"That's So Gay!"

[wahoohunter]

Just thought I'd get y'alls take on using "gay" as a synonym for other insulting words. I know when I was in highschool I was guilty myself of saying "that's gay." However, in realizing the err in my ways I now find it repulsive that people actually use such vernacular. Whether or not one is for or against homosexuality should not affect their speaking ability, nor should it make them feel they need to constantly insult a group of people by referring to anything as "gay." Any thoughts?

[Fieldmouse]

Why even worry about what word you use or want to use. Words can't kill you. They can't harm you. My mom is upset the homo's hijacked the word in the first place. As far as using the word and calling something gay, sure use it all the time. Got to call a spade a spade.

[BigTiny]

Gay used to be a perfectly good word that meant happy. I can remember reading stories in school where that adjective was used often. You won't find it in kids stories anymore. I remember doing sub teaching and standing in for a World History teacher once. They were in the European Middle Ages and I got to talking about siege warfare and how those on the outside would toss excrement and flaming ******s over the walls of a fortress. There was a good deal of snickering, but after explaining the actual meaning of the word, the class continued without a hitch. After school the principal stopped me...but I think you can guess the rest.

[quiksilver]

Gay has evolved. Turn back the clock to20 years ago, when gayness was mega-taboo, I'd say the word "Gay" was off limits - relegated to strictly derogatory status. Gay was scary to most Americans. People hid the kids and locked the doors if they knew a gay person was around. To be gay was to be a monster.

Nowadays, gay people are allowed to vote and go to public schools and eat in public restaurants and such... Gay bashing is out. Every self-respecting couture glamour girl wants a "gay friend." They cry on youtube because people are mean to Britney Spears.Every tv program has a token gay guy. We even have TV shows where we try to make straight guys more gay. (***** Eye)

I went to law school with a few gay guys/girls - and kinda adopted their gratuitous overuse of the word as part of my everday vocabulary. Hearing gay people use the word "gay" to make fun of things is just plain funny.

See, as homosexuality becomes more widelyaccepted - I think the word "Gay"simultaneously edges toward beingdecreasingly offensive and more of a light-hearted joshing. I say it's kosher.

Going further, internet subculture, blogging, myspaceand outrageous photoshoppinghave also helpedthe nasty edge off of the word "Gay."




Gay just isn't bad anymore. It's funny. It's not bad. So, I saythe word "Gay" is fair game. Even gay people think it's funny.

...and I just did the finger test. I'm a macho man. Holla at a playa.

[BigTiny]

Remember when a tranny was an auto part?

When a cream pie was a dessert?

When half-and-half was something you put in coffee?

When a guy named Richard could be called Dick and no one thought anything of it?

When a dike was something to hold water?

[RockinChair]

ORIGINAL: quiksilver

Gay has evolved. Turn back the clock to20 years ago, when gayness was mega-taboo, I'd say the word "Gay" was off limits - relegated to strictly derogatory status. Gay was scary to most Americans. People hid the kids and locked the doors if they knew a gay person was around. To be gay was to be a monster.

Nowadays, gay people are allowed to vote and go to public schools and eat in public restaurants and such... Gay bashing is out. Every self-respecting couture glamour girl wants a "gay friend." They cry on youtube because people are mean to Britney Spears.Every tv program has a token gay guy. We even have TV shows where we try to make straight guys more gay. (***** Eye)

I went to law school with a few gay guys/girls - and kinda adopted their gratuitous overuse of the word as part of my everday vocabulary. Hearing gay people use the word "gay" to make fun of things is just plain funny.

See, as homosexuality becomes more widelyaccepted - I think the word "Gay"simultaneously edges toward beingdecreasingly offensive and more of a light-hearted joshing. I say it's kosher.

Going further, internet subculture, blogging, myspaceand outrageous photoshoppinghave also helpedthe nasty edge off of the word "Gay."




Gay just isn't bad anymore. It's funny. It's not bad. So, I saythe word "Gay" is fair game. Even gay people think it's funny.

...and I just did the finger test. I'm a macho man. Holla at a playa.

PRettttttty sure they could do those before.

[Griswold]

BigTiny already said basically what I was going to say. The word "gay" has been a part of the English vocabulary for centuries and it never meant anything but happy. Then someone decided to apply it to the homosexual faction and now gays are perfectly happy to refer to themselves as gay. Sorry, but they have no claim on the word and, thusly, no right to be offended when someone "misuses" the word. People in general need to stop being so offended over everything. I think Americans should strive to treat everyone as they themselves would like to be treated, but quite frankly, if you choose to sleep with men, you should just expect that you're going to hear some disparaging comments from time to time. Oh well, life goes on. I hear disparaging comments about my region (the south) every day. So far, it hasn't killed me or even damaged my psyche.

[Aught Six]

The only people I've known touse the word "gay" in that manner are middle schoolers. Makes about as much sense as anything else that comes out of their mouths.

[buttonbuckmaster]

Fran's post got deleted. Thats so gay.

[etothepii]

Calling something "gay" probably comes from the long use of the word "*****," meaning unusual.