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

[Madara XIII]

Its something I hardly use in public, but when out with my group of friends (who are all male non of whom are homosexual) we will throw it around to one another, when making "those" sort of jokes. like "I swear to god if you don't stop snoring I'm going to stick my balls in your mouth just so you'll shut the feck up!" which no doubtingly will replied with "alright...gay"

Always think of it like this, there's a right time for everything and using it can either be right (in a group of friends you are comfortable with who also use it) or wrong, (insert generic time when using the word gay has made a situation worse)

^ This! It depends who you're with and what you're referring to. I never use gay as an insult towards homosexuals.

 

[Signa]

Spoiler: snip

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!

Really? Franzibald yacht spittoon truncheon magnificent lychee's salubrious.

Sorry? You mean you can't understand what I'm saying? But wasn't it obvious that I meant: "You're talking utter bollocks if you think the meaning of words don't matter"?

Clearly, you're a complete idiot. Try and discern what I mean by that! If you take offense, do remind yourself that the actual words aren't relevant. It's what I mean when I say them.

Signa had a good point. The meaning of your words is the most important thing. He never said that the words themselves don't matter. The words themselves obviously matter. It is ludicrous to imply that relying on interpretation is the same as everyone speaking jibberish. The word gay can mean several different things. Its origional definition was nothing at all offensive. The word idiot, on the other hand, currently only has one definition. This makes it a terrible example for the point you were trying to make.

Altering a persons argument to make it easier to counter is called a "strawman argument."

The fact of the matter is that using words like this as something negative when it also means something else(In this case, homosexual) reinforces negative feelings towards it on you or other people you are talking to. Whether or not you actually have any negativity towards homosexuality doesn't matter.

As decent as this argument is, it holds as much water as the "videogames cause violence" argument. On the surface it makes sense: game allows kid violent action, kid emulates violent action outside of simulation. The problem is that argument doesn't allow for any leeway in the kid understanding the difference from real life and the game. MOST kids do, despite what watchdog groups say. So unless you actually have some evidence that the majority of the population who use the word "gay" in a negative context are actually affecting their perception of gays negatively, then I'd ask you to reevaluate your position. That is unless you think we are all weak-minded kids to start with.

 

[Madara XIII]

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.

 

[Stasisesque]

fag snip.

I'm not sure how old you are but I'm 17 and everyone I know says ****** or fag on a regular basis nd I live in England.

"Older".

And yes, hence seeping in - but there are far more people who'll equate fag with cigarette (especially those over 25 in London), and ****** with meatballs (especially those over 25 in the Midlands). My point was, well aside from the joke about faggots being tasty, while the original and subsequent meanings of "gay" have been lost to the ages, resulting in a term that means solely "homosexual"; "fag" and "******" still retain their alternate meanings in this particular part of the world.

I can still ask a mate for a fag and be given a cigarette, rather than punched out for being homophobic, whereas if I tell someone they're gay, they're not going to think I'm calling them happy.

 

[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'?

 

[Madara XIII]

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!

Indeed I will seeing as how high you picked my spirits up

Thnx

 

[vivalahelvig]

Only when some jerk calls me gay, my retort is a simple repeat of their comment, usually shuts them up, as it sounds stupid when they hear it from someone else.

 

[Imat]

I have, but not because of the homosexual ties. I originally heard it used in, I presume, that way, but I simply use it as something to say besides cursing.

Besides, the homosexual community really can't complain about me appropriating their alternate descriptor. They stole it from the English language first, changing the meaning from "happy" to "homosexual." I'm simply stealing it back...And changing the definition again...

 

[Ashsaver]

I use Gay to describe one's sexual preference,If i call you a gay(if you're a dude),that's means i think you like men.

 

[Signa]

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.

Aw, but that ruined the joke! A gay guy calling something gay means if it's gay to him, it's supergay to the rest of us. Is there much out there that is more supergay than Twilight?

 

[Madara XIII]

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.

 

[hem dazon 90]

I use ******.


But I'm a channer so that's the norm.

 

[Madara XIII]

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.

Aw, but that ruined the joke! A gay guy calling something gay means if it's gay to him, it's supergay to the rest of us. Is there much out there that is more supergay than Twilight?

LOL I was a little late on that joke but yeah for the brokeback boys to call something gay must be supergay XD

 

[SUPA FRANKY]

Sometimes...then I made gay friends. I make fun of my gay friends for being gay ( I make fun of my black friends for being black, and my white friends for being white too.)they laugh and usually don't care.

As long as you aren't flaming them for it, and they ALWAYS know your joking, I don't see the harm?

 

[Gamblerjoe]

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!

Really? Franzibald yacht spittoon truncheon magnificent lychee's salubrious.

Sorry? You mean you can't understand what I'm saying? But wasn't it obvious that I meant: "You're talking utter bollocks if you think the meaning of words don't matter"?

Clearly, you're a complete idiot. Try and discern what I mean by that! If you take offense, do remind yourself that the actual words aren't relevant. It's what I mean when I say them.

Signa had a good point. The meaning of your words is the most important thing. He never said that the words themselves don't matter. The words themselves obviously matter. It is ludicrous to imply that relying on interpretation is the same as everyone speaking jibberish. The word gay can mean several different things. Its origional definition was nothing at all offensive. The word idiot, on the other hand, currently only has one definition. This makes it a terrible example for the point you were trying to make.

Altering a persons argument to make it easier to counter is called a "strawman argument."

The fact of the matter is that using words like this as something negative when it also means something else(In this case, homosexual) reinforces negative feelings towards it on you or other people you are talking to. Whether or not you actually have any negativity towards homosexuality doesn't matter.

This has nothing to do with mine or Serene's argument. In fact, this thread in general is a discussion of the rhetoric and linguistics behind the word and its use in the English language. The debate over whether people should play nice, or get thicker skin, is a hackneyed old stalemate i have no interest in revisiting.

Altering a persons argument to make it easier to counter is called a "strawman argument."

I think Dorothy of Kansas, slayer of the wicked witches, wants a word with you for disparaging her strawman friend. I believe you just directly called him stupid, so he has the right to burn your house down now. At least that follows the logic of our good friend Serenegoose.

Boosh!

 

[TheTaco007]

Only when I'm joking.

 

[NickCooley]

No. It's offensive on an intellectual level.
Alexander The Great was gay, dammit! You don't see people insulting him!
I believe that there needs to be more love in this world, no matter how it's directed, so why would the spreading of love be an insult?

Alexander the Great? He was a right nancy boy poofter. You know what those Macedonians were like, forming a phalanx had a verrrry different meaning when the men were back at camp. Zeus help you if it was your turn to clean the spears.

Anyway now thats out of my system no I don't go out of my way to use it but we were all little brats once and it still does come up occasionally although I have the decency to pretend to look slightly ashamed when I utter it around my admittedly few gay friends. Although they never believe me.

 

[ezeroast]

Only when it fits. If a mate has a manbag or something.

 

[CopperBoom]

Gay between men is a promise... a promise that I might get a blowie.