Poll: Do You Use the Word "Gay" as an Insult?

[Legion IV]

It ticks me off when people just use gay as an insult, but if they say ****** that's when I start throwing punches. Once a kid sitting next to me in the auditorium at the theatre for the HS musical (I was part of the cast) called the director a ****** (out loud, in front of the entire school) when he got up to introduce a preview of the show, and I broke his nose and a rib.

A little harsh dont you think? Only time i've done that to somone was when i was getting jumped (didnt end well for the mugger). The words terrible sure but there shouldnt be violence but hey am not here to judge we all have our reasons. Lol hey! in a sence i got respect. everyone here forgot how to use fists and roll with knives so keep those fists strong man.

 

[Macgyvercas]

No, it's stupid and immature to use gay as an insult (especially when consider the word orginally had the meaning of "happy").

I am of the opinion that if someone uses gay as an insult, they instantly lose any and all credibility they have aquired up to that point...and whatever arguement they were in at the time of said insult is also lost.

 

[Zhukov]

Nope. Not since my mid-teens or thereabouts.

 

[Pist0l 07]

I voted wrong. The only time I use gay is to describe if someone is actually a homosexual or when I've died on my 150th attempt at the mile high club in COD 4 and I'm swearing tooth and nail at that level. But to use it as an insult to a person, never.

 

[Ritter315]

Its grounded into the culture to the point that only people who feel offended by the term are against it. I've heard gay people say it as an ironic joke. My opinon, is that demonizing people saying the word gay as an insult, directly or indirectly isnt going to help the matter.
On an intresting note, I wonder why English or even in the US is gay used as an insult. England has words like poof, or tosser I suppose but in Mexico we dont even have an insult thats the same as gay, or thats so gay. And the few words that have similar meanings dont mean the exact same thing as in America. Huh.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

no, I use the word ****** instead, much more effective, but so everyone here understands, my definition for it is fucking idiot, so when I call you a ****** I'm really calling you a fucking idiot

 

[Custard_Angel]

I tend to call people "fag" but thats more to do with the word and not a reference to homosexuality in any way, shape or form.

Truthfully, I don't actually know any gay people.

COS I DONT OWN A MAC. ZING.

 

[JaysonM]

Yep

 

[Lord Thodin]

Hah, I cant believe so many people dont use Gay as an insult. I wouldn't be able to properly describe most things without that word.

 

[Creator002]

I do, but never as a serious insult.

 

[Flishiz]

Well, yes, but not directed against homosexuals. Otherwise that would be bigotry. Still, I can respect those who realize that it's just a part of our language these days to have two meanings, and it's roughly why I don't think describing something as shit would really hurt a sewage technician.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

yeah, probably once a day if that, i have quite a few homosexual friends, and they all use it in the sense that "gay = annoying/stupid " and they dont care who uses it for what reason, so i've gotten used to the fact that its thrown around all the time nonchalantly by everyone around me, so it does come out quite a bit, its a bit of a hard habit to really crack.

I use the word gay for things i think are bad. "thats gay" "you're gay" "how gay is that?!"

I find this acceptable because while you are associating the word "gay" in a negative context, it in no way means you feel that gays are something to be viewed in a negative context. Take a look at the Harley driver episode of Southpark. No one calls each other "fags" because they hate gay people. The original meaning of those words has been subverted to general use for everything, and only the bleeding heart liberals think that you are disparaging a particular section of the population when you use those words.

Just remember folks, it's not the words but how you mean them. Y'all have a fucking nice day!

after this episode..you have no idea how many times the word fag was used amongst people i know. we basically were speaking "fag latin" for the next couple weeks.

 

[Sark]

I use it all the time, though, just like fag, it has nothing do with homosexuality within this context.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

I use it occasionally.

Those who get upset by it and its "homophobic" connotation are waaaay too sensitive. When I use it I'm never actually insinuating anything about homosexuality per se, it's just an insult...synonym for "stupid".

 

[SturmDolch]

I hardly use it, but why not? I obviously don't mean you're actually gay. When someone says "Fuck you!" do they mean they want someone to have sex with you? When someone says "That's so lame" do they mean it is crippled? No. Word meanings change all the time. Gay used to not even mean homosexual. It meant happy. It's a volatile word. One day, it might mean tasty.

"Thank-you, sir waiter. I found the fillet quite gay today."

 

[Tdc2182]

Yeah, but it takes on an entirely different connotation for me.

I believe South Park covered this.

 

[Gamegeneral]

I do, but so do my bisexual friends. So I dunno. Maybe it's like the N word.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

When I was younger I did use it as I didn't know any better. Stopped using it halfway through high school.

This still makes me chuckle occasionally though:

Hehehehe I still laughed.. Mainly because it can be inferred as

"Look those vampires are sparkling"

"wow that's stupid"

See? That's kinda how I see it at times.

So to you 'gay' is an insult synonymous with 'stupid'?

Not all the time, but to be used in certain contexts yes. Like saying an awful movie was gay and before you go off on some crazed tangent inferring that I have a problem with gay people then stop yourself there.

I grew up in a complete diverse part of my city where we had no trouble using certain words seeing as how people weren't so knee-jerkingly obnoxious about race, sexuality or gender.

I could see that you weren't particularly homophobic, but still applying negative connotations to the word 'gay' perpetuates intolerance, even indirectly. I know what you're doing, saying something is 'gay' is like saying it's 'weak' or it's 'poor', doesn't mean you dislike the physically or economically challenged but it still sends a message of belittlement.