Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobo Fett
Seriously??
"That's so gay" is absolutely, positively, 100% connected to homosexuality. WTF else would it be connected to? To think this some kind of reversal like "bad" or "sick" would require having lived in a cave for the last few decades. And if a listener is offended by that usage, it's because they're aware of the connection which isn't just "in their mind", but is the very reason that meaning of the word even exists. Suggesting the problem with using the word that way is with the listener and not the speaker is incredibly ****ing offensive.
If what you mean is that it's been thrown around so casually by some for years now that there are people who don't give it much thought when they use the word that way, and might do so with no ill will intended towards gay people, I'd agree with that. But their ignorance shouldn't mean that it's OK to do, just like if someone says they "Jewed" someone down on a price.
There is zero parallel between this and "using the Lord's name in vain".
Well, I guess I don't know for certain, as I have never used "gay" in that manner, but I have only heard it used by children. But I would guess that most them mean no offense to actual gay people, and when using the phrase are not thinking about homosexuals or homosexuality. The actual derivation of the usage is not something that they would be thinking about.
When I was a child I often used the term "gyp" to mean "get a bad deal", and I had no idea it was in any way connected to the word "gypsy", nor did I have any idea that there was a (formerly?) common stereotype about the Romani people being swindlers (or something like that, I still don't exactly understand the connection".
So, tldr, yes I already "knew all of that", but I'm not convinced that the people currently using the phrase knew all of that.
I don't think the usage of "gay" is something we need to worry about much here anyway, as, again, I have only ever heard of its use by children, but still, it's just a word that has already previously had several different meanings. "Christ" and "Gypsy" are names referring only to one person or group of people.
Do you think it would be offensive for me to use the word "queer" to mean "suspiciously weird" definitely a negative concept?
Last edited by chillrob; 12-29-2022 at 09:23 PM.