You're gay.

[Squirrel]

Do you use terms like "gay" as an insult? If so, what meaning are you giving the word when you do? Do you get offended by the use of these words in this way? Expand!

 

[Sableye~]

I don't use it as an insult. If other people do, I don't really care.

 

[Sirfetch’d]

I HATE seeing the word used as an insult, because it simply isn't. Often people use it as an insult and it makes me cringe when that happens. When I hear someone go "that's gay" when they really mean "that's stupid" it really offends me because in that person's eyes gay=stupid. It is a word that should NEVER be used as an insult.

 

[インフェルノの津波]

Maybe in 2010

Not anymore. I realized it sounded very, very ignorant to say, and when others say it..I don't get offended because when I was in high school it was a common thing to say, so it never really bothered me when used as an insult. If that makes any sense.

The meaning I give to it is a person who likes others of the same sex/gender. I assume that's correct.

 

[Belldandy]

I think I saw a thread similar to this around recently about how "offended" you can be. Not the sex thread, mind ye.

I don't use "gay" as a slur. The term itself has officially developed from:

- Merry / Carefree (1200s)
- Noble Knight / Lady (1400s)
- Promiscuous (1800s)
- Homosexual [Male] (1900s)

Source

So for me, it's basically changed in meaning to:

- Ridiculous / Lame (2000s - Belldandy)

Just as words do throughout history, "gay" IMO has changed in meaning... Although it still can mean the slur, pending the context, it's obvious that when someone says, "Homework is gay" that they mean "Homework is unpleasant" or that "Homework is lame."

I don't think it's offensive in this context. It's not about homosexuals afterall. It has just become synonymous to "uncool," "not fun," etc. and although it may derive originally from a distaste for homosexuality, the context changes the person's intention altogether, and that should definitely be considered before pointing any fingers or getting hyped up over nothing.

Though, to say that someone is gay is more of a homosexually-driven slur than calling something gay. That thing, after all, doesn't have a sex so it doesn't make sense to think it a slur. To say that someone else is gay and truly meaning "stupid," well, firstly who does that [anymore] and secondly, yeah that's bad :P

 

[Sydian]

I don't. I like to use my words correctly.

 

[Nick]

I used to get really, really angry when people around me did that. "That's gay." I wouldn't get offended by it, since it wouldn't really apply to me and I hate it when people get offended on behalf of other people, but it would really frustrate me that people would use it the wrong way. I would call them out on their tomfoolery almost immediately.

Until I started doing it. I do it on occasion, but not really often enough to say that its part of my daily vocabulary. I have too many gay friends and I think it's really disrespectful on their behalf if I were to use it.

 

[Aether★]

I'm neither using it as an insult, nor taking it from someone as an insult.

 

[Shiny Celebi]

I dont. I never use gay as an insult, in fact I really dont like that people do that at all >_< can't they choose another word?

 

[Her]

I have a straightforward opinion on this - if you're LGBT, use gay in whatever way you want to. It's your word, use it how you want. But if you're straight, use it in the way it was meant to be used and not as a synonym for something bad or terrible. You don't have the right to use it that way.

This also applies to a certain f word - I'd prefer it if the word died out completely, but many LGBT use this word as a way of reclaiming it, making the word they're own. But if you're straight, don't use it at all. Ever. It's a terrible word which I'm not going to physically type out as the less this word is used, the better. Find your own way of insulting someone without degrading another person's sexuality.

 

[Sandshrew4]

I hear all these people saying "this is gay, that is gay" and they sound so dumb. I use it as happy. I don't know any gay people, so why would I use that definition?

 

[droomph]

I don't care if you use it here or there. I don't use it personally, but it's more about how weird it sounds (I'm really picky with my words) more than that it's "offensive" or anything.

Also, to all the people who are like "that's not what it means!" just keep in mind that words can evolve okay? I'm not saying that you should be okay with it, but pleaaaaaaaaaase keep that in mind also.

 

[Honest]

I really really don't like it when other people use it. My best friends have a bad habit of using it synonymously with stupid, and I've long since given up on trying to get them to stop.

 

[.Aero]

I find it offensive when used as a slur / synonym to lame or stupid. If it's being used to actually describe sexuality, that's fine, but considering I'm gay, I find it extremely distasteful and disrespectful for people to use it in a negative way like it has become. People will argue that gay has changed meanings this generation, but as far as I'm concerned, it still maintains the meaning of homosexual. So why are the two meanings interchangeable. Doesn't make much sense to me.

Nothing bothers me more than a member of the LGBT community using it themselves though. Why would someone use such a word if they themselves are? The only thing i actually do find worse is if people go "Oh, I have a friend who's gay and he/she says it's ok so it's fine." In general, sexuality isn't apparent at first sight and you don't know if you're offending someone or not by using it as an insult. You might not think anyone you are talking to might be gay, but you don't know that, so I just find it to be an ugly usage of the word in general or in any context, whether you're straight, gay, or whatever.

 

[Her]

Nothing bothers me more than a member of the LGBT community using it themselves though. Why would someone use such a word if they themselves are?

It's a sign of ownership, they're showing the world that 'we're here, we're queer, and we aren't going anywhere' or something just as campy. If gay is literally a description of who they are, then they should be allowed to use it in whatever way they want, lol.

 

[Zeffy]

I am indifferent at whoever uses the words and however they wish to use it. I don't use the word much myself yet what only irks me is how a certain group of people can claim that only they can use the word in whatever context they wish it to be. I'm not only pertaining to this word in particular, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of these 'claimed' words. They are, as any other is, just words. Whose to say what one can and cannot say? Where is the freedom of speech in that? (A bit off-topic, I know, but one can only wonder.)

 

[Puddi]

No, because it implies being gay is bad... And it's not.

 

[Alice]

I used to. I only stopped because I played on a CSS server that didn't allow swearing a lot, and they considered that to be a bad word for this reason... so I kinda just stopped saying it. Doesn't really offend me though.

 

[Her]

I am indifferent at whoever uses the words and however they wish to use it. I don't use the word much myself yet what only irks me is how a certain group of people can claim that only they can use the word in whatever context they wish it to be. I'm not only pertaining to this word in particular, I'm pretty sure there are plenty of these 'claimed' words. They are, as any other is, just words. Whose to say what one can and cannot say? Where is the freedom of speech in that? (A bit off-topic, I know, but one can only wonder.)

There is a difference between freedom of speech and being an insensitive/homophobic/sexist/racist jackass.

 

[vaporeon7]

When I was a lot younger, I used it as a word that meant bad. Now these days, I don't ever use it as an insult. I'll also tell people off if they do when they talk to me and use it as an insult. (I actually did that today lol)