Use of the word "gay"

Originally Posted by sprouticus

Faggot I can understand, but not gay.

Faggot, I think actually refers to the type of wood originally used to burn homosexuals at the stake. So, it's a lot like gay in that it had a different meaning originally.


I'm going to have to agree with Deni and everyone else here that's said it; it's the intent, not the word. I remember in junior high it was "the thing to do" to go around saying "I like girls so I'm a lesbian" if you were a guy and vis versa if you were female.

Language evolves so much that I think people forget that words are only powerful because we make it so. I'm well aware I give the n-word more power by being unwilling to say it, but I can't find it in me to say it because I feel it's still too derogatory to use. However, I take the negative meaning away from the word gay by using it as much as possible. (I don't actually really use it that often, but I used to.)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Josiah

Now wait a minute, I'm talking about people using the word that way when they don't know that someone who is homosexual is within earshot, or perhaps someone friends with or related to another who is homosexual. It's a completely different matter if they did know; yes, I think that's disrespectful if they did know and say it anyway. But if no such people who might take offense are around, nobody there is going to think that if you say "That's gay" in the manner we've been talking about that that suddenly means you hate or are disrespecting homosexual people, but that you're basically saying "That's dumb" and nothing more.

I don't even say it that often myself, I say "That's messed up", "That's ridiculous", etc. just as easily. And if I knew that someone homosexual was nearby, I wouldn't say it.

What I was trying to say is that people who choose to be homosexual are bound to hear the phrase sooner or later because it is common to some degree, and that you'd be sending the wrong message if you tried to make it less common by blowing up on the first person you hear say it like that. If I were that "first person" I would probably say "Whoa, okay, I didn't know you were homosexual, I'm sorry", but if they reacted that way in the first place, I don't know if they'd accept the apology. The "serious problem" I was speaking of is hearing the phrase and reacting that negatively to it.

Is it possible to make any less sense?

There's nowhere I can't reach.