No, they have. Saying "Now, I don't defend what he said" before you launch into a defense of his right to say it doesn't negate the fact it's still a defense of what he said and his right to say it.
You've essentially been arguing that people should get to say similar things because the minorities in question have attempted to reclaim those slurs, so now they're fair game. Ferrio's been arguing that people should get to say those slurs because to disallow them is caving to political correctness and weaking/softening the "community." Marden basically did a drive-by that blended those two arguments in about twenty words or so.
None of that gets wiped away simply because you prefaced those arguments with "I don't like homophobic slurs, BUT..."