To laugh or not to laugh

I was talking to a friend about how to deal with intolerance at eg. work. He works in a place and a country (according to himself) where it is common to hear the intolerant opinions out loud. He said that he laughs at jokes about foreigners and homosexuals even if he doesn't agree with it (I know that of several reasons). I pretty much said that everyone doesn't have to be like me and speak up when the jokes and the comments just get too harsh, but, laughing is not to act neutral but to give the people who say those intolerant things acceptance. A joke is never just a joke, just a reflection of the values of the people telling them and laughing at them. People affect each other and that include opinions, so reinforcing intolerance by actively accepting it even "just in words" or "jokes" and not mind, it to let intolerance live well on and spread. He ended the conversation with (unedited):

"i am not talking about philosophic and real conversations

i am talking about stupid jokes

when drinking .. dunno

maybe you just dont know me so good to understand it

and finally

you´re still right

i´ll think a bit about it"