Chelsea Handler isn’t new to making controversial and often divisive statements. However, she may have crossed a line that alienated many of her supporters. The comedian took to Twitter to comment about National Coming Out Day—a day recognized by the LGBTQ community to celebrate “coming out.” Handler commented, “If you’re wondering why Republicans took a sick day today, it’s probably because its #NationalComingOutDay. Looking at you @LindseyGrahamSC.”
Handler immediately received a landslide of backlash from social media users who called her out for gay shaming and using homosexuality as a punchline. The borderline homophobic tweet shows the hypocrisy of liberal “allies.” The fact that Chelsea Handler is comfortable using gay jokes as a weapon takes away any credibility she had to speak in defense of any minorities.
As public figures, our politicians should be called to account for things like policy and grievances. Lately, attacking family members of politicians has become the new normal. Chelsea Handler managed to do something even more despicable by potentially “outing” an elected member of the United States government. Whether or not Sen. Lindsey Graham is gay shouldn’t be a talking point for anyone, especially so-called comedians looking for some laughs. It’s widely accepted within the liberal community that conjecture over someone’s sexual orientation should be off-limits. Privacy is important for those dealing with such a sensitive issue.
Not only did Chelsea Handler manage to offend many followers on National Coming Out Day, she made a complete mockery of the LGBTQ community. Rather than posting a positive message to those who support her, Handler’s desire to joke at the expense of an entire community was stronger. Not only was her tired joke completely offensive to the LGBTQ community, it illustrated a true lack of compassion towards those who identify as gay. In a sorry attempt at damage control, Handler concocted a random post attempting to celebrate National Coming Out Day.
Another significant day for the LGBTQ community recently passed with the 20th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepherd—who was brutally murdered in Wyoming in 1998 for being gay. Twenty years on and American society still hasn’t learned the meaning of tolerance. Chelsea Handler’s brand of “comedy” has never been funny. Watching her crack jokes that aren’t funny and laughing at herself is cringeworthy.
In true arrogant fashion, Handler didn’t address her remarks or apologize even after receiving a landslide of backlash on Twitter over her tasteless comments. Hatred and exclusion continue to exist everywhere in America. Advocates of the LGBTQ community have launched extensive campaigns over the years to raise awareness about the dangers of using homosexuality as an insult. So why in 2018 does Chelsea Handler think it’s okay to unravel this work?
Part of the problem is hypocrisy. There aren’t enough people with large platforms speaking out against subtle and not so subtle bigotry like Chelsea Handler’s. Regardless of political beliefs, the response to Handler’s disgusting remarks should have been greater. Failing to call out hypocrisy is a disappointing part of social media and dialogue in general.
