How is this OK? Dan Savage should not use the word “faggot” either.

So the Huffington Post is reporting that Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) got upset today when a conservative gay group called GOP Proud endorsed Mitt Romney for President. He tweeted the following response to the group’s announcement:

“The GOP’s house faggots grab their ankles, right on cue.”

How is it alright for Savage, a self-proclaimed gay rights activist, to use this word to describe other people that he disagrees with? He created the “It Gets Better Project” to help young people who are being bullied, yet he uses the word “faggot” in anger to disenfranchise and put down people who don’t agree with his political positions. Isn’t this what kids on the playground do all the time?

I’ve had a lot of respect for Dan Savage. I think he does some good work. This moment is not his finest. It’s disappointing.

I understand that people make mistakes. But if Dan Savage is going to position himself as the watchdog of others, then he needs to watch himself a little more carefully.