A specific incident and an individual reaction to that "thing" doesn't have to be what a "normal" person might expect to be a standard or "universal" response for it to be real, profound or harmful. The question to be asked is what the prime actor would expect might happen if I did this or that?
That's not the question any more. Ignorance is of the potential consequences is no defence, at least in the court of public opinion. No idea whether that's right or wrong but if you offend someone then it doesn't matter whether or not you could have predicted it, you're wrong these days.