Purported comedian Guy Earle his back in the news, trying to convince a judge that assaulting lesbians is free speech. Because the article through the link is a piece of crap, and contains several falsehoods about the context of the incident, I would just note a few bits from the BCHRT decision:
• Mr. Earle made two sets of comments from the stage at Zesty’s, to and about Ms.Pardy and her friends, and recorded above, including referring to them as “fucking cunts”, “stupid cunts”, “stupid dykes”, and “fucking dyke cunts”;
• Mr. Earle cornered Ms. Pardy and continued to physically intimidate and verbally abuse her by the bar as she returned from the washroom, including referring to her as “fucking stupid dyke, stupid fucking bitch”, and he grabbed and broke her sunglasses;
• The Zesty respondents failed to restrain Mr. Earle, protect Ms. Pardy from his verbal or physical assault, or otherwise take effective steps to remedy his treatment of her.
Basically, the Earle case isn't about free speech at all. Its about a functionary at a restaurant going off on one of the patrons because of their sexual orientation.
I think the 'performer' and the customer, both have issues. In the end, the customer is always right. BCL, can you use cleaner words or blank out some letters.
ReplyDeleteThose are the words that Earle used. As a champion of free speech, why do you have a problem with BCL repeating them here?
ReplyDeleteYou're offended by reading it, Meir?
Imagine how those two women felt when the Earle was screaming those words in their faces?
Would you say that this (along with the physical encounter) constituted an assault or was it, as your friends at Free Dominion believe, a matter of free speech?
I am offended.
ReplyDelete