Why do homophobes all claim to have gay friends?

I have to agree with you. I've seen several cases with that line being used and always they have something negative to say. Irony bites us in so many ways.

The same reason how caucasian (the ones who are rednecks) claims to have a black friend or two and that doesn't qualify them to be racists. Same think with the reverse role with blacks. I'm with that lame excuse with people. Just admit it and move on!

LOL I've noticed that too - not just about homosexuality. You always know when a response starts out that way that it's all going to go wrong after the "but". Personally I like the ones that start out "I have nothing against.." and then proceed to tell you EXACTLY what they've got against whatever the topic is under discussion.

I don't believe anyone who has gay friends would be against them as if they are your friends you would know they are just people like us with different thoughts, I think gay people are great people, no different to anyone else....

I'm somewhat of a "homophobe" , it's not like i hate or discourage homosexuals its just that they make me nervous for some reason :\.

I find this extremely funny. The people who post these sort of comments are completely ignorant. I just replied to a post in which a woman stated that she was losing respect for Disney World because they allowed gay people to roam around and they are also performing gay marriages. She went on to say that she loves gay people, however. How can you love gay people and be outraged that you have to be around them? It's exactly like someone saying "I have a black friend, but [insert something racist]". It's all just ignorant.

Maybe they're hoping that by mentioning the fact they have gay friends, people won't criticise them as much!...it doesn't work on me though! lol...Judging someone because they're gay is just stupid in my view. What's so bad with loving someone of the same gender? It's not like they're going around killing people in their spare time!..Some people just make me want to scream...

This is a real quandry. I mean, if you feel you have to qualify a negative comment about homosexuals, then aren't you really saying that you know your opinion is wrong? If it were right, would you feel the need to "make yourself look nicer" by saying that you had gay friends? I get annoyed at this too. I know a lot of people who say they have gay friends, but then go on to say horrible things about gays. My response to that is usually "Would you say that in front of your gay friends? How do you think what you just said would make them feel?"

I'm the one Sasa is talking about. I do love my gay friends and I do have to explain to you why I have gay friends and do not agree with their lifestyle. My friends know how I feel. I love them but not their lifestyle. It is a sin, love the person but not the sin. I do not believe that gays were born to be gay. If that was the case the bible would mention it.

I agree they tend to do that to express that all they have are opinions that differ to whatever favors gay people and don't want to admit that they have problems with gay people. I'm not homophobic but before I just chose not to be around them but 3 years ago I met this couple and they are nice to me & proven to me that homosexuals are decent normal human beings and have rights in this world as much as other people.

I hear the whole "I have Gay friends but ..." all the time. Strangely enough, those are the ones who speak out first against Gay rights. I don't think they realize how ridiculous they're making themselves look. It's as if by saying that they have Gay friends that they're proving to themselves that they're not homophobic, they're denying to themselves that they are, and they're trying to convince everyone around them that they are too. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. When they start off a discussion by saying "I have Gay friends but ..." it's a huge red flag for me.

If anything, they are probably trying to make themselves look like they aren't homophobic. But the problem is that they are pretty much in denial fifty-percent of the time.

Actually, it's my gay friends who drive me to homophobia. Okay, just kidding. I'm not homophobic and for some reason most of my male friends tend to be gay. But, yeah, after a day surrounded by them, I start to long for a gay-free zone.

Yeah that could be annoying. I don't know if they would annoy me more than the people that do it with race though. Or the people that instantly label people homophobes for saying it isn't their kettle of fish, despite the fact that they don't have any issues with "gay" people. Or people calling them homophobes because they don't think it's a good thing, even though they know "gay" people and still decide to treat them as human beings. Of course there's no excuse for comments like they're so funny, nice and stuff like that. I always thought a homophobe was someone who hated "gays" no matter what. This being said, I have a bi-friend, she's a very nice person, but... ;p

ooh I hate that, it's kind of like racists who say "I'm not racist, I have a black friend but blablablabla".

I would just like to say Thank You for saying so many things that I feel. I have read each response regarding this discussion topic. Some of the responses made me angry, but you answered all of them so adequately. Some of them made me shake my head and say WTF, again you came through. We need all the support we can get, and you provide us with exactly that. You totally understand what being gay means. Most straight people have no clue. Thank You, cyntrow. God Bless

I just think its plain weird. I have had so called friends say things directly to me like " you know I'm not homophobic but......." If they truly have gay friends, they must realise that the comments are going to be found offensive. I do wonder though how many of the "gay friends" challange homophobic remarks or just let them pass because they don't want to upset their straight friends.