A college professor claims that some of the hate against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">Barney the Dinosaur</a> is due to men rebelling against an alternate version of masculinity and being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homophobia">homophobic</a>.
There have been multiple articles and documentaries on the topic of the public backlash against the popular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television">cartoon</a> from the 1990s. These latest statements were made on a new podcast episode in the series “Generation Barney,” which takes a look at the history of the show and its reception.
&#8220;Understanding particularly why adult men didn&#8217;t like Barney reveals a lot about gender and power in our current society. There were women who didn&#8217;t like Barney, but the high-profile hate was really coming from men,&#8221; podcast host Sabrina Herrera says in the <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/podcast/generation-barney/2024-11-19/love-2-hate">episode</a> titled, “Love 2 Hate.”
&#8220;He offered up a different model for masculinity, even as a purple dinosaur and not a human. This message about love, about nurturing, about looking after others, that these are emotions and also sort of social practices and responsibilities that in our culture are constructed and understood to be sort of feminine and feminizing,&#8221; Dr. Emily Contois, a media studies teacher at the University of Tulsa, replied.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
&#8220;Barney could be understood as resisting that, pushing back against that, offering a different model of sexuality and gender and size all coming together. And so for some of these men who reacted very poorly to him, that could be a piece of their reaction,&#8221; the professor continued.
Dr. Contois added, “A part of that white masculine sort of set of authorities is also this incredible resistance to homosexuality.&#8221;
The “Barney &amp; Friends” series was based on a friendly purple and green Tyrannosaurus rex character and a cast of children who went on adventures, enjoying songs, dances, and games that made learning fun. The show debuted in 1992 and was extremely popular with young children of that generation.
Bob West, the original voice actor for Barney, recalled getting death threats for playing the character. &#8220;There were certain things, certain messages that people would send that were pretty threatening,&#8221; he said during last week’s episode of the same podcast. 
&#8220;If you get a death threat from a middle school child who sends you an email, then it doesn&#8217;t make me feel bad for me. It makes me feel bad for them because they&#8217;re obviously going through something that&#8217;s leading them [to] act out this way,&#8221; he went on, per <a href="https://people.com/barney-voice-actor-recalls-getting-death-threats-for-show-8740141">People</a>.

Barney

College Prof Says ‘Hate’ For Barney The Dinosaur Came From ‘Resistance To Homosexuality’

College Prof Says 'Hate' For Barney The Dinosaur Came From 'Resistance To Homosexuality'

Cartoon

Entertainment

Homophobia

Masculinity

Television

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a> City Council members reportedly removed &#8220;no U-turn&#8221; signs from a gay neighborhood over concerns that they would be viewed as &#8220;homophobic,&#8221; and X — formerly Twitter — exploded with reactions to the move.
According to a Los Angeles <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/silver-lake-remove-no-u-turn-signs/3433130/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News affiliate</a>, the signs that were removed had been put up in 1997 after locals complained about gay men &#8220;cruising&#8221; in the residential areas near popular gay bars while looking for dates. Several &#8220;no cruising&#8221; signs were also put up around the same time, and were taken down after a Silver Lake Neighborhood Council vote in 2011.
A constituent brought the remaining &#8220;no U-turn&#8221; signs to Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, which she said got the bureaucratic ball rolling.
A &#8220;podcast mentioned that there had been &#8216;No Cruising&#8217; signs along Hyperion that had been removed in 2011, but that nine signs still remained on Griffith Park Boulevard. Our very own Silver Lake constituent, Donovan Daughtry, heard the episode, and in May of 2022 he reached out to our Silver Lake Field Deputy at the time,&#8221; she explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: LA City Council members have removed &#8220;No U-Turn&#8221; traffic signs in a gay neighborhood.
They say the signs were homophobic.
No, this is not satire. <a href="https://t.co/yadflyo588">pic.twitter.com/yadflyo588</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1801632184929030367?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
Fellow Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez worked with Raman to have the signs removed, saying that he had not previously understood the impact of those signs.
&#8220;For me, growing up in South Central Los Angeles, cruising had a very different meaning. It usually meant folks in their lowriders or their cars, a lot of hip-hop music, just going up down Crenshaw Boulevard. But here in Silver Lake, cruising, of course, meant something very different. It meant an opportunity for the LGBT community to try to find human connection and intimacy and to be able to express themselves in a society at the time that was not very welcoming to the LGBT community. The last two no U-Turn signs remind us of that troubled past that we have here in this neighborhood.&#8221;
And as a number of people pointed out later, very few Americans were aware that such signs had any connection at all to the LGBTQ community — much less a discriminatory connection.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;The best part of this is that literally *no one* would know &#8216;no u-turn&#8217; signs have ever meant anything other than no u-turn. I&#8217;ve never seen a group that so desperately WANTS to be &#8216;oppressed&#8217; or &#8216;marginalized,'&#8221; Riley Gaines posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The best part of this is that literally *no one* would know &#8216;no u-turn&#8217; signs have ever meant anything other than no u-turn.
I&#8217;ve never seen a group that so desperately WANTS to be &#8220;oppressed&#8221; or &#8220;marginalized&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ElknwNy9MT">https://t.co/ElknwNy9MT</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1801926096138428621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Got rid of Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben &amp; replaced Dr Seuss with Billy Blows Bobby &amp; it’s still not enough. Congratulations on defeated the U-turn signs. Nothing will satisfy the left’s insatiable appetite for destruction,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Got rid of Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben &amp; replaced Dr Seuss with Billy Blows Bobby &amp; it’s still not enough. Congratulations on defeated the U-turn signs. Nothing will satisfy the left’s insatiable appetite for destruction. <a href="https://t.co/UenEPkgVjW">pic.twitter.com/UenEPkgVjW</a>
— 🇺🇸Scarlett Mayhem🇺🇸 (@ScarlettO66) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarlettO66/status/1801798910580576701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2024</a></blockquote>

Traffic sign no u turn allowed.

L.A. Removes ‘Homophobic’ U-Turn Signs And The Jokes Write Themselves

Homosexuality

Los Angeles

Social Issues

U.S.

Middle schoolers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/massachusetts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a> were accused of “intolerance and homophobia” after they reportedly revolted against a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pride" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pride</a> celebration at the school and chanted that their pronouns were “USA.”
Some students at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington were accused of organizing a protest against a school-approved spirit day celebrating Pride Month, which encouraged students to wear rainbow colors, earlier this month. The event was <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/schools/2023/06/12/burlington-middle-school-students-pride-event-marshall-simonds-select-board-lgbtq/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led</a> by the Spectrum Club, an LGBT club for students and &#8220;allies.&#8221; In response, some students reportedly wore only red, white, and blue colored clothing and chanted, “U.S.A. are my pronouns,” and took down LGBT-themed banners and stickers. 
“These displays of intolerance and homophobia are unacceptable and impact the whole community,” <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12190331/Massachusetts-students-tear-rainbow-decorations-chant-pronouns-U-S-A.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Burlington Equity Coalition co-Chair Nancy Bonassera at a community meeting about the incident. &#8220;We challenge Burlington town leadership to take an active stand against hate under the guise of &#8216;free expression.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
School officials are in panic mode over kids revolting against “Pride Day”
Kids refused to wear colors and some even chanted that their pronouns are USA <a href="https://t.co/xuNBlMCrdq">pic.twitter.com/xuNBlMCrdq</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1668756274287357954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While some parents were upset by the display, others said it was offensive for the school to urge children to wear rainbow-themed clothing. 
“Some of the kids threw the stickers on the ground. But I can only speak for my daughter, she just didn&#8217;t want to wear that to school. It&#8217;s not that she wanted to hurt anybody&#8217;s feelings,&#8221; Christine Steiner <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/burlington-middle-school-pride-decorations-destroyed-protest/44180426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WCBV. 
Two days after the incident, which occurred on June 2, Burlington Public Schools Superintendent Eric Conti sent a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23844114/pride-msms-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to parents condemning the students who protested and noting that event participation was optional. 
“We recognize that intolerance can manifest in many different ways, and unfortunately our school community experienced intolerance during the school day on Friday. Students who participate in the Spectrum Club led a celebration of National Pride Month that included posters in support of identity pride, and other symbols of LGBTQ+ identity such as rainbow flags and clothing,” Conti wrote. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Some signs and posters in the school included messages like “Why it’s not ok to say ‘That’s so gay,’” and “Happy Pride Month.”
“I recognize that discussions and celebrations of individual identity are complex and impacted by individual values, religions, and cultural norms, the result of which may include expressions of racism, anti-religious hate, ableism, and in this case homophobia,” Conti’s letter continued. 
He encouraged the community to take “a stand against homophobia&#8221; and said he would continue to make the school system a &#8220;place where anyone can feel safe and welcome.&#8221;
Principal Cari Perchase also apologized to the parents and students, saying the Pride event turned into a “day of intolerance.” She added that the school would likely implement a program to teach students about tolerance and acceptance. 
&nbsp;

Blackboard with the international flag of peace drawn on.(series)

Middle Schoolers Accused Of ‘Homophobia’ After Chanting ‘USA,’ Tearing Down ‘Pride’ Decorations

Middle Schoolers Accused Of 'Homophobia' After Chanting 'USA,' Tearing Down 'Pride' Decorations

Education

LGBTQ

Massachusetts

Pride

Pride Month

The Democratic National Committee and a Michigan congressman in a neck-and-neck election race turned to a virulently anti-gay pastor to help get out the vote in the week before the election, The Daily Wire has learned.
Democrats are desperate to hold onto a Flint, Michigan-based seat represented by Rep. Dan Kildee (D) after the district was <a href="https://about.bgov.com/news/once-safe-michigan-democrat-faces-peril-in-redrawn-district/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redrawn</a> following the decennial Census to be about 50% Republican, making it a <a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2022-house/">toss-up</a> race between Kildee and Republican Paul Junge. To rally urban Democrat turnout, the DNC Black Caucus and the Michigan Democratic Women&#8217;s Caucus on Wednesday held a &#8220;Flint GOTV Rally&#8221; at the Cathedral of Faith Church headlined by its Bishop Christopher E. Martin and Kildee, according to a flier and video of the event.
Martin caused a furor in the Flint area in June after <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100002918256789/videos/pcb.5162547517185806/755382198931939">video</a> showed Martin speaking with disgust about other preachers who he claimed are gay and were trying to spread the &#8220;spirit of perversion.&#8221; Martin told his parishioners:
<blockquote>&#8220;Look, y&#8217;all quit sitting here in church without the baptism and the Holy Ghost. Because if you got the Holy Ghost, you can tell that some of these preachers y&#8217;all listening to are gay. They just fired one from a church around here the other day. I said they should have never hired him, he gay, they should have voted him out. He been gay. He was gay when they hired him, he was gay when y&#8217;all fired him. Went in there ripping TVs all off the wall, having a little girl tantrum.
These folks gay. This ain&#8217;t no time to be playing like this over the Lord&#8217;s people. Sitting up under these folks. Look, a man, a man pastoring you ought to be married to a woman. There ought to be a first lady somewhere. If not, he might have a first gentleman. We can not have perversion [homosexuality] over the people. Pastor, you mean. I&#8217;m not mean. I&#8217;m telling you, I&#8217;m trying to show you light. Even if the people in the pews are suffering or struggling with their spirit, pray them through. You ain&#8217;t got no business up here dealing with it.
How you gonna preach to them and you got it [homosexuality]? We trying to get people out of what they&#8217;re in. We are trying to love them out of what they&#8217;re in. If you in it, you can&#8217;t love nobody out of it. You&#8217;re going to stay in it. And you&#8217;re going to let that spirit of perversion be all through the church.&#8221;</blockquote>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-460455" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flint-dnc-452x576.jpg" alt="" width="452" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-452x576.jpg 452w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-235x300.jpg 235w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-768x979.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc.jpg 1156w" sizes="(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px" /></div>
Martin&#8217;s comments were well-known in Flint, including being <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tonya.burns.31/posts/5756815161012899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> by Flint city council member Tonya Burns. When the bishop&#8217;s church got a contract with the city government related to health services, social justice advocate Nayyirah Shariff told officials that gay and transgender individuals were not likely to feel safe at any place connected to him. &#8220;Having a service in a location that is homophobic? That is not a safe space,” Shariff said, <a href="https://flintbeat.com/flint-bishop-says-his-beliefs-regarding-lgbtqia-community-wont-impact-mental-health-services-provided-at-local-churches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flint Beat</a> reported in June.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/1583426399/videos/491302006365404/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Video</a> shows that at the rally, speakers stood behind a podium that said &#8220;The seal of the Bishop,&#8221; the same one from which Martin made his videotaped anti-gay screed months ago.
Martin received the Lifetime Achievement Community Service award from Barack Obama in 2017, according to <a href="https://nbc25news.com/news/local/flint-pastor-celebrates-elevation-to-bishop-with-church-and-community-members">NBC 25 News,</a> and in April, Kildee joined him to celebrate his promotion to bishop. Martin is a former president of the Flint school board and his church receives government money to run a <a href="https://childcarecenter.us/provider_detail/cathedral_of_faith_ministries_head_start_flint_mi">pre-school</a> program and provide <a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/community/2022-06-13/flint-churches-will-provide-mental-health-services-in-summer-pilot-program">mental health services</a>.
Virgie Rollins, the DNC National Black Caucus chair, spoke, then handed it off to Rev. Dr. Charles Williams, who Rollins praised for being part of Al Sharpton&#8217;s National Action Network. Williams, in turn, praised Martin, saying, &#8220;give it up for Virgie, the DNC National Black Caucus chair. We are so grateful, and to the bishop and pastor of this church. Bishop, his reputation precedes him. Christopher Martin, thank you so much. &#8230; He&#8217;s been doing such a wonderful job&#8230; More importantly, I&#8217;ve got the opportunity to see him here&#8230; our Michigan congressperson, that is, brother Kildee.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got about six days to make sure we do the right thing,&#8221; Martin continued. &#8220;As President Biden so eloquently said in 2020, this election is about the soul of the nation&#8230; For the last 40 years Flint has had a fighter by the name of the Kildee family. Dale Kildee served this area with honor and distinction. But what he did understand is that he was going to have an heir to the seat that we delivered him to. He had a nephew that was like a ram in the bush. And this nephew has been a fighter in the fifth for the city of Flint&#8230; and it doesn&#8217;t matter that it has been redistricted&#8230; the federal money came because of Dan Kildee&#8230; Make some noise for our champion, our hero, Mr. Dan Kildee.&#8221;
Kildee then took the stage, saying, &#8220;You know, that&#8217;s a tough act to follow, Bishop.&#8221; Of his district, he said, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been with you because I am you.&#8221;
The Kildee campaign did not return a request for comment about Wednesday&#8217;s event.
The flier said that Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) was also slated to be a speaker, but she did not ultimately attend.
Rollins told The Daily Wire that &#8220;I was not familiar with any remarks the Pastor made. The church was hosting the Rally with many other elected officials. If there are concerns with the Pastor words to his congregation can you please take it up with him. Many of my friends are LGBTQ.&#8221;
Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Rep. Haley Stevens also headlined the event. While she was advertised as a speaker, she did not ultimately attend.

Dan Kildee

DNC, Congressman Hold Rally With Virulently Anti-Gay Pastor To Boost Urban Vote In ‘Toss-Up’ House Race

DNC, Congressman Hold Rally With Virulently Anti-Gay Pastor To Boost Urban Vote In 'Toss-Up' House Race

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Democratic National Committee

Elections

Flint

Michigan

Politics

The prosecutor who secured Jeffrey Dahmer&#8217;s conviction isn&#8217;t buying the Netflix spin suggesting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee</a> police officers may have intentionally ignored clues in the case because the victims were black or gay.
According to an <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/09/28/jeffrey-dahmer-prosecutor-denies-racial-homophobic-bias-police/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> posted by entertainment website TMZ early on Wednesday, former Milwaukee County District Attorney Michael McCann fired back after Netflix&#8217;s series appeared to suggest that racism and homophobia may have led police officers to slow-walk parts of the investigation into the notorious <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/somebodys-after-me-police-release-911-calls-related-to-cold-case-that-led-to-serial-killer-discovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serial killer</a>.
McCann reportedly told the outlet that &#8220;the notion that MPD officers turned a blind eye to Dahmer&#8217;s victims because of their race or sexual orientation is ludicrous, despite what &#8216;Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story&#8217; portrays.&#8221;
The former district attorney said that he had not yet watched the Netflix offering — but that he had heard enough about it to know that the producers had adopted an anti-police approach and were framing officers as being racist and homophobic.
McCann insisted that Dahmer&#8217;s modus operandi (MO) relied on protecting his privacy and leaving very few — if any — traces that could have led police to him at an earlier date. He went on to reiterate that &#8220;neither race nor sexual orientation had influenced how police investigated Dahmer.&#8221;
The Netflix show has also received a fair amount of criticism from others as well. The family of one of <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/its-cruel-victims-family-member-not-happy-about-new-monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-documentary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dahmer&#8217;s victims</a> called it &#8220;cruel&#8221; and &#8220;retraumatizing,&#8221; asking why there even needed to be another retelling of Dahmer&#8217;s story.
&#8220;I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?&#8221; Eric Perry tweeted, adding, &#8220;Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.
&mdash; corbin bleu’s tether (@ericthulhu) <a href="https://twitter.com/ericthulhu/status/1572997334887284745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite the fact that Dahmer was gay and the series&#8217; effort to portray police as homophobic, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/not-the-representation-were-looking-for-netflix-removes-lgbtq-tag-from-jeffrey-dahmer-drama-series/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more complaints</a> came from social media and members of the LGBTQ community — many of whom argued, &#8220;This is not the representation we&#8217;re looking for.&#8221; The backlash led Netflix to remove the &#8220;LGBTQ&#8221; tag from the streaming platform, classifying the show as &#8220;Crime TV Shows&#8221; and &#8220;Social Issue Drama&#8221; instead.

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer – Milwaukee, USA

Dahmer Prosecutor Blows Up Netflix Narrative Claiming Cops Ignored Black, Gay Victims

Dahmer Prosecutor Refutes Netflix Narrative Claiming Cops Ignored Black, Gay Victims

Netflix

Police

Racism

Rapper Lil Nas X is furious that he wasn’t nominated for any 2022 BET Awards.
The two-time Grammy Award winner, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, expressed his frustration in a string of now-deleted tweets on Wednesday just after the nominations were announced, according to <a href="https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/lil-nas-bet-awards-zero-nominations-twitter-1235079964/">Billboard</a>.
First, he took a sarcastic approach. “Thank you bet awards. an outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!” he shared with the prayer hands emoji and a heart emoji.
Nas also replied to a fan who was asking why he thought he deserved the nomination.
“idk maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year &amp; a critically acclaimed album… i feel like that should’ve helped me a bit,” the rapper replied. He was referring to “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” “Industry Baby,” and “That’s What I Want,” which were all released in 2021. The first two topped the Billboard 100 charts for several weeks while the third peaked at number 8, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10877447/Lil-Nas-X-lets-frustration-receiving-ZERO-BET-Awards-nominations.html">per</a> Daily Mail.
When someone else on social media pointed out how his last few records weren’t hip-hop, Nas replied, “they have a pop category.”
Next, the rapper complained about how black, gay musicians are discriminated against in the industry. “Not even that, doesn’t even have to be me nominated, I just feel like black gay ppl have to fight to be seen in this world and even when we make it to the top mfs try to pretend we are invisible,” he shared to Twitter. 
Doja Cat had the most BET Awards nominations this year with six total, followed by Drake and Ari Lennox with four each.
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X is in the running for other awards. Billboard notes how the 23-year-old performer is expected to accept the Hal David Starlight Award at the 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on June 16. 
The award is presented each year to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.” Past recipients include Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Halsey, and others.
Lil Nas X was the most-nominated male artist at the 2020 Grammy Awards. The rapper won awards that year for Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 
He also scored two MTV Video Music Awards for &#8220;Old Town Road&#8221; including Song of the Year, plus the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Song. Lil Nas X is the first openly gay black performer to <a href="https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/11/lil-nas-x-first-gay-person-win-country-music-award/">win</a> a Country Music Association award.
Taraji P. Henson is scheduled to host the 2022 BET Awards on BET starting Sunday, June 26 at 8 PM ET.

2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards ‚Äì Arrivals

Lil Nas X Blasts BET Awards For Not Nominating Him, Says Black Gay Artists ‘Fight To Be Seen’

Lil Nas X Blasts BET Awards For Not Nominating Him, Says Black Gay Artists 'Fight To Be Seen'

Enterainment

Lil Nas X

Fans of the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie couldn’t help but notice a change in the dialogue. During an airing on Britain’s ITV, one line deemed “homophobic” by critics was altered completely for today’s audience, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/25/spider-man-fans-respond-to-homophobic-line-cut-from-film/">reported</a>.
This film version featured Tobey Maguire playing Peter Parker. During the controversial scene in question, Maguire insults another character (Bone Saw, played by wrestling legend Randy &#8220;Macho Man&#8221; Savage) during a wrestling match by saying, “That’s a cute outfit. Did your husband give it to you?”
In the edited version, however, Maguire’s line is cut to, “That’s a cute outfit.” 
One perceptive fan documented the change on Twitter, causing an avalanche of both positive and negative reactions. 
“THEY REMOVED PETER PARKER’S HOMOPHOBIA,” the user <a href="https://twitter.com/PaperPlaneTF/status/1517947398936535040">shared</a> in the clip, which as of Monday had close to 650,000 views. 
Many commenters argued that the line no longer made sense since it didn’t even attempt to be funny. They suggested that editors should have changed it to “Did your mom give it to you?” 
Others were confused why the line had to be changed at all. “So many things happen in this world, countless deaths, robberies, and many other things. And what makes people mad is a JOKE in a SPIDER-MAN MOVIE. Learn to take a joke. seriously. And the intent behind it wasn’t even bad, y’all just want something to be mad about,” one person said in <a href="https://twitter.com/WereAliens/status/1518354282919215109">reply</a>. 
“I feel like the ‘that’s a cute outfit’ line doesn’t work without the punchline, and that they’d have been better off just cutting the entire joke, but for the life of me I can’t come up with a justification. It’s not like Bone Saw wouldn’t take offence to just being called ‘cute,’” another person wrote. 
“When the punchline is gay marriage it’s not really a good punchline,” someone else argued.
The “Spider-Man” trilogy has succeeded while so many other superhero films fail thanks in part to their refusal to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spider-man-no-way-home-suggests-movie-fans-are-fed-up-with-woke-propaganda">inject a woke agenda</a>. The latest installment, “No Way Home,” raked in $253 million domestically on opening weekend even as the pandemic limited theater attendance. 
A Breitbart review summed up why they believe the movie was so successful.
“Newsflash: If you make a decent movie that seeks to entertain and move — instead of lecture and shame — we will show up,” journalist John Nolte wrote. “‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ does precisely that. You will not only have a great time at the movies again, but there’s no gay, transsexual, or racial nonsense. This movie is about only one thing: Delivering the goods.”
One of the most popular scenes in the newest film showed the reunion of previous actors to play Spider-Man including Maguire and Andrew Garfield in a classic pointing scene along with “No Way Home” lead Tom Holland.

Spiderman

‘Spider-Man’ Fans Notice ‘Homophobic’ Line Cut From 2002 Film On ITV

Movies

Superheroes

While there are multiple forms of bigotry, there are also multiple ways of describing such bigotry.
If your bigotry is rooted in race, you may be described as a racist.
If your bigotry is rooted in sex or gender, you may be labeled a sexist or misogynist.
If your bigotry is rooted in a hatred of Jews, you may be viewed as an anti-Semite (unless you’re a Democratic member of Congress).
The “ism” or “ist” suffix denotes a person who practices in some form of ideology, while the “anti” prefix denotes being against or acting in opposition to something.
Then, there are other forms of bigotry described in a different manner. “Homophobia.” “Transphobia.” “Islamophobia.”
These are viewed as synonymous with the earlier examples of bigotry. However, they are etymologically different in an important way. The suffix “phobia” refers to an “extreme or irrational fear” of something. “Homophobia,” therefore, refers to an extreme or irrational “fear” of homosexuals or homosexuality. “Transphobia” refers to an extreme or irrational “fear” of transgender people or transgenderism. “Islamophobia” refers to an extreme or irrational “fear” of Muslims or Islam.
And why does this difference matter? It matters because those who make an accusation of bigotry are basing their reasoning on a varying spectrum of assumptions.
When it comes to the earlier examples of racism, sexism, or anti-Semitism, these don’t imply any underlying motive or context. You are simply “against” something; someone who “discriminates” based on one single factor.
However, when it comes to the later examples of homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia, the direct implication is that the alleged bigot is acting out of an extreme or irrational fear, and therefore that their positions are inarguably irrational, regardless of context.
The issue is then deepened when we consider that any form of criticism leveled against the LGBT “movement” or Islam as an ideology is instantly rejected by the Left as expressions of these phobias. The assumed premise that such criticism is actually bigotry fueled by fear then allows detractors to avoid having to determine whether or not the comments amount to a rational opinion. Content no longer matters, because of the premise of irrational fear.
And where does this leave us? In a situation where people find themselves unable to express valid opinions on topics such as same-sex marriage, transgenderism in schools, or the threat of radical Islam, with any and all arguments inherently labeled as “irrationally fearful.”
To combat this logical trick, we should no longer accept the premise that criticism alone represents a phobia. While instances of homophobia may be instances of anti-homosexuality — and similarly for transphobia with anti-transgenderism and Islamophobia with anti-Islam — we cannot surrender the label of irrationality without question, and push to return the debate surrounding accusations of bigotry to a rational foundation, filtering out the valid arguments from a supposed sea of actual hatred.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at<a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth"> @ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

OPINION: Homophobia, Transphobia, And Islamophobia: Why We Should Stop Assuming Irrational Fear

Anti-Semitism

Radical Islam

Transgender

Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden faced backlash over a digital ad that his campaign released on Saturday taking aim at fellow candidate Pete Buttigieg over his record as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
The ad compared and contrasted both candidate&#8217;s records while they were elected officials, and was criticized as being a “homophobic dog whistle.”
“Barack Obama called Joe Biden ‘the best vice president America’s ever had,’ but Pete Buttigieg doesn’t think much of the vice president’s record,&#8221; the ad began. &#8220;Let’s compare.”
“When President Obama called on him, Joe Biden helped lead the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which gave health care to 20 million people,&#8221; the ad said. &#8220;And when park-goers called on Pete Buttigieg, he installed decorative lights under bridges giving citizens of South Bend colorfully illuminated rivers.”
“Both Vice President Biden and former Mayor Buttigieg have taken on tough fights. Under threat of a nuclear Iran, Joe Biden helped negotiate the Iran deal. And under threat of disappearing pets, Buttigieg negotiated lighter licensing regulations on pet chip scanners.”
“Both Vice President Biden and former Mayor Pete have helped shape our economy. Joe Biden helped save the auto industry, which revitalized the economy of the Midwest, and led the passage and implementation of The Recovery Act, saving our economy from a depression,&#8221; the ad continued. &#8220;Pete Buttigieg revitalized the sidewalks of downtown South Bend by laying out decorative brick.”
“And both Biden and Buttigieg have made hard decisions. Despite pressure from the NRA, Joe Biden passed the assault weapons ban through Congress, then he passed the Violence Against Women Act,&#8221; the ad added. &#8220;And when public pressure mounted against him, former Mayor Pete fired the first African American Police Chief of South Bend, and then he forced out the African American fire chief, too.”
“We’re electing a president,&#8221; the ad concluded. &#8220;What you’ve done matters.”
WATCH:
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1226189752598171648
There was a good amount of support for the ad online from Democrats who dislike Buttigieg or who like Biden, and from Republicans who enjoyed watching the fighting between the two.
National Review Washington Correspondent John McCormack noted: &#8220;&#8216;colorful lights&#8230;&#8217; &#8216;decorative brick&#8230;&#8217; If a Republican released this ad&#8230;&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“colorful lights&#8230;” “decorative brick&#8230;” 
If a Republican released this ad&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/FpfNjGGD5q">https://t.co/FpfNjGGD5q</a>
&mdash; John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/McCormackJohn/status/1226200677996732416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
HuffPost media reporter Daniel Marans also <a href="https://twitter.com/danielmarans/status/1226234313605308416">raised</a> the question of whether the ad was homophobic.
Popular Twitter account Comfortably Smug wrote: &#8220;This whole ad is a homophobic dog whistle: decorative sidewalks and lights and pet adoption? Discomfort with African Americans? WHAT IS BIDEN SAYING?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This whole ad is a homophobic dog whistle: decorative sidewalks and lights and pet adoption? Discomfort with African Americans? WHAT IS BIDEN SAYING? <a href="https://t.co/9cfLTottwO">https://t.co/9cfLTottwO</a>
&mdash; Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/1226210080078671878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Columnist John Nolte attacked the ad for a different reason, writing: &#8220;I dislike #MayoPete as much as Burisma Joe, but this ad is terrible; Biden big-shotting a guy for being a small town mayor and the little quality of life issues that matter to era people.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I dislike <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MayoPete?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MayoPete</a> as much as Burisma Joe, but this ad is terrible; Biden big-shotting a guy for being a small town mayor and the little quality of life issues that matter to era people. <a href="https://t.co/JTlMUbPCTk">https://t.co/JTlMUbPCTk</a>
&mdash; John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte (@NolteNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/1226219887208620032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican National Committee (RNC) Rapid Response Director Steve Guest noted that Biden&#8217;s ad left out potentially more damaging on Buttigieg.
&#8220;Interesting choice that the Biden campaign didn&#8217;t mention this too: As Mayor, Pete Buttigieg Saw His Own Street Repaved,&#8221; Guest wrote. &#8220;Or this. Mayor Pete was so derelict in improving the roads of South Bend, Domino&#8217;s Pizza stepped up to help: South Bend receives $5,000 grant from Domino&#8217;s Pizza to fill potholes.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Or this.
Mayor Pete was so derelict in improving the roads of South Bend, Domino&#39;s Pizza stepped up to help:
South Bend receives $5,000 grant from Domino&#39;s Pizza to fill potholes<a href="https://t.co/5qAwQ6KlHq">https://t.co/5qAwQ6KlHq</a>
&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1226215606988476416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>