Her professed self-image is different than what her actions show, so she needs to look inside to see what she really thinks. If she really doesn't want to be someone who offends people with her words, if she doesn't want to be a homophobe, she needs to address this issue within herself.
Did you mean to suggest that the definition of a homophobe is someone who offends gay people? Seems to me homophobia has to do with that person's own feelings towards gay people, more than with gay people's feelings about that person. Plenty of homophobes out there who don't make that known in public for fear of a backlash, I'm sure, and on the other hand people who aren't homophobic but insult gay people because of group pressure or whatever.
She said that she is not someone who offends people, here is the quote from the article:
"I owe it to those who I have offended to publicly say, I am sorry. It is not me to give offence to other people no matter who they are," Rice said.
"I am not a person who judges others or speaks in a way that hurts others."
Australian swimming's glamour girl, who has deals with underwear company Davenport and the Channel 7 network, said she was not homophobic.
"I felt I've let a lot of people down," she said. "I just want people to know how sorry I am. I'm just here to gain people's trust back and show how out of character it was."
"I am not a person who judges others or speaks in a way that hurts others."
Australian swimming's glamour girl, who has deals with underwear company Davenport and the Channel 7 network, said she was not homophobic.
"I felt I've let a lot of people down," she said. "I just want people to know how sorry I am. I'm just here to gain people's trust back and show how out of character it was."
She said she is not a person who gives offence, that she is not someone who judges, or speaks in a way that hurts, and that she is not homophobic.
I did not mean to imply giving offense caused you to be a homophobe, or that you have to act publicly to be considered homophobic.
Anyway, that's a bit nitpicking maybe, I agree with Celia that most likely Rice doesn't fall into either of those categories nor that of open homophobe. It's likely she doesn't have much in the way of gay friends or sensitivity for the issue, yes, or she would have chosen a better word, but that's a wholly different thing.
Personally, I think that if your go-to insult is based on a negative image of a group of people, you likely have issues with that group of people. Even if you just think they're abnormal, freakish, or unpleasant, those are still issues you have with them.
When a slur against queer folk is the thing that comes out of you to slam your opponents, that does speak to what's going on inside.
The most important lesson she should learn from this, if you ask me, is how very deceptive Twitter is. You type in a few words from the privacy of your home or cell phone, the sort of thing you might say out loud to your friends, and next thing you know the whole world can know about it.
That is definitely a valuable lesson, and one I do hope she learns.
I was Phelix on wotmania, I will always be Phelix in the "real" world, and now I am Phelix on RAFO.
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
Interesting way to bring people together 
- 08/09/2010 04:36:19 PM
2044 Views
- 08/09/2010 04:36:19 PM
2044 Views
1. That girl is an idiot who needs to do some soul searching...
- 08/09/2010 07:07:47 PM
1185 Views
? not that her comment was excusable...
- 08/09/2010 07:45:59 PM
1255 Views
It's not a cardinal sin against humanity...
- 08/09/2010 07:55:55 PM
1379 Views
or it just means...
- 08/09/2010 08:18:57 PM
1315 Views
Societal problems don't go away from the group level. 
- 08/09/2010 08:25:21 PM
1124 Views
- 08/09/2010 08:25:21 PM
1124 Views
You have an odd definition of homophobe (or at least that's what your last paragraph implies).
- 08/09/2010 10:04:52 PM
1155 Views
I was trying to use her words...
- 08/09/2010 10:17:32 PM
1262 Views
Ah, okay. Her apology does seem rather clumsy, agreed there.
- 08/09/2010 11:05:34 PM
1105 Views
Glad to clear up that confusion. 
- 08/09/2010 11:11:35 PM
1278 Views
- 08/09/2010 11:11:35 PM
1278 Views
I don't think you should read too much in the exact wording of her apology.
- 08/09/2010 11:24:21 PM
1169 Views
*NM*
You should watch that Southpark episode where they change the meaning of the word faggot.
- 08/09/2010 09:24:16 PM
1038 Views
I've seen it, and it was funny.
- 08/09/2010 09:40:43 PM
1243 Views
Suspect you need to consider the way the word is used in other countries.
- 08/09/2010 09:46:05 PM
1095 Views
I admit, I don't know many (any) kiwis personally (in person that is)...
- 08/09/2010 09:52:45 PM
1092 Views
The insult word for homosexuals Downunder tends to be Fruit or Queer.
- 08/09/2010 09:58:04 PM
1274 Views
OK, I can see that.
- 08/09/2010 10:09:16 PM
1171 Views
I think it's unfair to people to assume that there's some underlying bad nature...
- 08/09/2010 10:18:29 PM
1141 Views
I'm not assuming there's an underlying bad nature, I am saying she should look to see if it's there.
- 08/09/2010 10:27:21 PM
1237 Views
And I'm saying that you're instantly looking on the negative side of things instead of
- 08/09/2010 10:46:11 PM
1098 Views
I don't think I'm looking at the negative side of things, merely saying that she needs to look.
- 08/09/2010 11:01:11 PM
1158 Views
Or, she was replying to interview questions and thinking on her feet.
- 08/09/2010 11:10:26 PM
1214 Views
She said she needs to learn to think before she tweets lol
- 08/09/2010 08:14:38 PM
1496 Views
Yes, but that's just a surface change.
- 08/09/2010 08:20:59 PM
1329 Views
- 08/09/2010 08:20:59 PM
1329 Views