Does gay as a derogatory term offend you?
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gay used as "homosexual" always has been a slur and derogatory. The community then accepted the term themselves and thereby took away its power. so if you are still offended by it your mind is somewhere in the 70s
Well before LGBT people took the word in the 1960s to describe themselves, it was used to describe carefree happiness. Back then it had mostly positive connotations, but was sometimes used as a slang word for someone who is sexually promiscuous. Once "gay" started to mean "homosexual person" then it started to develop a negative connotation because not many people liked gay people or the stereotypes about them. It only became an general insult because it started to be associated with gay people. So no, it didn't become an insult in spite of homosexuality, it became an insult because of the negative attitudes towards homosexuality. It is almost exactly like the progression of the word "retarded" in that sense.gnihton said:
Personally I, as a heterosexual man, am not offended but I have friends, very gay friends, who are. I empathize with their situation so I personally do not use the word gay in that manner, but I wouldn't stop others from using it in such a manner. I believe breath is wasted on such bigoted individuals.
I don't really mind about the word "gay" but how about the way the new-ish generations use the word "*****", "***** please, ***** that, hello bitches, etc." I found it a little disturbing
My friends are now really cautious with such words around me after coming out to them, but I really don't care and sometimes use derogatory terms like gay although mostly in a joking way (I would find it quite difficult to say such a thing in an offensive way). I do seem to find ****** to be a much harsher word.
I think it's fairly safe to say the word's meaning is undergoing another semantic shift; from happy, to homosexual, to something bad/annoying and in essence because of this is losing more of it's meaning.
I think it's fairly safe to say the word's meaning is undergoing another semantic shift; from happy, to homosexual, to something bad/annoying and in essence because of this is losing more of it's meaning.
If that SP episode is true (and I'm pretty sure it isn't), it doesn't matter. What matters is that right now, "gay" means homosexual. And that isn't some snobbish only-English-majors-know-this, everyone knows that one of the meanings of gay is homosexual. It's in the damn acronym after all, LGBTgnihton said:
Kind of, I use gay(only in text of lame) or very rarely f-word around my close friends. Though I tend not to use the f-word around some of the gay or bi people I know. Plus my sister calls me ****** occasionally but I'm okay with as long as its playful.
My best friend is gay, I'm bisexual, and all of my friends are of various orientation. Not one of us gives a shit and will say things are 'gay' all the time. The word 'fag' is just a little different, though, so we only use it with people we know very well.
I often correct people, but that's not because I'm offended on behalf of gay people, but more because I'm a vocabulary nazi (is that even a word? it is now.)
To me, words are just words.
I do take some offense to it, though, when the intent is not just to use gay as bad (the same way retarded is used as stupid) but to equate gay people as bad (usually with the term fag or ****** rather than gay which is meant to imply that somehow being gay makes a man less than).
Intent is far more important than the actual words these days.
I would like to mention that as a gay man I also understand how offensive it can be (to take a word that is used as a title for a community and give it negative connotations is quite an offensive idea, the problem being unlike other derogatory words aimed at groups of people it wasn't originally a derogatory word). And I know how much damage it can cause to young kids/teens first hand.
It's also strange to hear gay used as bad when that is almost the exact opposite of its true meaning, but modern society has done that often (using bad to mean good in the 80's and 90's and occasionally now). xD
I do take some offense to it, though, when the intent is not just to use gay as bad (the same way retarded is used as stupid) but to equate gay people as bad (usually with the term fag or ****** rather than gay which is meant to imply that somehow being gay makes a man less than).
Intent is far more important than the actual words these days.
I would like to mention that as a gay man I also understand how offensive it can be (to take a word that is used as a title for a community and give it negative connotations is quite an offensive idea, the problem being unlike other derogatory words aimed at groups of people it wasn't originally a derogatory word). And I know how much damage it can cause to young kids/teens first hand.
It's also strange to hear gay used as bad when that is almost the exact opposite of its true meaning, but modern society has done that often (using bad to mean good in the 80's and 90's and occasionally now). xD
I wouldn't say it offends me, but I find it wearying, immature and tiresome. Its something I'd like to see gone, for sure, the sooner the better.
I personally don't use the word "gay" or "fag" when describing something/someone, because I like to compose myself with more maturity than that. Derogatory words in general used to clutter up my speech, so I decided to trash them from everyday language. On a few occasions, especially on the internet, I do tend to let my composure slip a bit, but not to the point of indecency.
Ah, right, forgot about your actual point. Why shouldn't I be offended? It's making a direct connection between gay people and bad things.gnihton said:
The only legitimate argument I hear is that I shouldn't be offended because my being offended is what makes it offensive, since slurs have that weird paradoxical existence. And the reclamation defence is a legitimate once to make, HOWEVER
1) If one preaches reclamation, you do not blame the people offended by the word for being offended. You blame the people using the word in an offensive manner.
2) It's not a decision for straight people, or even me (since I'm asexual, not gay) to make, it's a decision for gay people to make.
When people call something gay, they use it to mean that thing is bad. But why is that thing bad? Because of the implicit connections.gnihton said:
Bad = Gay = Homosexuality = Homosexuality is wrong
It's subtly reinforcing society's bullshit opinions on gay people.
But don't just take my word for it, here's some evidence. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/08/28/study-phrase-thats-so-gay-causes-lasting-harm/