'Gay' as a Derogatory Term

I use the word gay sometimes. I don't see it as a bad thing. I have a few gay friends and nor do they.. I suppose it all depends on the person. If I offend someone I usually apologize, cause offending people is NOT cool lol

 

Retard means to slow down. Retarded means slowed down.

This asinine compulsion to subtract words from the english language so as to protect the offended sensibilities of the uneducated reminds me of the poor professor who was forced into retirement for the crime of using the word 'niggardly'. Look it up ya lazy bums.

 

Hmm, until now I assumed that was just ritard. Wow, firefox spellcheck doesn't recognize that as a word

 

stfu

 

So, the use of words like "jew" and "retard" as derogatory terms are in the realms of the "educated"? If so, Id rather be uneducated!

As for using "rape" as a potential example of an offensive word, thats patently ludicrous. By that logic, "torture" and "murder" could also be classed as offensive words. The acts themselves are offensive, but the words describing them, are not. The difference between words like "jew", "retard" and "gay" being used in derogatory ways, and the above terms, is they refer to types of people, not an act.

 

Yes, I agree that words go out of vogue and then become embarrassments or outright denigrations because of common overusage.

In the 19th century "idiot, moron, imbecile" were clinical terms to describe degrees of retardation such as profound, severe, moderate or mild. Now even retarded has gone out of vogue in the "developmentally disabled" business and unfortunately the Association for Retarded Citizens is faced with an image prob, which makes them only use the acronym ARC without explanation. NAACP has to deal with colored ppl being a bit archaic as well.

I could be a str8 man having a gay old time hangin' with my gay buddies. There both the original and the 20th century usage of gay. It would be so gay to argue that it is a derogation.

Or can is say one is niggardly in the humor department to always be so offended.

WTF is Ur Prob?

 

Jew and retard or 'tard' or whatever are nasty, but for some reason, when someone says 'that's gay' as in 'that's lame', I don't get upset. I guess because I always sort of associate it with being corny and lame as opposed to being a piece of shit... and I don't mind being corny and lame sometimes, because everyone has their moments.

'Fag' is a different story, though... I hate that word a lot, and when someone says it, I lose all respect for them. I mean, gay people call themselves gay-- but they don't really call themselves fags unless they have issues... well, most gay people have issues-- so let's just say, serious issues.

But yeah, I don't think it's something that a lot of people really think about... it doesn't mean they're being hateful or anything.

 

I apologize for sounding like a douche last night, I was a tad drunk, but STILL it bugs the FUCK out of me when people attempt to sound so damn intelligent over something half RETARDED. lol I mean no offence, it just bugs me.

 

That's okay, MrDot. There's lots of times when I feel like saying stfu as well. I do have a way of showing sarcasm often and it bugs. The intelligence thing? I just love words.

 

Same Here.

I'm just a HS graduate who has often proof-read (& edited) papers for ppl working on Bachelor and Master degrees.

 

:iagree:

...for the most part.

I don't get annoyed over 'retarded' so much... Probably because it's been hammered constantly into my brain for the past 10 (or more) years. (Jew still pisses me off)

also, while I think 'fag' definantly crosses the line.. I don't immediatly lose all respect for anyone who uses it. I can stand when people use it the same as they would prick, or pussy, (this doesn't mean they're horrible people, it just means it's been a regular part of their vocabulary since middle school (like me) and they either have it slip occasionaly (like me) or they havnt really considered the negativity it carries with it. Much like you didn't consider the word 'lame' as derogatory to disabled people when you used it twice (in context) during your relativly short post.) but, I can not stand it when people actually use it to describe a gay person.

Sort of how you'd let it fly if your friend called you retarded for tripping and spilling all your popcorn everywhere (at least I would.. Some of you are much more spastic than I am.) but if you were walking down the street with that same friend, you saw a mentaly disabled person and your friend laughed and said,

"hey, look at that retard! Haha.."

you'd be like, (or at least I would)

"dude, what the fuck? That's not cool"

anyway... I guess my point in all this is that some things should be taken seriously, and some you should just let go. If we removed every word that could be considered offensive, our vocabulary would be significantly smaller. In a few years, I'd be willing to bet that "gay" and "fag" will be phased out on their own.. When was the last time you heard the word "dude" used as an insult?

We can be all knitpicky, or we can just not use it ourselves, and wait for an insulting slang to catch on discriminating against people we don't like either.. (I.e. DEA worker, beiber fan, republican.. If those somehow caught on, would you have a problem with people who used them?)

random train of thought.. Whore is a good example of that. Being a whore is illegal (almost everywhere) and highly frowned upon, (by almost everyone) in the exact same way being gay used to be illegal and highly frowned upon.

I'd be willing to bet that in 50 years or so, we'll see a thread titled "'Whore' as a derogatory term"



P.s. I feel like this post either makes a lot of sense, or none at all and is just incomprehensible rambling. I apoligise if it's the later.

 

The last line of your post makes me think I've offended you, and for that I am sincerely sorry. However, your objections are why I suggested finding a word that applies to any actual people.

 

If we abolished the words that offend, we'd come up with new words that offend. There will always be a way to offend and there will always be sobbers jumping up to declare they're offended.

 

Haha... No, you didn't offend me. The post wasn't at all meant to be directed at you, you just happened to have posted something I could use to start my rant.:sunny:

 

Exactly

 

I believe there's a time and a place for all words. I was recently called 'Paki' by a woman I was just getting to know and have to spend 20 hours a week with. I wanted to break her face. I've been called 'Paki' by close friends before. It didn't bother me in the slightest but when it comes from someone who's just being ignorant, it's degrading and pathetic.

I use the word 'gay' to mean other things than homosexuality. I don't use it openly in public and I don't use it with people when I know they could take offence (since obviously some people do). I don't mean it offensively though and I wouldn't risk using it if someone thought I was being degrading.

I think words like 'faggot', '******', 'chink', 'gypo' etc. ARE degrading. With the exception of being used amongst the communities they are refered to, those words are insulting and rude and are spoken in a derogatory manner. 'Gay' translates to something silly, funny and ridiculous. No, I don't think gay men and women are ridiculous. But 'gay' these days has other meanings. That's all.

 

Since the English language is rich with words which express a wide range of emotions and feelings I myself prefer to use words that have a neutral value in terms of potential offence to others. There's enough grief and hate in the world so why risk adding another hurt or wound to someone else just because a word has become vogue, common in its inappropriate useage. When I do choose to direct my vective toward someone I can do so in a manner they know was tailored specifcally for their pathetic existance. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

This is exactly how I am as well.