I said you're unfairly judging the situation, by focusing on those facts about the person. Why else would you say "white, rich male" and "REAL victim" in that tone? If I've misunderstood, feel free to clarify why you felt that describing a "white, rich male" was necessary. I read it as a suggestion that we should let those factors influence how we judge the justness or unjustness of this situation. To do so is not in keeping with equality.

Full disclosure: if you look at my other recent comments, I've obviously been quite sympathetic to the man (though cooling off as I accept the reality of PR politics.) I'm also a "privileged", straight, white male. I don't think this affects my post here. The whole idea of, "If a privileged majority may have been slighted, nobody need apologize, we'll just erase a bit of the debt they owe the world and put it out of our mind for today" is repulsive to me. I feel like this is underlying your original comment (feel free to untwist your words if that's what I've unwittingly done.) I'm not saying he was victimized, but it's offensive that you went out of your way to reject that idea, in large part because of the status of the person. People who indulge this kind of mentality are just about as bad as the original oppressors. Maybe this is all invalid to you since I'm a "white male", but I also hope I would have the integrity to stand up for this, even if I were not so privileged.

" I'm also a "privileged", straight, white male. I don't think this affects my post here. The whole idea of, "If a privileged majority may have been slighted, nobody need apologize, we'll just erase a bit of the debt they owe the world and put it out of our mind for today" is repulsive to me. "

Its fine to be privileged in a vacuum, and people shouldn't treat you any differently. But to be a person in a position of privilege AND paying to take away the civil rights of a less privileged group AND THEN claiming to be the victim when you lose your job and people gasp judge you based on your actions? VICTIM CARD BABY!

It's pretty clear you're quick to do the same. Stuff like "Maybe this is all invalid to you since I'm a "white male"" is nothing if not you playing the victim card based on being in the most privileged class on the planet...

My point was never that rich white males are awful, just that the whole "holy shit someone pointed out that me abusing my position of power is offensive, time to turn the tables and make me, the rich white male, the real abused one in this saga where an entire class of people had an amendment passed to take away their civil rights. Those people whos rights I took away? They're the real bad people here..."

Alright, that bit was a little too "victim card." There's nothing more I can productively say about that.

I see what you're saying about the victim mentality, but you're being too broad. (Not that Brendan has even said anything about feeling victimized AFAIK, but people here are on his behalf.) My point is that if we're ever going to have more equality, we have to stop "keeping score" like this. You could at least make it about how a straight person (Brendan) is playing the victim after victimizing non-straights. Make it about the hypocrisy of exercising "free speech" and then being upset when others exercise theirs at you (again I don't think Brendan feels this way), or legislating rights away from others, but please stop dragging in "rich white male." When talking about these issues, the classes are relevant, but none of those are a factor to the class you are accusing him of oppressing. Unless you actually think it would be different if he only discriminated against gay, rich, white males? Or, that not a single middle-class, female latina also supported Prop 8? I feel you just bring them up to remind everyone what the score is and how it should color what we think of Brendan's situation. That's not equality.

" none of those are a factor to the class you are accusing him of oppressing. Unless you actually think it would be different if he only discriminated against gay, rich, white males?"

You seem completely allergic to even attempting to get it. How about instead of twisting my words to suit your argument you simply read what I said and realize that my point is only "be aware of your position of privilege and, at the very least, try not to take away the civil rights of less privileged groups while doing so." If this is offensive to you than I refuse to acknowledge that you are a rational person.

Good, you dropped "rich, white male" which was my point. Your point still makes sense from both our perspectives, as "straight person" could be called a more privileged position than "gay person."