Is homophobia and racism acceptable on an international chess site?

Comments please, especially from admin.

Thanks Kay.  Anyone else? Admin? 

Probably not by law, though I don't think it should be a general rule. I've lived with being taunted as a "closet queen" and all sorts by gays and being called "white trash" or such by black dudes. As long as it is not malicious and well taken on both sides it's nay more than the banter any Englishman accepts in Scotland.

Mmm, interesting point of view.  I'd struggle to see how it isn't malicious given the tone on these forums.  Immature yes, but still malicious.

I'm pretty sure there are rules about this.

Depends on where the server is located. If they have a Russian server it's OK I guess, whereas illegal in some other countries.

It's this one Rasberry.

The server is in Palo Alto USA, so i guess it's under California laws.

Isn't Palo Alto in California?

Morally? Definitely not. Legally? Depends on the server location and the preferences of those operating it. Here specifically? Nope. Though, lines are fuzzy, boundaries get pushed, and micromanaging of forums, profiles, and games is nearly impossible.

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

I don't think so, nonetheless a jew is not always a Jew.

Eh? It's about racial and homophobic abuse SG, not washing up liquid. 

Yep.  Stuff posted on a couple of threads.  I don't like it as I think it's offensive, and would deter any gay people from joining this site, and worse, us all being labelled by accepting it.  I wondered if I'm in a minority.  If others don't like it either than I'd like them to comment.

Immediately anyone expresses an opinion on homosexuality that differs to the politically correct line the scream goes up, "homophobe,homophobe".

Governments, media, the general public use this cry "homophobe" to silence any dissenting voices.

I expect chess.com and many of its members are guilty of this in thought if not in words.

Replace "homosexuality" with something like "women" or "minorities", and likewise replace the word "homophobe" with "sexist" or "racist", and tell me how that reads. I'm betting you it doesn't sound very good.

No.

Whatever the subject, if you express a dissenting opinion you will be bullied into silence by name calling opponents. Islam , gay marriage or any highly emotional issue and you will be labelled a bigot etc. 

Free speech is dead and buried. Society does not want to hear anything negative about its latest ideas on  sexuality or any other issue.

Why would we want you to be silent? It saves us a lot of trouble when you willingly and vocally identify yourselves for us.

The dissenting opinion today is anti the issues mentioned. Who do you refer to saying,'identify yourselves for us'? Who is the us?

Those of us who oppose discrimination against and shaming of individual qualities that are harmless and innate to one's identity, such as sex, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexuality, and so on.