Get Ready to Shut Up a Little Bit More: GLAAD Attacks Politico Over Its Use of a Now-Offensive Term - 'Pillow Fight'

In the mood for a pillow fight, or are you better than that?

According to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the words “pillow fight” can be awfully offensive.

Politico covered Thursday night’s Democratic debate in Los Angeles, and the publication labeled a battle between Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg a “pillow fight.”

As part of its Playbook PM feature, the outlet originally had this to say:

The South Bend mayor has been testing an outsider message in a field dominated by D.C. insiders, but he’s been a bit sidetracked by his pillow fight with Elizabeth Warren.

However, on Friday, Politico wrote that it’d just been served by GLAAD:

GLAAD sent us a note yesterday about Playbook PM, noting that our use of “pillow fight” when describing a fight between Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren may have offended people.

The site went on to include GLAAD Director of News and Rapid Response Drew Anderson’s explanation as to why it was inappropriate:

“For women and LGBTQ people at the workplace, hearing phrases like ‘dramatic,’ ‘over the top,’ and even ‘pillow fight’ during office disagreements fosters negative stereotypes and diminishes a person simply because of who they are. Disagreements happen in politics, but using these loaded terms during disputes feed into the sexist and homophobic tropes that simply have no place in our political coverage and rhetoric.”

Really?

Personally, I’ve seen pillow fights in my time, and I’ve never seen even one gay one.

Not my go-to thought when I imagine a battle with cushy supports meant for head rest.

You?

In my opinion — respectfully — the reaction seems a bit…and I don’t mean this ironically…over the…well, you know.

I certainly agree with Drew’s idea that Politico’s coverage shouldn’t include degradations of someone for being gay; I just wouldn’t have thought that’s what they meant.

As it turns out, neither would Politico.

It explained:

[Drew noted] that our use of “pillow fight” when describing a fight between Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren may have offended people. That was not our intent — pillow fight, in our mind, connotes a fight where no one draws blood.

GLAAD’s been grabbing headlines as of late, in part over the Hallmark Channel.

As I covered last Saturday, Christian organization One Million Moms had petitioned parent company Crown Media Family Networks to remove a wedding registry commercial featuring a kiss between lesbian brides.

The commercial was initially pulled, with Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott explaining its inclusion had actually aired by mistake to begin with.

GLAAD denounced the move, so we ended up with a new statement from the company:

Hallmark will be working with GLAAD to better represent the LGBTQ community across our portfolio of brands. The Hallmark Channel will be reaching out to (registry brand) Zola to reestablish our partnership and reinstate the commercials.

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis liked that one:

“The Hallmark Channel’s decision to correct its mistake sends an important message to LGBTQ people and represents a major loss for fringe organizations, like One Million Moms, whose sole purpose is to hurt families like mine.”

As observed by The Daily Wire, brilliant Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling also got caught in a dustup:

“J.K. Rowling, whose books gave kids hope that they could work together to create a better world, has now aligned herself with an anti-science ideology that denies the basic humanity of people who are transgender,” said Anthony Ramos, head of talent at GLAAD. “Trans men, trans women and non-binary people are not a threat, and to imply otherwise puts trans people at risk. Now is the time for allies who know and support trans people to speak up and support their fundamental right to be treated equally and fairly.”

In case you missed it, he was talking about the following, described by USA Today:

The “Harry Potter” author has come under fire for tweeting a message of support Thursday for Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job at a think tank for stating that people cannot change their biological sex.

“Dress however you please,” Rowling wrote. “Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill”

Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019