Are We Still Concerned About Offending Gays?

MIAMI -- Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was fined $50,000 on Monday for directing an anti-gay slur at a fan during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, and vowed to learn from the incident. The NBA released its decision hours after speaking with Noah, saying the fine was "for using a derogatory and offensive term from the bench." The fine is only half of what Los Angeles Lakers' star Kobe Bryant was assessed for shouting the same slur toward a referee last month, and the league said the discrepancy was because the sanction against Bryant was based on both what he said -- and who he said it to. "Kobe's fine included discipline for verbal abuse of a game official," NBA spokesman Mark Broussard said. Noah and NBA officials met Monday morning. Noah said he emerged from that talk prepared to "pay the price" for what happened when he returned to the bench with two fouls midway through the first quarter of Sunday night's game against the Miami Heat.

Maybe I'm from the old school but isn't treating everybody equally the real solution to axing discrimination? If you're acting like a faggot then you're acting like a faggot. You reacting negatively only justifies the person who said it in the first place so why do it? Why make a big deal about what a player says on the court? I mean I'm 5'8'' 140. If you wanna call me a little bitch then call me a little bitch because that's what I am. You won't see me trying to fine a motherfucker or evoke the spirits of Harvey Milk because somebody smacked me with some hurtful truth. I dish it out with the best of them but I also take it because that's what dudes do. I'm fully aware of how gay that sounded. See how we came full circle? We're learning!