Is Gay An Offensive Word?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 25, 2010 18:35:32 GMT -5 Legion said:

Mar 25, 2010 16:46:30 GMT -5 Kevin Hamilton said:

Agreed.



To me, that'd be far more offensive than some idiot using a derogatory word. Free speech means even the most idiotic, hateful s*** is as protected as anything else. If you start trying to regulate speech, where would you stop?

I agree it's a stupid, insensitive thing for people to say; BUT to try and mandate word use? Can't agree with that at all.

I point you to what I said after that about how there has been an overlap and to what I say above that essentially summarises that point.

As for freedom of speech, it is already regulated. Try walking around calling everything 'the n word' or 'the c word' and see how long it goes before someone steps in.

The aim of free speech should always be to protect unpopular ideas and opinions.

No one will make a fuss about a statement like, "Cookies is delicious".

You need a law to protect people's f***ed up hatred of others based on race or religion or sexual orientation because if you start taking that way you can really start to slide.

[Kevin Hamilton]

Exactly.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

I have no problem with the word gay used in that context. The fact that the ad campaign even says you have to think about it before you'd ever think of it being offensive says it all. People (generally) aren't using it in that context to slander homosexuals, or because they're homophobic. It's just a word.

F**, N*****, S***. Those are words that clearly have an offensive meaning and use behind them. You hear those words, and you know someone is trying to be ignorant

[Legion]

Mar 26, 2010 2:32:09 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

I have no problem with the word gay used in that context. The fact that the ad campaign even says you have to think about it before you'd ever think of it being offensive says it all. People (generally) aren't using it in that context to slander homosexuals, or because they're homophobic. It's just a word.

F**, N*****, S***. Those are words that clearly have an offensive meaning and use behind them. You hear those words, and you know someone is trying to be ignorant

Why are those words different to the word gay when it is said to mean something bad when that word clearly still means homosexual. Regardless of whether it is said with the intent to be insulting, the fact is that some gay people are going to be offended and upset when they hear that WHAT THEY ARE is a by-word for something that is broken/sucky/annoying. How is that not homophobia? How is that not going to hurt teens or whatever who want to come out when they hear everyone saying how gay=bad when gay=homo. It isn't a case of one word, two meanings, it is a case of the word becoming a negative because whoever started the fad thought it would be funny to call annoying things gay because it was obviously seen that gay homosexuallity was broken/sucky/annoying.

You don't think it is insulting because you don't say it to mean an insult to a person specifically in the contest, but some gay people are going to see that it is, because you are essentially saying that gay=bad because the word gay has not passed from use meaning homosexual.

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

Mar 26, 2010 2:32:09 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

I have no problem with the word gay used in that context. The fact that the ad campaign even says you have to think about it before you'd ever think of it being offensive says it all. People (generally) aren't using it in that context to slander homosexuals, or because they're homophobic. It's just a word.

F**, N*****, S***. Those are words that clearly have an offensive meaning and use behind them. You hear those words, and you know someone is trying to be ignorant

Which is why, if something sucks or is broken, I just say, "This is shit." I don't need to worry about actual shit being offended.....

[Legion]

Mar 26, 2010 9:53:43 GMT -5 "Hollywood" Cactus Matt said:

Mar 26, 2010 2:32:09 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

I have no problem with the word gay used in that context. The fact that the ad campaign even says you have to think about it before you'd ever think of it being offensive says it all. People (generally) aren't using it in that context to slander homosexuals, or because they're homophobic. It's just a word.

F**, N*****, S***. Those are words that clearly have an offensive meaning and use behind them. You hear those words, and you know someone is trying to be ignorant

Which is why, if something sucks or is broken, I just say, "This is s***." I don't need to worry about actual s*** being offended.....

Exactly. A new word wasn't needed to desribe things like that, let along a word that is use dto desribe some peoples sexuality.

[erisi236]

Even shit can be something good, as in "that movie was the shit" or "shit was so cash"

The same word can have many meanings, that's just how it is with American English.

[Legion]

Mar 26, 2010 10:20:04 GMT -5 erisi236 said:

Even s*** can be something good, as in "that movie was the s***" or "s*** was so cash"

The same word can have many meanings, that's just how it is with American English.

How can something be 'cash'? I'm that particular neologism hasn't crossed the pond yet.

Either way, the point still stands, something like S*** isn't going to get insulted, unlike some gay people, who may get insulted that what they are is being used as a by-word for S*** and so on.

[Nr1Humanoid]

I take no offense to it. There's so much worse out there.

[Deleted]

Honestly, I don't find it offensive at all unless its used in an offensive way. My opinion counts double, since I am out....mainly because my closet has been destroyed from an incedent regarding lube and glue ;D

[Deleted]

For the most part words aren't offensive, people are just insecure and free speech should never be obstructed for the sake of someone's feelings.

I say for the most part because the there are words that can cause people to behave violently towards someone else - which is why we have the Fighting Words Doctrine, which, thankfully has been used sparingly and has a very narrow usage.