Muspelheim said:
...I do use cocksucker as one of my top tier swears, and I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with that activity whatsoever. I might be slightly hypocritical on that point.
*SNIP*
But as the "cocksucker"-example above shows, I've still got some ironing out to do...
No, this isn't hypocritical, and here's why: only a female has a vagina, and only a male has a penis, but both have a mouth and are fully capable of performing the sexual act that "cocksucker" references. Accordingly, it isn't sexist. Rude (though that is the point) but not sexist.
This is the reason why **** is sexist. If both men and women had vaginas it would be only offensive generally, not sexist. But, since this is an insult that is only valid against one gender, it is sexist.
That said, I do feel like this is all missing the point somewhat. You are already insulting the person in question. Aside from being very rude in general, **** shouldn't be "banned" because being sexist is both a mark against the user, and a further, additional layer of insult against the target. Thus, usage of **** should be reserved for those you hate so badly that you are willing to damage your own reputation with those within earshot if it means damaging the reputation of your target even further.
Now that I've analyzed this to death...sleep...yes, at noon...