It was a very good game though, wasn't it? *NM*
Colonel Logain Send a noteboard - 09/09/2010 12:56:33 PM
Sydney - Australia's triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice made a tearful public apology on Wednesday for making a homophobic comment on Twitter, saying her words were thoughtless but not meant to offend.
The Beijing Olympics star refused to speak about swimming or the recent shoulder surgery which has taken her out of next month's Commonwealth Games, but broke down as she pleaded for the chance to win back the public's trust.
"My comments were thoughtless and careless but I can assure you when I made those comments on Twitter I never intended to offend anybody," she told a specially convened news conference in Sydney.
"I've learned a lot in the last couple of days. I've learned I must think before I speak and this has been a very important lesson.
"I've also learned that some things you say can mean more to others than they do to you."
Rice prompted a storm of controversy when she tweeted "Suck on that faggots!" after Australia's narrow win over South Africa in the Tri-Nations on Saturday.
The 22-year-old later deleted the post and apologised on her website but the comment prompted an angry response from gay ex-rugby league player Ian Roberts who called her an idiot, while luxury carmaker Jaguar scrapped a sponsorship deal with the swimmer.
"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."
Now today in my city there were angry protests as to what this woman had to say (people have too much time on their hands). Funnily enough, the SA rugby supporters were furious because their team had been mocked AND *gasp* called faggots. Gay people were angry because 'gay' had been used as a derogatory insult and they joined too. What followed was an awkward march of thousands of gay people and rugby supporters. At the end of the march there was a BBQ with the food provided by the supporters and the entertainment provided by Gay SA. I've got to tell you, the TV interviews are just about the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. It's reconciliation and friend-making on a whole new level. LOL.
*MySmiley*
I have nothing to add. I just wanted to be included in this thread.
I have nothing to add. I just wanted to be included in this thread.
Interesting way to bring people together 
- 08/09/2010 04:36:19 PM
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- 08/09/2010 04:36:19 PM
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1. That girl is an idiot who needs to do some soul searching...
- 08/09/2010 07:07:47 PM
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? not that her comment was excusable...
- 08/09/2010 07:45:59 PM
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It's not a cardinal sin against humanity...
- 08/09/2010 07:55:55 PM
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or it just means...
- 08/09/2010 08:18:57 PM
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Societal problems don't go away from the group level. 
- 08/09/2010 08:25:21 PM
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- 08/09/2010 08:25:21 PM
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You have an odd definition of homophobe (or at least that's what your last paragraph implies).
- 08/09/2010 10:04:52 PM
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I was trying to use her words...
- 08/09/2010 10:17:32 PM
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Ah, okay. Her apology does seem rather clumsy, agreed there.
- 08/09/2010 11:05:34 PM
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Glad to clear up that confusion. 
- 08/09/2010 11:11:35 PM
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- 08/09/2010 11:11:35 PM
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I don't think you should read too much in the exact wording of her apology.
- 08/09/2010 11:24:21 PM
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*NM*
You should watch that Southpark episode where they change the meaning of the word faggot.
- 08/09/2010 09:24:16 PM
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I've seen it, and it was funny.
- 08/09/2010 09:40:43 PM
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Suspect you need to consider the way the word is used in other countries.
- 08/09/2010 09:46:05 PM
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I admit, I don't know many (any) kiwis personally (in person that is)...
- 08/09/2010 09:52:45 PM
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The insult word for homosexuals Downunder tends to be Fruit or Queer.
- 08/09/2010 09:58:04 PM
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OK, I can see that.
- 08/09/2010 10:09:16 PM
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I think it's unfair to people to assume that there's some underlying bad nature...
- 08/09/2010 10:18:29 PM
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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
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And I'm saying that you're instantly looking on the negative side of things instead of
- 08/09/2010 10:46:11 PM
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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
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Or, she was replying to interview questions and thinking on her feet.
- 08/09/2010 11:10:26 PM
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She said she needs to learn to think before she tweets lol
- 08/09/2010 08:14:38 PM
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Yes, but that's just a surface change.
- 08/09/2010 08:20:59 PM
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- 08/09/2010 08:20:59 PM
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It was a very good game though, wasn't it? *NM*
- 09/09/2010 12:56:33 PM
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