The inherent contradiction between the two modern notions of "hate speech" and "identity pride" showed up the other day in San Francisco, when a group of lesbian motorcycle enthusiasts persuaded the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to award them rights to the phrase "Dykes on Bikes."

National Review, Dec 31, 2005

The inherent contradiction between the two modern notions of "hate speech" and "identity pride" showed up the other day in San Francisco, when a group of lesbian motorcycle enthusiasts persuaded the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to award them rights to the phrase "Dykes on Bikes." The feds had twice turned down the group's application on grounds that "dyke" is an offensive and derogatory word.

Well, is it or isn't it? Is this one of these zones, as with the N-word, where a victim group may freely use the term, but the oppressor group may not? The biker group's attorney declared that the awarding of this trademark was "a major change in the recognition of people's rights to be out and proud and call themselves what they want to." Fair enough; but what should others call them?