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Two opposing groups want Stephen Colbert fired over ‘homophobic’ oral sex joke

Both pro- and anti-Trump viewers are upset with Colbert.

Photo of Ana Valens

Ana Valens

stephen colbert homophobic joke: stephen colbert delivers bad joke about Trump

Stephen Colbert has a long history of making jokes that cross lines and push boundaries, especially when it comes to his opponents. But now, some LGBTQ advocates are upset with a joke aimed at President Donald Trump that inadvertently attacked gay sexuality. And Trump fans are, too.

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During his opening monologue for the Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Colbert referenced an excerpt from CBS’s Face the Nation, in which President Trump told host John Dickerson that he calls the show “Deface the Nation.” In response, Colbert made a joke implying Trump performs oral sex on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s cock holster,” Colbert exclaimed during his opening monologue.

The joke allegedly suggests Trump giving oral sex to Putin is demeaning or subservient in nature, because the punchline involves gay sex between two men. For Trump fans, Colbert’s joke is immediately controversial—it’s a sex joke about the president. But for LGBTQ advocates, the joke was immediately read as homophobic for inadvertently attacking a common gay sex practice as subservient, demeaning, or morally corrupt. Twitter users, both pro- and anti-Trump, turned to the Internet to complain about Colbert under the #FireColbert hashtag.

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https://twitter.com/_callummtaylor/status/859635844243652608

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https://twitter.com/yusuf_naqvi1/status/859389194271158272

https://twitter.com/_mattuna/status/859301965720891392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fmbvd%2Ffire-colbert-trends-after-gay-joke-about-trump-and-putin

Over time, however, the #FireColbert hashtag gradually filled with more conservative and pro-Trump voices, outnumbering any LGBTQ criticism over the comment.

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Some LGBTQ activists have called this hypocritical, noting that conservatives have largely turned a blind eye to homophobic and transphobic moves by the administration over the past 100 days.

https://twitter.com/KaivanShroff/status/859581314105839616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeed.com%2Fmbvd%2Ffire-colbert-trends-after-gay-joke-about-trump-and-putin

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Still, many LGBTQ activists are still upset about the joke, claiming it’s anti-queer in nature for criticizing Putin and Trump by calling them gay

https://twitter.com/RutherfordDman/status/859597315874713601

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This isn’t the first time Colbert has gained controversy for his sense of humor, either. In 2014, activist Suey Park started the #CancelColbert hashtag, after Colbert made a joke on Comedy Central that was criticized for disparaging Asian-Americans. LGBTQ activists have also complained about Colbert’s transphobic jokes in the past, which often used the terms “shemale” and “tranny,” and made fun of politicians at trans women’s expense.

“For instance, how many times have I accidentally picked up a tranny hooker at a truck-stop? I wanna say it’s in the 50s, but it could be higher. I guess what I’m saying is I’m nearsighted,” Colbert once said on the Colbert Report.

H/T BuzzFeed News

 
The Daily Dot