HBO’s Bill Maher Says “Gay Has Gone To Far” In His Major ‘New Rules’

HBO’S Real Time with Bill Maher and his popular segment New Rules is making dramatic headlines today that trans activists say go far beyond JK Rowling or Dave Chappel in discussing the LGBTQ+ community. In a moment we will show you his highlights. For some, his remarks will be divisive. Others may cheer for Mahers logic. Entitled New Rule: Along For The Pride, he suggests on the eve of Pride month… that LGBTQ+ has gone to far and challenges our community to enter, what Maher believes to be a need for deeper discussion on identifying as gay and review the dramatic changes in America that are leading to culture wars, especially over the trans community. He points out that “If something is changing at an unprecedented rate, we have to at least discuss it.” He points out that the LGB population is roughly doubling every generation, from less than 1% to 20% in the last 80 years. He states “if you were born before 1940 just .08% identify as LGBT. Boomers 2.6%, 4.2% of gen x, 10.5% of millennials, 20.8% of gen z.” These are facts that we have discussed many times at Queer News Tonight. Maher then adds the joke “Which means if we follow this trajectory, we will all be gay by 2056.” The segment on new rules, unlike Chappelle's controversy… wrap anecdotal observation, and then argument in the guise of a joke. He says “When things change this fast, people are allowed to ask “what’s up with that”? It wasn’t that long ago when adults asked what do you want to be when you grow up. They meant what profession.” Maher defends his very public stance and support on LGBTQ+ by saying “We should always be mindful of respecting and protecting, but someone has got to say it not everything is about you.” He then takes the position that the LGBTQ+ community is not above critical review when he says “It’s ok to ask questions when it is very new and involves children. The answer can’t always be that anyone from a marginalized community is automatically right, trump card, mic drop, end of discussion.” Maher is already taking criticism that he may have unwittingly succumbed to “othering”, the practice of blaming others for the purpose to divide. In one moment of New Rules he criticizes transgender ACLU Lawyer Chase Stranglo’s position on Abagail Shrier’s book ‘Irreversible Damage, The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters’ and then Stranglo being selected to 2022 NYC Pride as grand marshall along with 3 other trans activists. He separates trans community and gay men as he delivers the joke “huh… what’s missing here… oh, right… a gay men. That’s where we are now. Gay men arn’t hip enough for the gay pride parade.” We admit, as jokes go, it’s pretty good. But LGBTQ+ activists tell Queer News Tonight that Bill Maher’s New Rules segment accomplishes what JK Rowling or Dave Chappel could not. Use reasonableness and humor to divide and perhaps conquer. Proof to their point is that the first embracements, or even conversation of Mahers segment was promoted by Christian and ultra conservative media that use his words as a new book in their bible of their culture wars. As if to say, see… your own guy gets it right. An interesting turn of the table as Bill Maher has been so famously anti-religion and notoriously anti-trump conservatives. This story is evolving and Queer News Tonight will follow it closely. Here are highlights of Bill Maher’s New Rules. And then we will be back for discussion.