You're gay.

[Taemin]

I usually say "That's so homosexual", ironically, and to sound stupid. When I say it, it's usually only around friends, and not something that I say out loud in the public. I mean, I'm not straight myself, so if anyone ever called me on it I'd politely let them know to chill. xD;

In general, I don't like that so many people seriously use "gay" as an insult, it just ends up making me feel bad. Though, it's not like I'm going to grab every person I hear that does it and tell them to stop. Wouldn't get far. Unless you yourself are gay, and you say it as a joke, I'd rather not hear it said.

 

[curiousnathan]

I don't use 'gay' as a means of insulting or describing something. It's not because some might consider it rude, but merely just because I've become accustomed to make use of the thousands upon thousands of other words to get my point across effectively.

And to be honest, swear words like ****, ******, ****, **** etc, are only powerful if we give them power. In the end they're merely a gathering of pixels on a computer screen or a collection of shapes written on paper.

 

[.:batto:.]

thats the kind of insult i would use in primary school. seriously.

this thread is going nowhere. fast.

 

[Amore]

Yeah, sometimes me and my mates use "gay" when mocking eachother for random things which we decide on the spot are "un-manly". Not really proud of it, but if you're around us you here the tone (and the fact that there is at least one gay guy in my school and we don't bully him or anything) and know that we're not being extremely homophobic. It's just used as part of the banter really.

 

[Nakuzami]

On occasion, I suppose. Not as much anymore. I don't really get offended when people use it as an insult, so long as they're not actually insulting a person for being gay. I'm gay myself, so . . . >.>; I guess it just feels somewhat different when a person who is actually gay uses the word in such a manner. For example, when I've heard the character Kurt Hummel, a gay high-schooler in the show Glee, played by the also gay actor Chris Colfer, use it to insult things, it's actually been pretty hilarious. He's only done it about twice, from what I've heard, though, so . . . yeah, lol.

 

[Tetrakeet]

Nope, I don't use this term. Every decade seems to have it's habits with the insults though. I rarely hear the term "you're gay" anymore though. The term "derp" seems to be more popular these days.

 

[Palkia]

I use all of the insults in the book apart from this one due to how offensive it could be when I am around some people. I don't think that it is a healthy insult if the world wants to make homosexuality a taboo and people need to really think of more original insults than the "lol ur a gay homo" card.

 

[Crunch Punch]

I guess I DO sometimes use it around my friends, although only occasionally. I don't have anything against gays, it's just a quick word that pops on my head sometimes. Stupid excuse, I know, but I haven't got anything better.

 

[Captain Fabio]

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 post perplexes me. Since when does a group of people own a word? And since when did people not have 'the right' to use a simple word?

I use the word every so often to describe something that is really annoying. It will be a simple, "Ugh, gayyyyy." I am not sure how people can take insult to that in that certain context, but if people do, I don't really respond to it. It isn't meant in a derogatory way, it isn't meant to call any one out, it is just my expression of an annoyance of a situation; surely the person who is 'offended' by it can understand what it is like to express how they are feeling... :/​

​

 

[Her]

I don't believe the other posts in the thread addressing me are worth replying to, so:

This post perplexes me. Since when does a group of people own a word? And since when did people not have 'the right' to use a simple word?​

​

Reclaiming a slur (like a certain F word) can be very personally/socially/politically empowering for the group (LGBT, for example) at whom it was originally aimed: they are re-appropriating a term that is or was originally used by a majority to oppress a minority. Gay falls into this context too: although the word has been more or less reclaimed and turned into something positive, it was used negatively by non-LGBT for quite some time. You can use the word gay all you want! But using it in a negative context...well, I'll explain why you as a straight person cannot/should not use it in a negative context.

I use the word every so often to describe something that is really annoying. It will be a simple, "Ugh, gayyyyy." I am not sure how people can take insult to that in that certain context, but if people do, I don't really respond to it. It isn't meant in a derogatory way, it isn't meant to call any one out, it is just my expression of an annoyance of a situation; surely the person who is 'offended' by it can understand what it is like to express how they are feeling... :/​

​

I'm sure other gays feel differently about this and difference of opinion is welcome but here is how I feel:
The word in any negative context associates homosexuality with something undesirable and unless you're homosexual and people know you don't think that's a negative, you're suggesting to homophobic people around you that you think being gay is wrong. It's all about the connotations, people! It's perfectly alright if you don't understand me, as sometimes I have trouble with saying all this correctly, lol. I think I did my best getting my point across!

If anyone wants to talk to me about this, I welcome you all to PM me or drop me a VM! But I think I've made too many posts in this thread already and I won't make any more, lol.

 

[AlecGW]

I don't like it being used as an insult, but I guess I have to put up with it and the downward spiral of the evolution of the english language.

 

[h0tshot1025]

I don't know what to feel about this.
There are many other words you can use if you want to describe something negatively.
Just get a dictionary or something xD

 

[Kura]

I'm sure other gays feel differently about this and difference of opinion is welcome but here is how I feel:
The word in any negative context associates homosexuality with something undesirable and unless you're homosexual and people know you don't think that's a negative, you're suggesting to homophobic people around you that you think being gay is wrong. It's all about the connotations, people! It's perfectly alright if you don't understand me, as sometimes I have trouble with saying all this correctly, lol. I think I did my best getting my point across!

Then I'll elaborate on my post since we're all sharing feelings here ;3..:

That's assuming that you think that being gay (homosexual) and describing an object as gay (lame) mean the same thing.
Saying something is gay (lame) doesn't mean you're calling the item a homosexual-lame-thing. It's just a lame thing and the homosexual part does not even apply.

As I said in my original post, some people treat them to be very different words. Like to cross (a street) and a cross (pendant.) They're homonyms.

If someone says "Ugh, that's so gay" negatively towards something that embodies a homosexual trait. Then that's very wrong. But otherwise, it is two completely different words that just sound the same, and I see no big deal using it in that context of lame if that's all that it is.

If it's meant to be derogatory, no one should use it. It's also not right if it's selective. I feel that the LGBT should try find something that's empowering to them, that also doesn't segregate them from others who aren't LGBT. Being selective about it feels like we're taking a step backwards. You're welcome to feel otherwise, but I'm just saying my view on it, and why I feel strongly about my view.

 

[Kanzler]

I first heard the word, used against me, in Grade 3. Somewhere between then and now I stopped using it as an insult. I don't think I could ever pick up using it again, considering the location where I conduct most of my business - university campuses are the most "politically correct" places in the world (actually that's not true, you are freest among friends, so it's great when you're with friends on campus quietly rejecting and rebelling against the establishment).

I don't think it's a separate word (well maybe it is). It may be more clear to say that even if it was a separate word, it is still going out of one's way to distance it from its origin which is from the stigmatizing of homosexuals. The word has history, and that history is very recent - especially true for the majority of us who are young and are just past or may still be in compulsory education. The fact of the matter is that there was a time in our lives during which either we used the word ourselves, or there were major peer groups using it. And there was also a time when homosexuality was degraded for the profit of our own social standing. I don't need to say that these two periods have a lot of overlap (but I just did =]).

Maybe some of you don't have this experience. It doesn't preclude what I experienced from being a reality though, a reality experienced by many people growing up in a small suburb by a big city. As long as this experience remains a reality, I cannot honestly say to myself that gay and gay are indeed two different words.