The 27-year-old man who police say shot and killed a California business owner over a Pride flag draped in her store appears to have had a yearslong history of posting disturbing — and often violent — anti-LGBTQ messages on social media.

The suspect, Travis Ikeguchi, gunned down Laura Ann Carleton, 66, on Friday, after confronting her and “yelling many homophobic slurs” over her clothing store’s Pride flag, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said at a news conference Monday. Shortly after fleeing the store, Mag.Pi, Ikeguchi was killed in a shootout with law enforcement.

  • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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    210 months ago

    No, it’s called bigotry.

    If I see a queer person, I don’t go running for the hills, nor do they make me feel irrationally uncomfortable or fearful.

    • @JollyTheRancher@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Absolutely. This is the same reason I am against the use of sunrise and sunset. The sun isn’t actually doing anything!

      Peanuts are not actually nuts, we must fix this as well.

      I heard someone say they were head over heels in love with their boyfriend the other day, imagine my outrage that they were standing normal on their feet!

      We should also get rid of the word hemophobia, they’re not actually afraid of blood, they’re just having a neurological reaction.

      It is just all so infuriating

      Oh, and don’t even get me started on “sleeping like a baby”! I’ve never seen a baby sleep through the night without waking up multiple times.

      Or when people claim they’re “freezing” when it’s just a bit chilly. To my knowledge, they’re not turning into ice!

      Ever heard someone say they’re “starving”? Unless they’ve been stranded on a deserted island recently, I doubt it.

      And the term “caught red-handed”? Unless their hands are actually painted red, I think we might be exaggerating.

      It’s all so perplexing; words just aren’t what they used to be!

        • @JollyTheRancher@lemmy.world
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          3410 months ago

          Absolutely, words do matter! That’s precisely my point. If we’re to take every word and phrase at its literal, original meaning, we’d have quite the linguistic overhaul on our hands. It’d be a monumental task (and not literally involving monuments). But let’s remember, language is dynamic and ever-evolving. It’s as much about communication and shared understanding as it is about individual words. Let’s focus on the bigger picture and not get bogged down in the weeds—or should I say, not literally stuck in marshy grounds!

      • pizza-bagel
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        2710 months ago

        Phobia doesn’t only mean fear. Things that are hydrophobic aren’t scared of water

      • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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        210 months ago

        Exactly. And since we already have words for that, I don’t understand why people have to make up new terminology. If the article called him a bigot, I would still know what the shooting was about.

        • @Fried_out_Kombi@lemmy.world
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          3610 months ago

          “Homophobia” has been the accepted and predominant term for anti-gay bigotry for as long as I can remember; no one’s making up new terminology here.

              • pizza-bagel
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                2310 months ago

                I don’t really feel anything about the dictionary definition of words tbh

                  • UristMcHolland
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                    1510 months ago

                    Yet you still don’t realize how badly you are failing to communicate in your comments. Which is the whole point of words right?

                  • @yata@sh.itjust.works
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                    410 months ago

                    You are the only one doing that though. All you comments are basically projection (you can look up the definition of that term).

          • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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            10 months ago

            As I said in another comment, Native American has been the terminology for quite some time as well, regardless of the fact that it’s wrong.

            My point, so you don’t think I’m trying a straw man argument, just because something is used for a long time, by the majority of people, doesn’t make it inherently correct.

            • @Fried_out_Kombi@lemmy.world
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              1110 months ago

              I don’t understand why people have to make up new terminology

              I used google trends to show you they’re not; the term has been in common use for literally decades.

              Further, you’ve been stating repeatedly in this thread that “homophobia” is incorrect semantically because it’s not a literal fear of gay people. But the literal dictionary definition of “phobia” proves you wrong on this.

              Repeating the same alternative facts over and over in this thread doesn’t make them true.

          • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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            110 months ago

            So has the term “Native American “, and that’s no more correct than the word “homophobia “. 🤷🏻‍♂️

            • @Fried_out_Kombi@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Except “phobia” doesn’t solely mean “irrational fear”. As @pizza-bagel@kbin.social pointed out, “hydrophilia” and “hydrophobia” do not refer to chemicals that are literally in love with or afraid of water.

        • @Landrin201@lemmy.ml
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          1210 months ago

          What us the definition of “hydrophobia” as it relates to chemistry?

          I’ll wait for you to explain how some molecules are leterally afraid of water.

          • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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            110 months ago

            What does that have to do with homophobia?

            The same point comes across if you call them a bigot instead of attaching new definitions to a word so that it fits the description of someone who is prejudiced.

        • @yata@sh.itjust.works
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          510 months ago

          Bigotry is the overall term, homophobia is a subset of bigotry. You are the one attempting to redefine language in ways noone but yourself agrees with.

    • AnonTwo
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      2310 months ago

      Semantics wars are stupid and detract from the conversation.

      • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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        110 months ago

        They’re the ones getting hung up on that part of my comment and conveniently overlooking the second part. Not surprising.

        • AnonTwo
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          1010 months ago

          Alright, I’ll bite

          Why is it suspicious how he acquired a gun in the United States?

          • @DadeMurphy@lemm.ee
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            410 months ago

            It’s not suspicious, I t’s more about the lack of enforcement in regards to how easy it is to get purchase a gun legally.

            It’s actually harder to get a driver’s license than something specifically made to kill, and that’s a big problem.

            The issue is, if the government tries to implement protocols, then they start crying about infringing on their right, as if it’s the only amendment that can’t be, wait for it….amended.

            Regardless of what kind of weapon you want, you should have to take a psychological evaluation beforehand. And depending on what type of firearm you purchase, you should be required to have a certain amount of hours for gun safety as well, for that specific type of firearm, i.e. handguns, rifles, shotguns, etc.

    • @MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca
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      1310 months ago

      Is a hydrophobic material afraid of water? Or does it simply repel water?

      Similarly a homophobic person repels homosexuals from society via shame, discrimination, or violence.