If this is the kind of grief someone gets for admitting a mistake and trying to be better, why bother? We must welcome progress, not derisively ask "What took you so long?" We must extend grace and understanding, not contempt and indignation, to those who experience a change of heart. I do not want to live in a world where admitting a mistake and showing remorse leads to a moral indictment by a brigade of self-righteous scolds. If Matt Damonâs using homophobic slurs at the dinner table in 2021, you canât tell me heâs not using racist slurs too. "But how could he not know?" was the recurring question, along with "what other slurs is he using?" Instead of celebrating that and using him as a positive example of an old dog learning new tricks, many on the left have instead opted to be unforgiving jerks. He is the model of what we on the left should hope for: people becoming more inclusive and less offensive as they are exposed to new viewpoints and new ideas. If we on the Left, including those of us in the gay community, are serious about making social progress and broadening acceptance and inclusion for LGBT people, Matt Damon should be lauded, not lambasted. It's so saccharine that it could be a Disney Channel Original Movie. Matt Damon learned from his daughter and grew as a man. Instead, as Damon explains it, he received new information, realized that what he was saying is hurtful, and modified his behavior. And if Damon had doubled down on the homophobic slur after his daughter criticized him, if he had gotten defensive and recalcitrant, there would be ample room for outrage.īut that is not what happened. Matt Damon attends the Project Greenlight Season 4 Winning Film premiere "The Leisure Class" presented by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adaptive Studios and HBO at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Augin Los Angeles, California. Like Matt Damon, they weren't homophobic, either. I remember desperately trying to explain to my straight male friends-who had been my friends for years, who had stood by me through thick and thin, and had even defended me from homophobia-why the word bothered me so much. The thing is, the answer is not outrageous. But it is fair to ask how a Harvard-educated Hollywood actor could not know that the f-slur is, well, a slur. Instead of admiring the is grace of changing one's mind and giving up hurtful language, the social justice mob dragged Damon over the proverbial coals, desperate to use this as evidence of his homophobia. Of course, Twitter cannot accept a story about someone changing for the better without making sure he is thoroughly lashed in the process. Matt Damon realized he was being hurtful and modified his behavior. His daughter corrected him and explained why it is offensive. But to me, this is a story about someone changing for the better. He'll be fine.- Tom and Lorenzo August 2, 2021Īs a person who was frequently taunted for being gay as a kid growing up in Appalachia, who was himself called the "f-slur" too many times to count, you might be surprised to learn that I dissent. It's okay to call a rich asshole an asshole. There has been no real call for a boycott or any notable attempt to "cancel" him. SUPER-annoyed with all of the folks bemoaning the "twitter mob" criticizing Matt Damon. Never too late for personal growth." "SUPER-annoyed with all of the folks bemoaning the "twitter mob" criticizing Matt Damon. The tweets were fast and furious: "If Matt Damon's using homophobic slurs at the dinner table in 2021, you can't tell me he's not using racist slurs too." "holy god Matt Damon is dumb." "Matt Damon's daughter has inspired me to stop using the phrase Masshole Douche Canoe. Twitter immediately exploded in condemnation. After reading it, Damon told his daughter he would commit to "retire the f-slur!" His daughter, incensed, wrote a lengthy "treatise" (Matt's word) on why the word is offensive.
"The word that my daughter calls the 'f-slur for a homosexual' was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application," the actor said, explaining that he recently made a joke using the slur. That was my recurring thought as I saw the unfolding furor over Matt Damon's recent interview with the Times in which the actor admitted he'd only recently stopped using a slur to refer to gay people.