South Park episode rankles gay advocacy group

On this latest episode, called “The F-Word,” the children of “South Park” decide that they will change the meaning of the word “fag” so that it will be used as a slur against burly, inconsiderate motorcyclists who ride loud Harley-Davidson bikes instead of against gay people. The children’s casual and frequent use of the word, which was broadcast unbleeped, offends adults and several gay characters on the show. But after the town learns the etymology of the word “faggot” (which began use as a derisive term for old women) and gains the approval of a dictionary official, their new meaning for the word is accepted.

But the episode did not sit easy with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an advocacy group that monitors issues of gender identity and sexual orientation in the media. In a news release issued on Thursday night, the group asks for Comedy Central and the “South Park” staff to apologize for what it calls a “slur-filled episode.”

In a statement, GLAAD officials said they recognized that the episode was attempting to “use edgy humor to provide commentary on current issues.” They added: “Yet despite what the ‘South Park’ writers may believe, the definition of the F-word remains one that is harmful and derogatory to the LGBT community.”

The statement, which does not use the word directly, says that the epithet “remains a hateful slur that is often part of the harassment, bullying and violence that gay people, and gay youth in particular, experience on a daily basis in this country. It is an epithet that has real consequences for real people’s lives.”

It continues:

The creators of “South Park” are right on one important point: more and more people are using the F-word as an all-purpose insult. However, it is irresponsible and wrong to suggest that it is a benign insult or that promoting its use has no consequences for those who are the targets of anti-gay bullying and violence. This is a slur whose meaning remains rooted in homophobia. And while many “South Park” viewers will understand the sophisticated satire and critique in last night’s episode, others won’t – and if even a small number of those take from this a message that using the “F-word” is OK, it worsens the hostile climate that many in our community continue to face.

The GLAAD statement said it was told by Comedy Central that the network appreciated its concerns and would soon be in touch to discuss them with the group. A press representative for Comedy Central said that the network would comment shortly.