'Gay' as a Derogatory Term

i think theres a significant enough difference between changing the meaning from happy or festive to homosexual, and changing it from homosexual to a negative connotation. the meaning of it being of homosexuality, was derived from that festive meaning, a positive meaning. the use of the word 'gay' for negative connotation purposes derives from a derogatory influence when that second meaning of homosexuality was around.

also i think it has to do with timing of when the gay community is large enough to be acknowledged.

 

But hasn't it had a derogatory influence on the original word? There are so many songs that can no longer be sung today. Here's a wonderfully moving ballad that I love, now fallen into dis-use, probably forever.

look there, there he goes
there goes the funny man
the 'life of the party', that's me
and they'd never guess I had a care
they'd be amazed to see me cry
cry the whole night through
cry over you

talk loud, funny man
draw a crowd, funny man
you're in rare form today
leave 'em laughin' as you walk away
but they wouldn't laugh if they only knew
that I'll gp home alone to cry
when the party's through
cry over you

and who's to know that this clever clown
is really the fool of the town
who's to know the girl I love
laughed when she turned me down

so tell a joke, funny man
be gay, funny man
don't give yourself away, funny man
pretend you didn't love her anyway
act as though nothing's wrong
wear your smile till you're alone
then cry
cry the whole night through
'cause there's nothing you can do

There are so many great songs that are relegated to obscurity now because a word no longer means what it's supposed to mean. They won't be resurrected because a word no longer means what it's supposed to mean. We smirk now when we sing 'don we now our gay apparel' at Christmas. That one can't be retired but it's a grim reminder to old guys like me of what has been lost to all of us.

I wish they'd taken a different word.

 

Noones stopping you from singing them

 

It may have altered the meaning. But, unless one thinks being gay is a bad thing, it hasn't had a derogatory influence on anything.

This reminds me of the guy who was annoyed that he couldn't wear his rainbow belt, because gay people have stolen the rainbow and turned into a 'gay symbol'.

A rainbow is a rainbow and a word is a word. It can mean what you want it to.

 

In fact, words only mean what we want them to. (guys: we made them)

 

I can understand what you're saying here and agree with it. I sometimes use the term with my gay friends when I'm ragging on them, and some gay men "are so gay!" It is also the same as black ppl calling their friends ******. You can get away with it because you are in the demographic.

However, str8 ppl or white ppl using those terms are usually considered derogatory and for the most part they are unless they are an intimate part of a gay or black family.

But I also agree that the expressions current overuse by young ppl is a derogation. One of the worst kinds of derogation - the kind that goes unnoticed and unchallenged. The kind that has seeped into the social consciousness and gets tucked into some prejudicial closet in the most liberal minds.

But, there isn't much we can do about it. Words take on social connotations far removed from their origin. It is the nature of evolving language. Ask Thomas Crapper about that.

Child Please!

I just discovered last year that when I start drawing social security, it would be better to claim survivor benefits on my wife who was an RN and made about 3 times what I made for several years.

Yes, the benefits are important when you are living on a pittance.

There are real financial losses here that gay couples deserve just as much as we legally married couples do that they are being denied. And, I know that gay couples are just as valid a "marriage" as heterosexual couples, just not legally acknowledged and that is a travesty.

No, you are a child and have no grasp of the impact of that "federal bullshit."

 

Not to me, if my boyfriend dies I don't need to make a cent off of it, we don't do taxes, we don't have credit reports, etc.

Seriously, I am better off without that crap. I -am- above it.

 

Then who coordinated this conspiracy?

I really think the use of 'gay' as derogatory came from straight males, as another way of saying 'pussy' - due to the stereotype of gays being sissy.
I don't think they meant it as an attack; merely their normal macho bullshit.

I won't defend the usage of the term (although, I use it myself). And I can see why a person might be offended initially; but I think it's absolutely asinine, and bordering on crazy, to not just get over it.

 

You are 20.

I been there. I know what footloose and carefree is.

My partner and I had nothing legally binding except an occasional joint bank account to stash our money between trips to India.

But, life circumstances do change as you get older.

 

Yeah you can believe that if you want to I guess, I just don't believe things have to change for everyone when they get older.

I'm never going to want or need marriage type benefits, or benefits at all for that matter.

 

i say it, I know people that get really pissed off at me for it. If you haven't been gay bashed than I dont think you should get so crazy about it.

me and my roomies had a similar conversation, they are not willing to stop using the term gay but have agreed to stop using the term fag.

I personally get pissed the fuck off by the use of the term fag, unless used by another fag.

 

I feel like an interloper here because I am a woman, but I have a slightly off-topic, curiosity about the origin of the word "faggot". Although I hate stereotypes of any kind, I can understand the use of the word "gay" as an alternative to "homosexual", but where the hell did "faggot" get started? Does anyone know?

 

I honestly don't think anyone knows for sure...

Here's an interesting take on it, though... with a little bit of history of the word.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2112/how-did-faggot-get-to-mean-male-homosexual

 

Oh Well, If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, call it a Pato

 

'Breeders' is also a pretty nasty little term.

Which doesnt mean anything to them before they have kids - "Breeders? What are you on about"

But once their neck deep in diapers and its the reason for pretty much their whole existance - it becomes a really nasty phrase

 

what conspiracy?

i agree with the first paragraph, but this kind of portrayal of machoness is what we're pretty much originally talking about right?

and i agree with the 2nd paragraph, and i think most gay people have gotten over it cuz they have to. i just dont understand why a minority term is used for a negative connotation, like as if we were in the 20's ridiculing something for being something a black person would like. or even if it is prissy or more feminine, that's a separate point that people are trying to advocate in this movement, is that someone's masculinity or femininity shouldn't matter.

 

What we really need is a new derogatory word to replace "gay" that doesn't refer to any actual people. My little brothers and I use "douche canoe" instead.

 

Homosexual is the perfect word for homosexual. We used to shorten it to homo, which was a natural inclination, but for some reason homosexual persons didn't seem to like that.

 

thats retarded

speaking of, retarded should be removed from our vocabulary as well, shouldn`t it? It`s easily as offensive, if not more so than `gay`.

however neither of those compare to `rape`, that should obviously be first on the list. (though, I don't think its as common as it once was)

and `lame`.. thats clearly an attack on the handicapped. (totally unacceptable)

more obviously offensive, but `Jew` is defenatly floating around in the sea of insults.. I was called a sneaky jew the other day.. I mean, really?

what about pussy? Is that not implying that all women are weak and ineffectual?

how about, `that`s stupid`.. seems innocent enough until you consider the 125,000,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 are uneducated and illiterate (through no fault of their own) not to mention everyone over the age of 11 who are uneducated, and are (to use the derogatory term) STUPID.

have you ever said something to the effect of.. `I didn't eat breakfast today, I'm fuckin starving`

well guess what? offensive!

150,000,000 children die every year of starvation. About 200 have died since you started reading my post. (just kids mind you, there are starving adults too) and you just sit there like a self centered bitch (pretty sure bitch is safe) eating your tacos and flan tossing the word around like its nothing.

have a good life......asshole

 

Rape? The act is certainly offensive, but the word? In what context?