The term 'faggot'

When that speech is saying people should die, I think you'll find there's a very strong precident for not tolerating it...

 

but it's just words. he can't chop off anybody's head through the computer.

 

No, he can't physically harm anyone through the net but he sure as hell can add to psychological pain to people who are grappling with their identity. I banned him because his posts were aimed at stirring up misery and belittling people.I really can't see much more to say about it. I responded to numerous complaints over a period of time. I should have banned him far sooner than I did.

 

It's really no different from verbal bullying in the playground, that shouldn't be tolerated, and neither should verbal abuse be tolerated on the internet. Im sure gay people dont go to a gay forum expecting to face the same homophobia that they do in general life. Besides, unlike some others, I could see Pochikuen was a homophobic troll from his very first post. It always amazed me that he wasnt banned a lot sooner.

Psychological bullying can be very damaging if it's persistant, and the person isn't mentally strong enough to cope with it. Some gay people can still be struggling with their own perception of their homosexuality. Hate speech like that can add to the misery, Im sure.

 

Well a bundle of sticks seems to represent homosexuality as a pretty simple metaphor to me...

 

fair enough. didn't think of it.

 

Goodness, are you echoing Pochikuen now? Am I the only queer guy who's never heard that whole groups of us tie our cocks together all the time? I never get invited to the fun parties.

 

.... Don't be so superficial.
Multiple sticks bonded together...
Males bonded together (through sexuality or love)...
Pretty goddamn simple to me.

 

so we gays are all so psychologically weak we cant handle or ignore an obvious idiot-i left the playground behind long ago myself...anyway i'd rather have someone threatening me in person or online where i can be aware of it than sitting banned and pissed off in his welfare hotel plotting to bomb a gay pride meeting...sticks and stones folks...anyway, good luck finding any forum on here where everyones agreeable-you could put how you love cold water and somebody'd call you a dumb fuck for not liking it lukewarm

 

I'm real happy for you on leaving the playground behind you and all that but heres the deal...this ain't just about you. It's about some folks who still are on the playground. It's also about some folks who are a bit "psychologically weak" and need a safe haven to explore their thoughts without the distraction of trolls and morons. If you feel that its too totalitarian for me to ban creeps and cretins you can ask Skip to become the Moderator or you could maybe just move on from this playground and find one that better suits your needs. Any way you wanna do things is OK by me

 

We all have the right to freedom of speech but you dont deserve that right if your words incite violence and hatred toward others.

 

Well, getting back to the original inquiry of this post (despite the OP), faggot is one of those words with a murky and unconfirmed etiology. It's use for homosexual is a 20th century origin and likely not related to the faggot of bundled stix (tho I always thought 'flaming faggot' was related).

It likely refers to fag, an early term for cigarette (still in use when I started smoking in my teens).

Why fag? Think Joan Crawford smoking a fag in the '40s, holding it with a limp wrist. Men smoked cigars (Freud already went there).

That may or may not be the origin of the word. As for its offensiveness that depends on how it is used and who is using it. Like '******." You know it was OK in NWA, or when two homies call each other niggah on the corner. It only hurts when a white bigot calls a black guy a ******.

I have used "faggot" among friends but would likely confront some bigot using it. In fact I did once confront a black school teacher who used it to describe gays - and yes I used ****** as an example of "offensive slang" to give her the message.

 

I know some gay people who used the word. I like gay people who don't get butt hurt over their preferences. Lol shit pun

 

Some black people use the word '******' to describe themselves, and other blacks. I think the reason for that was to claim the word as their own, and neutralise it from bigots. Just like in that instance, it's okay for gay people to refer to themselves as 'fags'. But because the word's original usage between non-gay people was almost certainly derogatory, and fueled by hatred, the word is decidedly much uglier when used by a non-gay person. It's okay for blacks to refer to themselves as niggers, but it is still deemed a racist word when it is used by whites. And I think the same applies to heterosexuals using the word 'fag', or 'faggot'. Its okay coming from a gay person, but sounds decidedly uglier when uttered by a non-gay person. If gays wish to call themselves that, than thats fine by me. But I for one, would never refer to a gay person as a 'fag'.

As Shale said, just because it's seen as okay for gays to refer to themselves as 'fags' between themselves, does not remove the ugly, and negative connotations from the word when it is uttered by a bigot.

 

Thanks for the heads up.
But, mightn't he be a young, right-wing troll with internalized homophobia?

 

if you can't say what you like, no matter the outcome, then speech isn't free.

you cannot dictate what people say in any sense, and claim to have free speech.

 

The test of "free speech" has long been established with restrictions the example being: You cannot yel fire in a crowded theater (Unless, of course there really is a fire.) where it is likely to create injury and death due to a stampede.

No, we are not guaranteed absolute freedom of speech.

 

everybody has the absolute freedom to do anything. in your example of yelling 'fire' in a theater that is not on fire --- the freedom is there because we all have the ability to yell 'fire'. we all have the ability to steal, to kill, whatever. we have the freedom to do any of that within the limitations of a specific situation. freedom is derived from the ability to do a specific thing.
laws cannot take away any freedom at all. laws can only inflict punishment for certain liberties taken. thus what we don't have is the acquittal, or an immunity of penalty, should we be caught and found guilty in doing any of those things --murder, theft, etc. it's a matter of whether the gain from crime is worth the consequences. in ca 99% of the cases it's not. no-one is willing to sacrifice his freedom or life for an item of any value or just to off someone.
but the freedom itself is intrinsically there. always has been and always will.

 

I saw South Park's episode on the term, you wouldn't believe how many uses this term has had.

 

right on buddy!

and..I know, I know, I know...no links...

http://www.watchsouthparkonline.net/season-13/episode-12-the-f-word/

but its relavant!