That's Gay

[chansen]

Oh lord! save us from this demon preacher! Please god stop the sociology! This guy is fifteen, don't be scared by his dictionary.com vocabulary and his lame references towards sociology.

Plus, I don't think any of your "friends" would appreciate being called books.

You almost had me scared there...close one.

 

[Got Blood?]

No, it doesn't. Neurology can target genuine emotions, and most 'offensive' words don't trigger a true angry reaction, people just want to fit in and look good. I know people who get 'offended', and when you actually get to know them, they're just BSing. Everyone here should study sociology, it is such a great subject to study up on. It makes it easy to read people.My friends are like books to me now.

Ok 9th grade nobel prize winner.I'm sure that's true for some people,but for those of us who feel offended by some things,leave us be and quit flaming.

And suck on spoons? wtf?

 

[Falco&Victory]

Ok, please tell me why it offends you when someone says 'gay'. Seriously, tell me why.

@chansen, I actually kinda scare my books sometimes lol.

Warning* flaming follows this, if you want to continue with the flame fest please keep reading. If you want a mature argument then please don't read below.

Everyone can stop ragging on my age, you're all making straw man arguments. You can leave my intelligence alone to, I've scored an IQ of 144 on multiple occasions, but of course that would make me smarter than some of you, and since I'm on the internet I have to be lying. I'm done putting up with crap about my age, and if that's the basis for your arguments then you are a horrible small-minded person.

The suck spoons is referencing the first post, which I actually read.

 

[Florida]

Ok, please tell me why it offends you when someone says 'gay'. Seriously, tell me why.

@chansen, I actually kinda scare my books sometimes lol.

Warning* flaming follows this, if you want to continue with the flame fest please keep reading. If you want a mature argument then please don't read below.

Everyone can stop ragging on my age, you're all making straw man arguments. You can leave my intelligence alone to, I've scored an IQ of 144 on multiple occasions, but of course that would make me smarter than some of you, and since I'm on the internet I have to be lying. I'm done putting up with crap about my age, and if that's the basis for your arguments then you are a horrible small-minded person.

The suck spoons is referencing the first post, which I actually read.

Now this is a reasonable argument. Although, I still don't get why we're even having an argument here? I can understand that the suck spoons was a spoof of my first post, but I'd much rather prefer if posts here weren't full of spam.

Secondly, no one should judge based off of age. It is true that age usually makes a difference, and that older people usually discuss better arguments, but that's not the case all of the time. Falco&Victory, as for someone telling you why "gay" offends them, did you even read through the last three pages?

 

[chansen]

Well being that your fifteen, one can only wonder "how much does this guy really know about sociology?" and most of your references to sociology have been pretty basic facts, if the YMCA had a sociology class, you'd learn that crap on the first day. Act your age.

I'm going to bed, my fingers feel burned...

 

[Blackadder]

Ehh, I don't find it offensive to homosexuals.
It doesn't really mean "Gay" as we may remember it too now,
when people use it now, they mean "That's of low quality".

It's kinda like when we use "Black" to describe summat.
No dark-skinned people go nuts over that...right?

 

[Got Blood?]

Ok, please tell me why it offends you when someone says 'gay'. Seriously, tell me why.

I said that the word "******" offends me more.If gay is used in over excess or in an extremely derogatory way,then it may offend me as well.

Everyone can stop ragging on my age, you're all making straw man arguments.

Pretty sure everyone gave a valid reason why something offended them.I have friends who have handicapped relatives and chasen's (?) mother died.What kind of reasons would you call those?

You can leave my intelligence alone to, I've scored an IQ of 144 on multiple occasions, but of course that would make me smarter than some of you, and since I'm on the internet I have to be lying.

No matter what your IQ is it doesn't make you right.

I'm done putting up with crap about my age, and if that's the basis for your arguments then you are a horrible small-minded person.

This topic can't be serious right? The only people who ever take offense are those who try to get attention by trying to fix everything wrong in society. A few people will genuinely take offense, such as really good people if they've had bad personal experiences, but no one will take any real offense unless they have a horrible personality(not bad, just annoying) or in the VERY rare case a genuinely bad past experience. People just try to make themselves look good.

Sociology specializing ftw

You seem more closed minded than anyone else on here.

 

[Falco&Victory]

I understand making fun of people close to you is not acceptable, but that is not what I was referring to. Again, you say age makes a difference, but I lived my wonderful 15 years, and I gathered more than most people. I didn't learn any of this stuff from a class except facts, I learned the actual concept on my own.

I still see no reason why, "that's gay" would offend someone, unless it was,"that's gayer than your dad". Calling something gay or ******** is making fun of no one in particular. Homosexuality and *********** are real things, not people you are close to. What would you prefer? "That is unreasonable"? "That is stupid"? What if you know unreasonable or stupid people. Should you take offense.

Personal jokes = genuine offense

calling things ********, gay, etc = no true offense in most cases. I'm not talking 80%, I mean more like more than 95% probably.

 

[Got Blood?]

I understand making fun of people close to you is not acceptable, but that is not what I was referring to.

I love to make fun of people,but I do it without using "gay" or "********".

Again, you say age makes a difference, but I lived my wonderful 15 years, and I gathered more than most people. I didn't learn any of this stuff from a class except facts, I learned the actual concept on my own.

Awesome.And I didn't say age made a difference.I said IQ.

I still see no reason why, "that's gay" would offend someone, unless it was,"that's gayer than your dad". Calling something gay or ******** is making fun of no one in particular. Homosexuality and *********** are real things, not people you are close to. What would you prefer? "That is unreasonable"? "That is stupid"? What if you know unreasonable or stupid people. Should you take offense.

If you had a handicapped sibling,would you appreciate if some people made fun of them or made jokes about you or any other part of your family being ********? And just because no one in the immediate vicinity is there does that make it ok? If you're at a store and the cash register is in open and the cashier is in the back and you take some money,does it mean it wasn't wrong because it wasn't the cashier's money?

Personal jokes = genuine offense

To an extent.

calling things ********, gay, etc = no true offense in most cases. I'm not talking 80%, I mean more like more than 95% probably.

No offense because it doesn't strike a chord with you.

 

[Falco&Victory]

Um, yeah, my dad died, I don't take offense when people make fun of my mom or step-dad. I now several mentally-disabled people, but I don't take offense to insults. The person didn't mean to actually offend you, I take in intentions to my reasoning as to not start pointless fights.

Lol, I have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student, doesn't mean I'm experienced. It's experience that matters most in my opinion, which is why I live my life to it's fullest. I'm online at night talking to people I don't know.

Most peoples problem is they don't look past the empty shells of someone's words into their actual meaning.

 

[Eternal phoenix Fire]

Most derogatory and ill-gotten comments usually tend to become a phrase of reccognition in most cases. This scenario would be the word "gay". Of all words, why must this one be choosen as a derogatory comment? I think that the majority of poeple think homeosexuality is "lame" or "wrong" in general, so the word is used in lue of those words.

I'm not really offended by the word gay, nor any of the homosexual friends I know have a problem with it. As a matter of fact, they use it as well.

Just like the word *****(Which is also used alot where I live as well, and I am also black), it's only a phrase. Some can say these words only posses a certain level of fadability, just as other words have in the past.

 

[Jazzy Jinx]

I understand making fun of people close to you is not acceptable, but that is not what I was referring to. Again, you say age makes a difference, but I lived my wonderful 15 years, and I gathered more than most people. I didn't learn any of this stuff from a class except facts, I learned the actual concept on my own.

I still see no reason why, "that's gay" would offend someone, unless it was,"that's gayer than your dad". Calling something gay or ******** is making fun of no one in particular. Homosexuality and *********** are real things, not people you are close to. What would you prefer? "That is unreasonable"? "That is stupid"? What if you know unreasonable or stupid people. Should you take offense.

Personal jokes = genuine offense

calling things ********, gay, etc = no true offense in most cases. I'm not talking 80%, I mean more like more than 95% probably.

The fact of the matter is, "gay" is a broad term just like "*****" and "********". Do I take offense to this personally? No. But others might and will.

When you direct an insult to an individual and that individual doesn't take offense you cannot instantly assume that since that person didn't take offense, everyone else won't. For instance, if I called someone a "*****" and a black person was nearby, he probably took offense.

This case is best made when describing the casual use of the word "*****" between black people but taking the word offensively around other races. Sure, this isn't the case all of the time because some black people no longer take offense to the word or try to act like it doesn't offend them but the word is still deragatory and just plain offensive.

Though gay people haven't faced nearly as much prejudice as black people, they still get their fair share of prejudice. For instance, churches of major religions demean the acts of homosexuality and dub them as "sinful". If I was gay I wouldn't want anyone to sit here and tell a group of people that my choice of lifestyle is "wrong" or "evil".

Likewise, there is debate on gay marriage which brings up different issues like saying gay people can't wed because it is "immoral" for a man to marry another man or a woman to marry another woman.

This mindset with major religious influence and gay marriage debating has changed the word "gay" to be an offensive insult. People use the word "gay" as a placeholder for things such as "stupid", "ignorant", "annoying", etc. because of how deeply engrained it has become in current society.

People ignorant of how it could be insulting (i.e. straight people use it all the time because others do without seemingly taking personal offense) use it freely without consideration and in my opinion, much too openly. Even calling a straight person "gay" is deemed offensive.

And now I have a headache so I'm cutting my statement short and ending it here.

 

[Scav]

To me, it's simple. When you use a term synonymous with a group of people in order to express negativity, then you are being offensive. Just because so many people use it causes it to be watered down doesn't make it better. It makes it WORSE, because it causes us to associate the group with the negative connotation.

Remember, fifty years ago it was socially acceptable to describe something as "******-proof" in order to say it was difficult to use.

Edit: And lo and behold, it was derogatory, and thus "the N word" is rightly censored.

 

[Bedi Vegeta]

Certain people here need to settle down a little bit here, or I'll start taking offense myself, and you don't want that (neither does Scav).

 

[Xsyven]

I'm a theater student, so I'm surrounded by gay guys.

I do know for a fact, that a lot of them say that things are gay. In fact, I say things are gay in front of them. Most of the time, they don't even bat an eyelash at it. Sometimes, they call me a 'breeder', and we all have a good laugh.

Just don't use the gay F word around them. Though a lot of them don't care, some of them do.

 

[chansen]

This is turning into "everyone put their spin on the same idea"...not only that but its the same point that I made on the first page

 

[Crimson King]

It makes it easy to read people.My friends are like books to me now.

So, that's kind of like saying your only friends are books.

As for repeating stuff said before: it'll happen. This topic has only two real sides, those for the usage of "it's gay," and those opposed to it.

As for me, it's habitual. I hear people use it so often in that context and it does annoy me a great deal, but then I catch myself using it later. My problem with it's usage is it's making the term "gay" mean something bad. For young children, this can be a REALLY detrimental attitude as they grow up. They grow up thinking their whole like that being gay is synonymous being a bad person, which isn't true at all.

 

[chansen]

As for me, it's habitual. I hear people use it so often in that context and it does annoy me a great deal, but then I catch myself using it later. My problem with it's usage is it's making the term "gay" mean something bad. For young children, this can be a REALLY detrimental attitude as they grow up. They grow up thinking their whole like that being gay is synonymous being a bad person, which isn't true at all.

I never thought about the children...but you make a **** good point. I know a lot of young kids(creepy?) and a lot of them use gay in the same context that I do. Now I can only wonder if it was I that spoiled their young minds.

This can not surprise anyone though because the world is evolving (into...worldeon!) and we see kids today at younger ages cursing, doing drugs and sometimes even commiting crimes. Look Jesus, we made the world even crappier then when you were here, YAY!!!!!

 

[Xsyven]

It's weird, if you think about it.



When you hear a white person making fun of a black guy for being black, that's socially frowned upom.

When you hear a someone person making fun of someone else for being gay, that's socially... normal.



I'm sure this point has been brought up a few pages back, but it was a tedious read, and I didn't feel like reading all of it due to ******** posts, and repeated, moot arguments.

So let's change the subject a bit. But not too much.

Do you think society as a whole has become more or less accepting of homosexuality since 1990?

 

[Florida]

The fact of the matter is, "gay" is a broad term just like "*****" and "********". Do I take offense to this personally? No. But others might and will.

When you direct an insult to an individual and that individual doesn't take offense you cannot instantly assume that since that person didn't take offense, everyone else won't. For instance, if I called someone a "*****" and a black person was nearby, he probably took offense.

This case is best made when describing the casual use of the word "*****" between black people but taking the word offensively around other races. Sure, this isn't the case all of the time because some black people no longer take offense to the word or try to act like it doesn't offend them but the word is still deragatory and just plain offensive.

Though gay people haven't faced nearly as much prejudice as black people, they still get their fair share of prejudice. For instance, churches of major religions demean the acts of homosexuality and dub them as "sinful". If I was gay I wouldn't want anyone to sit here and tell a group of people that my choice of lifestyle is "wrong" or "evil".

Likewise, there is debate on gay marriage which brings up different issues like saying gay people can't wed because it is "immoral" for a man to marry another man or a woman to marry another woman.

This mindset with major religious influence and gay marriage debating has changed the word "gay" to be an offensive insult. People use the word "gay" as a placeholder for things such as "stupid", "ignorant", "annoying", etc. because of how deeply engrained it has become in current society.

People ignorant of how it could be insulting (i.e. straight people use it all the time because others do without seemingly taking personal offense) use it freely without consideration and in my opinion, much too openly. Even calling a straight person "gay" is deemed offensive.

And now I have a headache so I'm cutting my statement short and ending it here.

I basically match what you just said.
It doesn't bother me to hear / use the word, but it probably might to other people.
So, I'll be trying to use different words from now on, I need to get more original afterall

I'm a theater student, so I'm surrounded by gay guys.

I do know for a fact, that a lot of them say that things are gay. In fact, I say things are gay in front of them. Most of the time, they don't even bat an eyelash at it. Sometimes, they call me a 'breeder', and we all have a good laugh.

Just don't use the gay F word around them. Though a lot of them don't care, some of them do.

Yeah, the whole spark of this thread was that a homosexual I know uses "gay" all of the time. Made me wonder if it is even offensive to anyone anymore. I really didn't ask my friend this question directly, I shall next time I get the chance.

This is turning into "everyone put their spin on the same idea"...not only that but its the same point that I made on the first page

As Crimson said, there are only two points of view really, so things are going to get repeated. Getting different views for everyone is interesting though, it's like eating different styles of cake

Spoiler

That was a simile!

So, that's kind of like saying your only friends are books.

As for repeating stuff said before: it'll happen. This topic has only two real sides, those for the usage of "it's gay," and those opposed to it.

As for me, it's habitual. I hear people use it so often in that context and it does annoy me a great deal, but then I catch myself using it later. My problem with it's usage is it's making the term "gay" mean something bad. For young children, this can be a REALLY detrimental attitude as they grow up. They grow up thinking their whole like that being gay is synonymous being a bad person, which isn't true at all.

I've asked some other people on IRC, as well as other forums, and the majority say basically what you've said right here. Do people really need to lower homosexuality, and make their orientation an insult?

Thanks for the comments everyone >.>

 

[Mediocre]

This topic can't be serious right? The only people who ever take offense are those who try to get attention by trying to fix everything wrong in society. A few people will genuinely take offense, such as really good people if they've had bad personal experiences, but no one will take any real offense unless they have a horrible personality(not bad, just annoying) or in the VERY rare case a genuinely bad past experience. People just try to make themselves look good.

Sociology specializing ftw

Did read any of the posts before yours?

This overuse of the word "gay" bothers me not because I'm offended, but because I feel it perpetuates the homophobia present in our culture. Although they probably do not intend it, those who use the word are condoning the view that there is something wrong and shameful about homosexuality.

It is this effect that makes me dislike the use of the word "gay", rather than any personal feelings of indignation.

No, it doesn't. Neurology can target genuine emotions, and most 'offensive' words don't trigger a true angry reaction, people just want to fit in and look good. I know people who get 'offended', and when you actually get to know them, they're just BSing. Everyone here should study sociology, it is such a great subject to study up on. It makes it easy to read people.My friends are like books to me now.

People saying "gay" does not make me angry. It does, however, make me wish they wouldn't do it, for the reasons I've already stated.

Lol, I have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student, doesn't mean I'm experienced. It's experience that matters most in my opinion, which is why I live my life to it's fullest. I'm online at night talking to people I don't know.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

There's no way you can "have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student." IQ doesn't work that way.

There is no question that education impacts IQ, but a person's IQ is by no means entirely dependent on their education. To say that you have the IQ of a third year college student is meaningless, because IQ varies from person to person. It'd be sort of like saying, "I'm as tall as a third year college student," except even less meaningful, because at least height is easily observable. I doubt anyone knows what the average IQ of a third year college student is, so your comparison is meaningless.

 

[Got Blood?]

To me, it's simple. When you use a term synonymous with a group of people in order to express negativity, then you are being offensive. Just because so many people use it causes it to be watered down doesn't make it better. It makes it WORSE, because it causes us to associate the group with the negative connotation.

Remember, fifty years ago it was socially acceptable to describe something as "******-proof" in order to say it was difficult to use.

Edit: And lo and behold, it was derogatory, and thus "the N word" is rightly censored.

QFT. Finally,an intelligent post.

Um, yeah, my dad died, I don't take offense when people make fun of my mom or step-dad. I now several mentally-disabled people, but I don't take offense to insults.

So since it doesn't offend you it doesn't offend other people?

The person didn't mean to actually offend you, I take in intentions to my reasoning as to not start pointless fights.

What if it does offend someone? You just called something/someone gay because you couldn't use a different word? That shows some level of ignorance.

Lol, I have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student, doesn't mean I'm experienced. It's experience that matters most in my opinion, which is why I live my life to it's fullest. I'm online at night talking to people I don't know.

That's pretty much void.

Most peoples problem is they don't look past the empty shells of someone's words into their actual meaning.

What may be a word to one person may be offensive to someone else.Would it kill to just say "stupid" or "dumb"?

 

[Xsyven]

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

There's no way you can "have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student." IQ doesn't work that way.

There is no question that education impacts IQ, but a person's IQ is by no means entirely dependent on their education. To say that you have the IQ of a third year college student is meaningless, because IQ varies from person to person. It'd be sort of like saying, "I'm as tall as a third year college student," except even less meaningful, because at least height is easily observable. I doubt anyone knows what the average IQ of a third year college student is, so your comparison is meaningless.

This part made me lol. I was thinking the exact same thing, but didn't bother to say anything.

 

[chansen]

I like this thread now, now its a "f&v posts something and five other people critique it until he gets pissed enough to post again..."
jk tho...

I'd say the one person who can give the most general and absract description of their view on epitaphs and foul language, they should be the thread winner. With any luck we can divert from tearing falco&victory a new one.

In the end, though, you are being pretty selfish f&v.

 

[Falco&Victory]

I should break down everything in the way most people take offense.

Dont insult someone because of a personal part about them, ever. Don't make fun of someone for being black, gay, or someone's family. It is never ok to make fun of anyone, period, which is why I don't(to their faces <<<< I'm just trying not to BS). You can make fun of where someone is from, their religion or their lifestyle as long as you don't target it directly at someone. I've never heard someone take offense from classmates making fun of Mexico, and my school has about programs to teach Mexicans fluent english.

Ever think the only way to avoid offense is to not make fun of anyone at all? Only make those comments in front of friends at family, not to anyone else.

Lol, I have an IQ to match a 3rd year college student, doesn't mean I'm experienced. It's experience that matters most in my opinion, which is why I live my life to it's fullest. I'm online at night talking to people I don't know.

I should have added a 'lol' to let people know I was joking.

There is no question that education impacts IQ, but a person's IQ is by no means entirely dependent on their education. To say that you have the IQ of a third year college student is meaningless, because IQ varies from person to person. It'd be sort of like saying, "I'm as tall as a third year college student," except even less meaningful, because at least height is easily observable. I doubt anyone knows what the average IQ of a third year college student is, so your comparison is meaningless.

Off-topic, but you can measure your IQ as such. IQ is an average, and the average 3rd year high school student scores around my same IQ. Their are several charts, statistics and studies to prove my point. I could actually skip my next year of high school, but I want to stay with my friends.


Last thing, I apologize to everyone for how I was acting earlier, I was dealing with a lot of relationship and friendship issues, and I got kind of pissed off at all my friends(and, pretty much, everyone else I talked to). Again, sorry for making this thread a flame-war. I think it better if I don't post here for awhile.

 

[Got Blood?]

Ever think the only way to avoid offense is to not make fun of anyone at all? Only make those comments in front of friends at family, not to anyone else.

Bingo.

Last thing, I apologize to everyone for how I was acting earlier, I was dealing with a lot of relationship and friendship issues, and I got kind of pissed off at all my friends(and, pretty much, everyone else I talked to). Again, sorry for making this thread a flame-war. I think it better if I don't post here for awhile.

No worries.I knew you couldn't beat me anyway!

 

[Cashed]

One of my best friends constantly calls everyone a [for the sake of the censor, f-a-g], which is about the most annoying thing in the world. Every time he calls someone a [for the sake of the censor, f-a-g] (which is constant when we're playing Halo) I'm thinking in my head "Jesus he sounds ****ing dumb." I think the same of people who use gay to insult anything. In my Interpersonal Communications class at the beginning of the year one of my class mates said "Gay is just such an expressive word. I mean, it can mean so many different things and it just captures how I feel about things." Needless to say, she went to the top of my "Holy **** you're ********" list.

And I lolled when I saw Falco&Victory is 15 and bragging about how he could skip the next year of high school. I then imagined Mediocre, 19, scolding him. Lolled again.

 

[Azua]

Did read any of the posts before yours?

This overuse of the word "gay" bothers me not because I'm offended, but because I feel it perpetuates the homophobia present in our culture. Although they probably do not intend it, those who use the word are condoning the view that there is something wrong and shameful about homosexuality.

This was exactly my reasoning until I realized my gay/bi friends also say 'Oh that's ****ing GAY' when they're miffed about something.

 

[Mediocre]

This was exactly my reasoning until I realized my gay/bi friends also say 'Oh that's ****ing GAY' when they're miffed about something.

Yeah, except that's sort of exactly the point.

I think that anyone who uses the word, whether they're gay or straight, is encouraging homophobia. The fact that use of the word has become so widespread that even gay people are calling things they dislike "gay" just worries me more.

I'm not saying that a person who uses the word "gay" as an epitaph is a homophobe, but I certainly believe it promotes homophobic attitudes.

 

[Scav]

Eh, I wrote up a bunch of stuff, but basically, gay people using it doesn't exonerate the term. It still perpetuates the stereotype, and means in 10 years we won't have made as much progress as we could have.

in the 1900s when the eventually-to-be-called GLBT community claimed Queer, it took a bad word and made it fine for everyone to say. "We're Queer, We're Here" is an open door for everyone to use the term and to garner acceptance -- a far cry from "Only black people can say ******". Likewise, taking Gay(happy) and claiming it was a step forward. But, allowing a term to become derogatory is... a shame. Just because my Jewish friend says someone got "Jewed" doesn't mean it's acceptable. It just means he's forcing a negative stereotype on everyone else, rather than trying to turn it into a positive one.

That's still way longer than I wanted it to be >_< I recommend anyone interested in swear words read Steven Pinker's work.

 

[demoncaterpie]

I say gay all the time, though I probably shouldn't. I don't hate homosexuals (I don't even hate my enemies), but I just say that word a lot. All of my friends do it, and I do it. I guess that makes us terrible people.

All in all, if Zakk Wylde can describe two giant metal scorpions as "beyond gay" on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, than I'm gonna use the term to.

 

[DoH]

To all of you who keep preaching that the word gay isn't offensive to homosexuals in this conotation, how many of you actually are homosexual? And if you aren't, who are you to determine whether something is offensive to a group in which you have no association with? Who are you, Ann Coulter?

The pejorative use of the word gay is a blatant example of institutionalized homophobia, a word that has entered the lexicon with the intent to create a negative association with those who speak the language. This tool has been used forever, turning such words as cunt, bitch, and whore, from words that actually describe beauty and royalty into offensive words for trampy females. The same thing has been done here; even little kids growing up today have an aversion to being gay implanted in their heads at an early age due to the negative connotation that it carries. This is just another word that has entered our daily use which its sole purpose is to promote discrimination and create an automatic reaction of negativity with the utter mention of the word. It's a powerful tool of our enemies; essentialy we as the gay community have been taught to hate ourselves.

Therefore we have 3 options; we can either wait it out and hope that a new word takes its place (much as gay replaced ******** as the pejorative word of choice around 2001/2002, as it became far less offensive to make fun of different orientation than those who were crippled, possibly due to the increase of the handicapped post-9/11 and the subsequent military aftermath - I'm just speculating here), create a new word that's just as or more offensive and hope that it catches on (but I doubt that we could get the entire nation to start calling things negative 'hetero' or 'dude, quit being a breeder'), or redeploy the meaning of the word, and take it on in a prideful manner, much as the gay movement has already transformed the meaning of queer, the feminist movement has transformed cunt and the black movement has transformed the meaning of nigger to each of those movement's different communities. No longer are these words a form of obscenity, but rather empowerment.

However, in order to pursue this last option, the gays of America would have to pull their heads out of their ***** and start to actually think about the words they use and how their language affects not only others, but their view of one's self. If a person continues to disrespect their personal attributes by using forced negative associations, then there can be only negative effects from this kind of subliminal conditioning of the mind.

 

[Haruno Kotetsu]

Wow, i dont know if its irony but i see a lot of debaters in here..

The word dosent offend me. I say it sometimes, Im not "gay", But I can definately see how people can get angered about it. It insults people that actually are..like that. Its just not right. Its like someone saying something about someone with diabetes, for example.
It would insult me, because thats something I cant help at all.
It would be silly, but Im using that as an example.

 

[Wuss]

I say gay all the time, though I probably shouldn't. I don't hate homosexuals (I don't even hate my enemies), but I just say that word a lot. All of my friends do it, and I do it. I guess that makes us terrible people.

jesus...?

anyways, While I agree with most people's arguments, that the word "gay" is enforcing a negative stereotype, I don't honestly see it changing any time soon. I say gay way too often, and every time I say it, I say to myself, "that wasn't really necessary", but then I say it again 5 minutes later. I feel like if people like me, people that know that saying the word "gay" to describe things we don't like is stupid, keep saying it, then we won't actually get anywhere.

I used to say ******** all the time, but I slowly weeded it out of my vocab, but I still hear lots of other people saying it all the time. I feel that even if a lot of people get it out of their vocab, it doesn't really make a difference because so many people will still use it.

Didn't they try to get the "PC" word to be queer? It's really too bad that didn't happen, cause then "queers" wouldn't really be associated with the word "gay", which I feel is the only way to fix it now.

Another thing that actually makes me wonder, is how come it's completely ok (or at least i seems that way to me) to say "lame". It's the same as "gay" or "********". Enforcing a negative stereotype. Well, whatever...

 

[Omega_Star]

(much as gay replaced ******** as the pejorative word of choice around 2001/2002, as it became far less offensive to make fun of different orientation than those who were crippled, possibly due to the increase of the handicapped post-9/11 and the subsequent military aftermath - I'm just speculating here)

Oh, so "gay" replaced "********" as the universal American pejorative at that time? I just remember everyone saying it all of the sudden in 6th grade and, when looking back, I had thought that it was more of a middle school thing.

I do think that a new word designed solely as a pejorative and with no other meaning would be the ideal solution, along with redeploying "gay", of course.

 

[chansen]

To all of you who keep preaching that the word gay isn't offensive to homosexuals in this conotation, how many of you actually are homosexual?

a. That's definitely none of your business.
b. That's also a broad generalization.

It isn't our perogative to watch which words we pick up along the road of life. We just do, if you wanted to stop this you'd have to cut off contact with everything. Now when i use the word piss as an expletive, am I supposed to apologize to everyone in the room with a urinary tract infection? Just because the word is directly related to a group of people doesn't mean that it's definition can't change.

And I don't know why but some people in this thread think its not okay to be homophobic, can you:
a.define homophobia?
b.tell which context you are referring to?

Look behind the words, see what they really mean...you'll find your self a lot less offended.


ugh, this is such a hetero thread, jeez...

 

[pikachun00b7]

Although the slang "gay" and homosexuality are synonymous. The second slang version of gay
is not. When your friend said the pool table is gay, it doesn't mean that the table is homosexual.
Although the person who coined up this termed may be a homophobe, most people that use it have no intention of degrading the homosexuals.
Instead, it is used as a mental habit. If you see something that bothers you, you automatically say it is gay or ******** or sucks. With ought considering the other meanings.

 

[plasmawisp6633]

In the simplest terms for me, it's just another stupid adjective that we've begun to use that we don't really mean. It's almost like a form of sarcasm. People shouldn't be taking the word gay seriously unless it's context is referring to one's sexuality.

Before gay, there was ********. We didn't mean that we were insulting anything's intelligence, because nothing but an organic living being has intelligence.

Adjectives that usually apply to humans or animals, cannot apply to inanimate objects. If any of these adjectives are used in any other way, they're not to be taken seriously.

Pool tables have no sexuality,
Chairs have no intelligence.

 

[Got Blood?]

In the simplest terms for me, it's just another stupid adjective that we've begun to use that we don't really mean. It's almost like a form of sarcasm. People shouldn't be taking the word gay seriously unless it's context is referring to one's sexuality.

Before gay, there was ********. We didn't mean that we were insulting anything's intelligence, because nothing but an organic living being has intelligence.

Adjectives that usually apply to humans or animals, cannot apply to inanimate objects. If any of these adjectives are used in any other way, they're not to be taken seriously.

Pool tables have no sexuality,
Chairs have no intelligence.

So correct me if I'm wrong. As long as I'm not saying it to a person, I can call anything an n-word or a fa***t? Still doesn't seem right to me.

 

[plasmawisp6633]

In my world, people take things too seriously. These are words that are supposed to offend or categorize people, not objects.

If one's used against a person, I can't blame them for being offended.

If one's used against an object, what's there to be taken literally?