre-op trans woman, reduce our identity to the state of our genitals, and imply that we lack the competence to execute positions of power and responsibility.

Most of the people to whose attention I call to this remark initially refuse to believe Stewart would have said this.

[Paige]

Hi Suzi,

Thanks for writing this.  I had no idea Jon Stewart made that comment as well as some other ones.  I guess I'm a little shocked and I think you're right he does owe the transgender community an apology. 

Take care,
Paige

[Ms Grace]

People can change their minds - and providing they provide an accounting of that and offer sincere unqualified redress for insult then I'm prepared to move on. And I say that as a person who often holds massive grudges for the dumbest things.

[possessed]

I found that video funny. It was hilarious indeed to me. I think he was just joking.

Sent from my LG-H220 using Tapatalk

[suzifrommd]

I found that video funny. It was hilarious indeed to me. I think he was just joking.

Do you imagine that people would find it as funny if he made a similar joke about how crazy it would be to have a black (or Latino or Jewish) supreme court justice?

He would have lost his job the next day.

[Marlee]

Just gotta ask tho...if it were Bill O'rielly who jokingly said that. Would the term "forgive" even be used?

[Laura_Squirrel]

Do you imagine that people would find it as funny if he made a similar joke about how crazy it would be to have a black (or Latino or Jewish) supreme court justice?

He would have lost his job the next day.

You know that he would.

Just gotta ask tho...if it were Bill O'rielly who jokingly said that. Would the term "forgive" even be used?

Nope. No way.

[Going4Miles]

Mr. Stewart made the remark in 2004 and it is possible that his views may have changed since then.  Also, does Jon Stewart know that the comment is offensive?  I don't know what his views are regarding our community.  The only thing I know is that the majority of the public, including those who accept us, don't understand much about us or know what is and isn't acceptable to say to us and about us. 

I found this clip on Youtube from June 3rd where he talks about Caitlyn Jenner on the cover Vanity Fair.  Jon comes across as supportive in the clip, although he does illustrate how society and the media place too much focus on looks for women and sadly, Caitlyn is no exception. 

[rachel89]

If every inappropriate comment I ever made was held against me, I would be a total pariah, and be regarded a misanthrope. I think letting it go is the best way to handle this. I think I deserve to move on move on from bad things I have said (not really about trans people, but still bad things), and I should afford the same to others. I forgive him for any personal offence, but I cannot forgive him on the behalf of every other trans* person.

[Michelle-G]

Wait a sec - this clip is 11 YEARS OLD! Have we run out of other battles to fight and now we need to sift through history to find things to be offended about?  Or are we trying to fight the fight that our sisters should have engaged in 11 years ago?

I've said all kinds of dumb and even offensive things in my past, and I am thankful that I have been given a measure of grace to repent and do better from that point on.

Tell you what - let's get legislated universal bathroom access, establish transgender anti discrimination laws, and streamline processes for changing documents in all 50 states and territories first. If there's time left over then we'll get in our time machines and go back 11 years, grab our pitchforks and torches and storm Jon Stewart's castle at midnight and deal with him most harshly.

[VeryGnawty]

I can't take that article seriously, since it uses the term "microaggression" in a serious context.  Also, it's really dumb to bring something up from 11 years ago unless it's still relevant.  Is John Stewart still using language like that?