To Evangeline and AshleyWright:
Evangeline:
I am most definitely not overreacting. If these commenters had said the same thing of a Black performer, or a woman, my reaction would have been fine. But an artist who crosses gender lines for their performance isn't allowed to be defended?
For the first comment, of course a woman with a beard isn't something usual. Is it ok to say it's not normal? That's one thing the LGBT community wants: to not be viewed as others, and to be just seen as regular human beings. Granted, the commenter did not call Conchita herself a freak, but it was heavily implied in her comment. "Freak = different" doesn't cut it for me here. Nobody wants to be called a freak just because they're different.
As for Manel's comment, when he says please think of the non-gay fans, he heavily implies that straight-presenting is the only way for Eurovision to accomplish this. What do you think was this commenter's mindset when he made that comment? Conchita is only one out of likely over 30 contestants next year, and yet that one bit of representation is too much for Manel to handle.
If all you saw in this opinion piece (which, by the way, would of course be opinionated) was that the poor straight people's feelings were hurt because I didn't take the time to understand their plight, instead of the research and evidence I showed to prove these commenters wrong, shame on you. Of course they can be good people otherwise even if they don't like gay people. But that doesn't mean they should make comments like this to openly display their bigotry.
There is a hard line between tolerance and bigotry, and these six commenters crossed the line. There is no space in today's world to accommodate such views. You may think it's different, or that it violates your religion, but who cares? Like I said, it's the individual's life being affected, not theirs. I will not yield on this matter.
