Did North Carolina Governor Use Gay Slur In Front Of Clinton?

America Blog:

Pansy? Standing next to Clinton, her top surrogate in North Carolina actually used the word "pansy" this morning.

After touring a bio-manufacturing training center, Gov. Easley, First Lady of North Carolina Mary Easley and Clinton held a ceremony at NC State University. The Governor formally expressed his support saying that there was "nothing I love more than a strong powerful woman." Easley concluded his remarks saying Clinton -- "makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy".

In case anyone has been living under a rock, pansy is slang for "fag."

Read the whole story: America Blog

Comments

[Gumby123]

I never thought of the word pansy meaning fag, I always thought of it as a slur like wimp.

[joeyhegele]

I was called wimp all the time...and I am gay...ther­efore wimp is an anti-gay slur. Has Obama or any of his surrogates called someone a wimp? According to the logic of this article, if he had it would be proof Obam is homophobic.

[Gumby123]

Plenty of people who are not gay have been called 'wimp' but I don't think the taunt was meant as a anti-gay slur. Wimp to me has the same meaning albeit a nicer word than say being called a 'pussy' as an insult a guys lack of strength, chutzpah, et al.

[skepticalindenver]

According to your logic, any label that has been placed on you means gay. if someone called you tall or short, black or white, blond or brunette..­..since you are gay, that means those labels are synonyms for gay. Impeccable logic.....­...sheesh.

[skepticalindenver]

woops didn't catch the sarcasm...­.long day lol

[Oldtt]

This article is the definition of nitpicking.

[AguynamedWayne]

While a "Pansy" may be a derogative for a effeminate gay male, to use the term "fag" is even more derogatory (not to mention current). HuffPost your horns are showing.

[rudyinbama]

This is of course an anti-gay slur, and Easley should simply apologize.

Try the dictionary folks, before mouthing off ignorantly.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pansy
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural pansies
Etymology: Middle English pancy, pensee, from Middle French pensée, from pensée thought, from feminine of pensé, past participle of penser to think, from Latin pensare to ponder — more at pensive
Date: 15th century
1: a garden plant (Viola wittrockiana) derived chiefly from the hybridization of the European Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor) with other wild violets; also : its flower
2 ausually disparaging : a weak or effeminate man or boy busually disparaging : a male homosexual

[Myshkin57]

Ummm... if you understand language, you know that dictionaries are meant to reflect usage. Note that the English language was around long before any dictionaries. Usage does not reflect it as an anti-gay slur anymore. It's just a fact that dictionaries are often outdated.

[RThM]

As I said before you might want to do this simple test to support your linguistic theory: The next time you're at a gas station in rural NC, 1. Find a large, tough-looking, burley, tatoo-covered MFer who rode up to the pump on his motorcyle, 2. Look him straight in the face, and 3. Call him a pansy. Please let us know the results of said test as soon as you get out of the hospital.

[shinybear]

Puh-lease!

Your remark reflects your ignorance and total disregard of gay issues.

We ALL know what a pansy is.

[Truthfighter1]

LOL!!...i'­m glad to see people see the Chamillion affect that is Hillary. Every state she goes to she changes her wolves clothing to fit the occasion, all you good blue collar folks out there are getting dooped, fooled. This woman cares nothing about you only your votes I promise you that. Besides this race and culture gibberish fueled by the MSM needs to stop. Barack has love for all people and he's tough we he needs to be, to me his toughness shows more and more this campaign goes on, the the MSM world is out to get him yet everything is still in order, the House is still standing after all the hurricanes and tornados'

Hey Hill supporters come joining a winning team, do it sooner than later please.

[jimchap]

here's what Hillary is all about:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-2.3b-in-earmarks-2008-04-28.html

pork

[moda31]

i don't know anything about easley, so i can't comment on his intentions. yes it is a word that gets thrown around a lot and most people don't think of the true definition of the word when they use it, but i can see why some people would be offended precisely by its casual use. however i doubt much will be made of this, hell if anything it'll probably score her a couple of votes from the gay hating crowd.

[sullydog]

I am a North Carolinian and I can tell you that Easley is a real zero and almost completely irrelevant at this point. In most states he would be a Republicon because he is so conservative. Billary and Weasley deserve each other.

[jlb1234567]

Today's Gallup Poll: Hillary up by a point over Obama 47% / 46%. Hillary over McCain by 2%. McCain over Obama by 2%.

[abouttime]

Who cares? Polls change with the wind.

[WAstateliberal]

So she did it by denigrating and turning on whole pockets of constituencies? Classy. Very inspiring. To see a very high level surrogate resort to unnecessary name calling and a total lack of professionalism is just so uplifting.

Go Hillary! Let's keep fighting, fighting, fighting. Partisanship and polarization are good, they make for an effective government. All fighting and name calling all the time. More culture wars! It is the Boomer way of doing things. And it has worked so well. And long as we get to have the last word, and win short term battles while losing the war, it's all good.

Bush-Clinton Regime forever!! Long live Bush-Clinton!

[CTmom13]

So Clinton's loses another group of people

Obama 08

[WAstateliberal]

Honestly, if anyone in the gay community believed Clinton was on their side, where did they get that preposterous notion? DOMA and DADT? Culture wars? She is no friend of gays. She won't even say the word.

[joeyhegele]

Yeah, all those pansies out there, but not us badass gays! Homos kicking ass for Hillary!

[shinybear]

You don't deserve to have DOMA overturned- you deserve Hillary.

Since I actually read (being a pansy) I know Obama is light years ahead of Clinton on LGBT rights.

[gcallaghan]

ROFLMAO

Using the word pansy is gay-bashing? If i wasn't a democrat, I'd enjoy seeing the sanctimonious attack the self-righteous over this non-issue.

[EyeWantOneNation]

Good gosh, gcallaghan­....I'm with ya on THAT one !!!!

LOL

[shinybear]

Homophobia is a nonissue?

[gomonkeygo]

I think he "mispoke." He meant to say "pantsuit" - as in the commonly used phrase, "Rocky Balboa looks great in a pantsuit!" Everybody says it, I hear it all the time. Don't you?

[ejay579]

Excuse, this is Rocky Balboa in a pantsuit? Now I know why I want to puke.

[LannyMacD]

Holy reaching Batman, that is weak. I'm not a fan of Clinton's antics during this campaign, but that is just weak soup on those wishing to attack her for anything. That's just making something out of nothing IMO and doesn't deserve coverage.

[IndyStacey]

I guess I've been living under a rock because I had no clue pansy was code for fag. I thought pansy meant wimp basically. I am a Obama supporter, and even I think this is a stretch - to call HRC anti-gay.

[PaulC37943]

I agree. As I get older, I find it harder and harder to keep up with coded speech. I guess that's why old people seem quaint when they speak. OMG I hope the meaning of "quaint" hasn't changed and I've just insulted old people. OMG, maybe "old people" is no longer PC, in which case I just insulted myself.

[RThM]

HRC only engages in questionable name-calling in private. Ask former staffers about her colorful language. Easley is directly anti-gay, though. The beef with HRC is that she just stands there beaming while he uses a very biggoted term to praise her.

[WAstateliberal]

Really? It never occurred to you that pansy is a term meant to denigrate seemingly feminine men? This doesn't seem like a big mystery to me. But whether Easley was bashing gays or not, what the hell was the point of saying it at all? Why was it necessary? Why do her and her surrogates always resort to division and name calling? Does this strike anyone else as just bush-league, and unprofessional? This guy seems like a major tool to me, just like the racist Rendell.

[punkingale]

Do you honestly think all seemingly feminine men are gay?

[deb813]

I'm surprised she didn't whip out a beer bottle and toast him. she has become Redneck Rita where she and anybody who supports her can say just about anything and do anything. Maybe she can burp in the middle of her next news conference.

[Obamlatina]

Wait isn't she a pansy herself? Clinton's (Bill that is) has been quoted saying so. Oh wait, his brother has also said the "N" word. Look it up on you tube. The Clinton Camp is trying so hard to have their candidate look oh so tough. Talk is cheap!

[skepticalindenver]

Do I dislike Clinton immensely? Yes. Do I think this guy made a gay slur while with her? Hell no. The more common use of the word pansy is to describe a wimp. I have heard that word used a thousand times and never once heard it used as slang for gay. Talk about a mnaufactured controversy.

[gomonkeygo]

Never? Ever? Wow. I could understand you saying that you've heard it used both ways and trying to defend the guy with that as an argument. I'm betting you are about the actual use of the word the idiot was thinking of - but your argument is a little overblown, sir or madam. Protest too much, I think, too much.

[WAstateliberal]

But why say it at all? That is the point. Her campaign is crap of the highest order. This kind of shit from politicos is rotting America from the inside out.