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The use of the word "gay"
- Thread starter vmardian
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This thread is sooooooo jew.
I agree.
"black heart" is used to refer to something negative, but it's not associated with race. Just because it has the world "Black" in it, doesn't mean it's race related.
And I've never heard of anyone who has ever said "black mood" or "black looks."
Whether you think it's offensive or not, and whether you think it's ok to use the word to refer to something negatively because of context, maybe you should stop using it because you will offend some people. And to even suggest that you KNOW that nobody gets offended is unbelievable. Use it in public, and some people who overhear you speaking will NOT think highly of you. They may not say anything, but that doesn't mean they're not offended by the use of the word.
QCassidy352 said:Bull it has a complete duality. I'm straight, but this annoys the **** out of me. Even if it's not how you intend it, where do you think this comes from? It comes from people who don't like homosexuals using the word "gay" to derogate other things they don't like by association.
How anyone can think that making "gay" a synonym for "bad" is just slang with no meaning is totally beyond me. It's loaded with meaning.
Anyone here think it would be Ok to say, "that's so black" when what you mean is "that's so bad"? Or do you think that maybe, just maybe, making a word that people use to define themselves synonymous with negativity could suggest something beyond slang? Gimme a freaking break here.
I agree.
justkeith said:
"black heart" is used to refer to something negative, but it's not associated with race. Just because it has the world "Black" in it, doesn't mean it's race related.
And I've never heard of anyone who has ever said "black mood" or "black looks."
Whether you think it's offensive or not, and whether you think it's ok to use the word to refer to something negatively because of context, maybe you should stop using it because you will offend some people. And to even suggest that you KNOW that nobody gets offended is unbelievable. Use it in public, and some people who overhear you speaking will NOT think highly of you. They may not say anything, but that doesn't mean they're not offended by the use of the word.
"That history test was gay..."
I said that just today - actually to my openly gay friend. He doesn't take notice anymore then someone else does.
It's just normal speech pattern thesedays. I hate when people call other people "gay" in a derogatory way, but when talking about inanimate objects it doesn't really bother the number of homosexual people I consider good friends.
I said that just today - actually to my openly gay friend. He doesn't take notice anymore then someone else does.
It's just normal speech pattern thesedays. I hate when people call other people "gay" in a derogatory way, but when talking about inanimate objects it doesn't really bother the number of homosexual people I consider good friends.
Plymouthbreezer said:
I graduated from high school in 2005. I wasn't exactly offended when people said 'gay' about history tests, homework, etc, but I was always disappointed in that person.
So, don't be so sure your openly gay friend is okay with it. And even if her is, it doesn't mean all gay people are. I for one, am not.
e
g30ffr3y said:
You might not be trying, but you are.
g30ffr3y said:
Good to know
.g30ffr3y said:
There are different levels of retardation, and retarded people have feelings, and many have a level of comprehension that would allow them to realize that you have no respect for them. And gay people unquestionable have the ability to comprehend that you are using the word 'gay' out of context.
g30ffr3y said:
You could have fooled me... And good people are capable of doing bad things, but that doesn't make those bad things right.
e
scem0, I hear what you're saying but I like to think my close gay friends are open enough to tell me if I'm pissing them off. Still, I stand by my original aim to stop saying gay in the negative entirely.
*Backslap*
Abstract said:
*Backslap*
mad jew said:scem0, I hear what you're saying but I like to think my close gay friends are open enough to tell me if I'm pissing them off. Still, I stand by my original aim to stop saying gay in the negative entirely.
There's a chance that they aren't offended. But thank you for trying to stop saying it.
I'd also like to add, that saying 'gay' out of context in a negetive way makes you sound ignorant. If it made you sound classy, they'd say it on the news. There's a reason it's not used by those who are popular and looked up to, it makes you sound ignorant.
e
When I talk to my gay friends, I have to call stupid things "straight".
OK I WAS JUST TOTALLY KIDDING DON'T KILL ME.
But seriously, just as a joke, I have said "wow that's straight".
Personally, if gay people called stupid/negative things "straight" it wouldn't bother me one bit. Anyone else?
OK I WAS JUST TOTALLY KIDDING DON'T KILL ME.
But seriously, just as a joke, I have said "wow that's straight".
Personally, if gay people called stupid/negative things "straight" it wouldn't bother me one bit. Anyone else?
ITASOR said:
I wouldn't be bothered either. However, I don't get offended easily, plus we're in the majority so it's a less powerful statement IMO.
ITASOR said:When I talk to my gay friends, I have to call stupid things "straight".
OK I WAS JUST TOTALLY KIDDING DON'T KILL ME.
But seriously, just as a joke, I have said "wow that's straight".
Personally, if gay people called stupid/negative things "straight" it wouldn't bother me one bit. Anyone else?
My goodness.
Certainly you can see a difference between being derogatory toward a minority and being derogatory toward a majority.
In the former, we have oppression.
In the latter, we have an attempt at revolution.
Except in this case it's a feigned revolution, as you're entirely tongue in cheek.
ITASOR said:When I talk to my gay friends, I have to call stupid things "straight".
OK I WAS JUST TOTALLY KIDDING DON'T KILL ME.
But seriously, just as a joke, I have said "wow that's straight".
Personally, if gay people called stupid/negative things "straight" it wouldn't bother me one bit. Anyone else?
It's totally different, IMO. Straight people aren't persecuted every day. They don't have rights taken away from them, just for "being different".
Since being gay is seen as bad (Not saying that y'all see it as bad, but the general public, according to how recent voting trends have shown me), saying "that's so gay!" meaning "that's so bad!" just reinforces the view that gay is bad.
sorry...
... I guess I'm in the minority but I'm part of the "stop being so sensitive" group.
EVERYONE it seems wants to make a case for something offending them. I just had to goto a 3 hour meeting recently to hear about "new words that don't offend customers". The sheet is ridiculous. It's a whole page full of groups of people who take offense to being called anything. Most of these things I had never even heard before. There were so many where my co-workers and I just sat there thinking "how do they take offense out of that?".
People really do just need to chill out. We're quickly getting to the point of society where so many people are "offended" by this or that and make giant deals about it when they go out and do it all the time and don't even know it. There are so many people out there offended of so many things it's ridiculous. I'm not saying you should be an insensitive ******* but I see there's a line between being sensitive and ridiculous about the situation. And we're quickly reaching the point of ridiculousness.
... I guess I'm in the minority but I'm part of the "stop being so sensitive" group.
EVERYONE it seems wants to make a case for something offending them. I just had to goto a 3 hour meeting recently to hear about "new words that don't offend customers". The sheet is ridiculous. It's a whole page full of groups of people who take offense to being called anything. Most of these things I had never even heard before. There were so many where my co-workers and I just sat there thinking "how do they take offense out of that?".
People really do just need to chill out. We're quickly getting to the point of society where so many people are "offended" by this or that and make giant deals about it when they go out and do it all the time and don't even know it. There are so many people out there offended of so many things it's ridiculous. I'm not saying you should be an insensitive ******* but I see there's a line between being sensitive and ridiculous about the situation. And we're quickly reaching the point of ridiculousness.
mox358 said:
Agreed. No matter what you say or do, you can just about guarantee that someone somewhere will take "offense" to it. Sadly we're living in a culture where even the most trifling of criticisms (not necessarily pejorative) of anyone in a minority group is spun into intolerance and hatred, regardless of context or intended meaning. Spend less time caring what other people think about you, because at the end of the day, you only have to look at yourself in the bathroom mirror.
Eh, like mad jew said, I think most of my gay friends (my best friend is gay, and two other good friends are as well) would tell me if they were offended. Anyway, we have had many a talks about this subject, and he's (my best friend) made it clear to me that HE isn't offended. I'm also pretty sure the other two aren't terribly offended either.scem0 said:
People call me gay (in a "negative" or "hurtful" way) all the time. In fact, one girl who I liked last year exclaimed to her friend "Oh, he's NOT gay!" when she found out I liked her. Plenty of people make "You're such a fag" or "So gay" jabs, but being in the "OMG I'm so offended" boat gets really old pretty fast.
vmardian said:
Exactly, that is the one key point at which all need to look. Language evolves and changes with the passage of time. None of us really are able to say what words are offensive with any degree of certainty when clearly a word's meaning has changed. There are words that have clear definitions or a mixed meaning thereof.
http://www.langmaker.com/ml0104.htm
I, unfortunately, have family, when saying the "N" word, say it to lower Black Americans. I also have black friends who say the "N" word to show comradery.
It all comes down to context.
Whether or not saying "gay" casually is ignorant has no bearing on the "offensiveness" of the word.
Our society is watered down with too much political correctness. I support homosexuals as much as anyone, but simply identifying homosexuals as a group may be offensive to some since that makes "them" different. Everyone needs to move past black/white, male/female, and heterosexual/homosexual. All of us are offended each day, and we do likewise unto others without our notice.
Hey guys! Thanks for clearing it all up! I'm just a stupid, way too sensitive ****** who should just get over people associating the word "gay" with just about every negative thing there is! I should just get over it! OK cool! Sounds great!
Thanks for associating my sexuality with just about everything you hate. I really f***ing appreciate it! It's not enough we have to take this crap from people who truly don't like us. We also have to take it from people who say they like us! Get it? Yet?
And I've got news for those of you whose gay friends say they aren't offended. They really are- they just don't want to risk losing your friendship. Trust me. Truth is- they'd really rather you didn't say it.
Oh wait, and thanks for telling me how to feel and think- loved that.
Thanks for associating my sexuality with just about everything you hate. I really f***ing appreciate it!
It's not enough we have to take this crap from people who truly don't like us. We also have to take it from people who say they like us! Get it? Yet?And I've got news for those of you whose gay friends say they aren't offended. They really are- they just don't want to risk losing your friendship. Trust me. Truth is- they'd really rather you didn't say it.
Oh wait, and thanks for telling me how to feel and think- loved that.
hearing how it does bother several of you, i'll definitely do my level best never to use "gay" like that again. i don't wish to offend anyone, especially over a word. it's not a common thing for me to say as it is so i imagine it won't be so difficult to find another word. it's just slipped out when i saw a few things that were rather flamboyant and unusual. despite it not being intended rudely, it wasn't a compliment either. fortunately my friend took it lightly but i remember feeling mortified aboout my slip of the tongue. (a good indication it was better left unsaid)
consider me reproved.
consider me reproved.
Lets see...
Well its a hard question because some times I'll say something like "Arggg... my mom is being so gay!" and I don't mean that my mom is literely gay and I'm not saying the that gay people are annoying or bad. Its like I'm using gay instead of stupid but I'm not saying that gays are stupid, understand? lol. yeah. doesnt make sense AT ALL. I guess I should stop using "gay".
PS- Shouldnt this be in Politics, Religion and Social Issues?
Well its a hard question because some times I'll say something like "Arggg... my mom is being so gay!" and I don't mean that my mom is literely gay and I'm not saying the that gay people are annoying or bad. Its like I'm using gay instead of stupid but I'm not saying that gays are stupid, understand? lol. yeah. doesnt make sense AT ALL. I guess I should stop using "gay".
PS- Shouldnt this be in Politics, Religion and Social Issues?
iBlue said:hearing how it does bother several of you, i'll definitely do my level best never to use "gay" like that again. i don't wish to offend anyone, especially over a word. it's not a common thing for me to say as it is so i imagine it won't be so difficult to find another word. it's just slipped out when i saw a few things that were rather flamboyant and unusual. despite it not being intended rudely, it wasn't a compliment either. fortunately my friend took it lightly but i remember feeling mortified aboout my slip of the tongue. (a good indication it was better left unsaid)
consider me reproved.
And you know what? We all understand that. Habits are hard to break.
It's just that certain people in here think we should just "get over it". I'm not going to.
No one would talk this way about Jews or Blacks. Don't talk that way about us either.
It's all love here guys, lets hold hands and sing....no wait
No seriously....much respect to all that voice there opinion no matter if we don't like it and respect to everyone.
Bless
No seriously....much respect to all that voice there opinion no matter if we don't like it and respect to everyone.
Bless
Yeah, what Lee said.
To be honest, I've tried to shrug it off on the many occasions I've heard gay used in a negative context. But I've realized, especially after reading this thread, how immensely irritating it is to hear someone call something less than desirable "gay." It's insulting to gay people, any way you slice it.
Need a new word to use? I've always found a thesaurus to be my best friend. And if you've got 10.4 installed, you've got a friend too. Just a click away in your applications folder...
To be honest, I've tried to shrug it off on the many occasions I've heard gay used in a negative context. But I've realized, especially after reading this thread, how immensely irritating it is to hear someone call something less than desirable "gay." It's insulting to gay people, any way you slice it.
Need a new word to use? I've always found a thesaurus to be my best friend. And if you've got 10.4 installed, you've got a friend too. Just a click away in your applications folder...
Here's a list of synonyms for the word "stupid". If everyone uses one of these instead of "gay" not only will it make the world a better, happier place, but you'll expand your vocabulary.
stupid adjective 1 they're rather stupid unintelligent, ignorant, dense, foolish, dull-witted, slow, simpleminded, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, imbecilic, imbecile, obtuse, doltish; informal thick, dim, dimwitted, dumb, dopey, dozy, moronic, cretinous, pea-brained, halfwitted, soft in the head, brain-dead, boneheaded, thickheaded, wooden-headed, muttonheaded, daft. antonym intelligent.
2 that was a really stupid thing to do foolish, silly, unintelligent, idiotic, scatterbrained, nonsensical, senseless, unthinking, ill-advised, ill-considered, unwise, injudicious; inane, absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, fatuous, asinine, mad, insane, lunatic; informal crazy, dopey, cracked, half-baked, dimwitted, cockeyed, harebrained, lamebrained, nutty, batty, cuckoo, loony, loopy. antonym sensible.
3 he drank himself stupid into a stupor, into a daze, into oblivion; stupefied, dazed, unconscious. antonym alert.
stupid adjective 1 they're rather stupid unintelligent, ignorant, dense, foolish, dull-witted, slow, simpleminded, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, imbecilic, imbecile, obtuse, doltish; informal thick, dim, dimwitted, dumb, dopey, dozy, moronic, cretinous, pea-brained, halfwitted, soft in the head, brain-dead, boneheaded, thickheaded, wooden-headed, muttonheaded, daft. antonym intelligent.
2 that was a really stupid thing to do foolish, silly, unintelligent, idiotic, scatterbrained, nonsensical, senseless, unthinking, ill-advised, ill-considered, unwise, injudicious; inane, absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, fatuous, asinine, mad, insane, lunatic; informal crazy, dopey, cracked, half-baked, dimwitted, cockeyed, harebrained, lamebrained, nutty, batty, cuckoo, loony, loopy. antonym sensible.
3 he drank himself stupid into a stupor, into a daze, into oblivion; stupefied, dazed, unconscious. antonym alert.
auxplage said:
Good point. Gay has evolved from flamboyant and happy to homosexual. What do we have to do to make it change once again and make it mean weird or strange?