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This thread is pretty gay.

Pizzey

Shutter-Shaded Minccino
19
Posts
13
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I dislike when people use the word 'gay' as a synonym for bad, but people are gonna use whatever words they want.

****** is a tricky word on the other hand, for me at least. In my mind, it is not synonymous to a homosexual, but to an *******, thus why I use the word (typically when joking though).
 
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  • Age 32
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Using the word "gay" when you mean "stupid" is insulting. I don't care if you didn't mean for it to be insulting. If you wanted to say something was dumb say it was dumb, otherwise you're looking pretty dumb in my eyes.

Really, if you are at all close to someone who is gay you won't use the word except to mean, well, gay. You just won't. That one time you did use it in front of them it was really, really awkward and you realized it was the wrong thing to say even before your friend or relative even called you out on it. Because you're a considerate person, right? I mean, for you to use "gay" to mean "stupid" when you know someone who is gay makes you terribly insensitive.

Wait are you saying it's ok to say 'dumb' but not 'gay'? :P Because really that's just as insulting (to an even smaller minority).

As long as it's not obviously being used as a slur, I think using the word gay is fine.
 
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Wait are you saying it's ok to say 'dumb' but not 'gay'? :P Because really that's just as insulting (to an even smaller minority).
Yes, it is okay to say "That's dumb." Dumb means lacking intelligence or judgement, and as such can be used to describe people or actions. For instance: a teacher's decision to test students on material the teacher hasn't taught them yet is dumb. It's not the most articulate word, but it's an acceptable word. It's not the same thing as equating a group of people with an insult.
 
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Yes, it is okay to say "That's dumb." Dumb means lacking intelligence or judgement, and as such can be used to describe people or actions. For instance: a teacher's decision to test students on material the teacher hasn't taught them yet is dumb. It's not the most articulate word, but it's an acceptable word. It's not the same thing as equating a group of people with an insult.

'Dumb' originally only referred to as another word for mute, or people who could not speak. So really it's a very similar situation, where a derogatory term for a minority has become the norm and gained a new definition.
 

Impo

Playhouse Pokemon
2,458
Posts
14
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Being gay, it's weird. People'd probably expect those who are gay to feel insulted, but from my perspective... I guess calling me gay is... 'correct'? I don't know. ****** is offensive, and I guess like Curious said, if they pretty much spit the word gay then you know it's being used derogatorily, which is wrong.

On that note my friends use the word gay around me to describe things that are bad, but never derogatorily. I guess it's kind of a word with two meanings, like most of the English Dictionary.
 

Yoshikko

the princess has awoken while the prince sleeps on
3,065
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Using the word "gay" when you mean "stupid" is insulting. I don't care if you didn't mean for it to be insulting. If you wanted to say something was dumb say it was dumb, otherwise you're looking pretty dumb in my eyes.

Really, if you are at all close to someone who is gay you won't use the word except to mean, well, gay. You just won't. That one time you did use it in front of them it was really, really awkward and you realized it was the wrong thing to say even before your friend or relative even called you out on it. Because you're a considerate person, right? I mean, for you to use "gay" to mean "stupid" when you know someone who is gay makes you terribly insensitive.

Speak for yourself. My best friend doesn't care one bit if I or other people use it, it completely depends on the person. You can't just state that something is insulting to everyone just because it is to you. And you can't call people inconsiderate and insensitive towards their friends either if they use it, just because you're offended.
Really, if you are at all close to someone who is gay you won't use the word except to mean, well, gay.
This pisses me off. You're undermining my friendship with someone (or whoever else's) and just claim whatever.
 
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@Yoshikkko: Just because someone doesn't feel offended doesn't automatically make something said not insulting. Every gay person I know (and every non-gay person I've talked to about this topic who has gay friends or family) feels that using "that's so gay" and similar phrases is insulting. It's not just me. I'm genuinely surprised that someone would say that their gay friend doesn't mind this kind of talk from their friends.
 

Yoshikko

the princess has awoken while the prince sleeps on
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@Yoshikkko: Just because someone doesn't feel offended doesn't automatically make something said not insulting. Every gay person I know (and every non-gay person I've talked to about this topic who has gay friends or family) feels that using "that's so gay" and similar phrases is insulting. It's not just me. I'm genuinely surprised that someone would say that their gay friend doesn't mind this kind of talk from their friends.

Just because someone feels offended, doesn't automatically make something said insulting. It works both ways, not just the one you think. Again, you are basing something off your own experience. Nice that every gay person you know and everyone else feels it's insulting, but you can't possibly make statement like this just based on that. It doesn't apply to every person just because it's like that with you and the people around you.
And it also sounds as if you're saying that I just bluffed that my gay best friend doesn't mind because you said you are surprised that I said that. No, you should be surprised (if you should be at all) that he doesn't care at all, and that's true. He doesn't mind it, he uses it himself and he knows the difference and therefore doesn't care.
 
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It's not just my experience I'm basing my views on, but that of practically everyone I've ever heard speak about this topic. Please excuse my attempt to use an illustrative example. I wasn't attempting to invalidate your friendship, however much it disagrees with what I know. I'd rather not fight about this.
 

Yoshikko

the princess has awoken while the prince sleeps on
3,065
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It's not just my experience I'm basing my views on, but that of practically everyone I've ever heard speak about this topic. Please excuse my attempt to use an illustrative example. I wasn't attempting to invalidate your friendship, however much it disagrees with what I know. I'd rather not fight about this.

Yeah I understand because it might not be the opinion anyone'd expect. I totally understand why gay people would be offended/insulted by that term too however way it was used. Maybe it's different here because most of the people I know actually don't mind as much, but here homosexuality is something the majority is very open and relaxed about so maybe that's it. At any rate, I wasn't trying to fight or anything but I did want to defend myself and him too. He is the only one I ever use that term freely with anyway because you can never be sure with other people and it is also not my intention to offend anyone. Having no different opinions would be boring!
 

Crux

Evermore
1,302
Posts
11
Years
Technically the word gay was originally used as a syn for happy,but like so many words it evolved over time into meaning something else.
I personally don't think that you should put to much stock into a word that's so commonly used,but I can see how some people would get offended.
My opinion might be a bit biased though since I use gay myself. n.n"
 
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Just generally try not to offend people so instead of saying "that's gay!" or "how gay" I would replace the word with annoying, stupid, weird or a made up word.

I never call people gay, Idk it doesnt seem right. What if they are? It's as if you're saying they're a crime against humanity for being "gay", and they actually are gay so they're proving your point.

I haven't heard it recently though, surprisingly, so I don't think about it. I do think that it offends boys much more than girls though for the simple reason that being "gay" leaves that stereotype on them that they may dislike because loads of 12 year olds try their best to act as macho as possible. *is not ageist*
 

twocows

The not-so-black cat of ill omen
4,307
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If some people are legitimately offended by something like that, those people need to grow some thicker skin. People who say stuff like "that's so gay" as an insult probably don't mean anything by it. You want malicious intent, look at WBC. Now there's something to be offended by.

Demonizing people for saying something dumb when it's obvious they didn't mean anything by it is just giving yourself an ego trip. I call it "being a self-righteous jerk."
 

outfox

in
459
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11
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  • Seen Feb 25, 2013
I do avoid using words that carry a lot of baggage, like "f****t" or the "n" word, but I don't believe any word is inherently harmful. We attach hateful connotations if we want to.
 

Kanto_Johto

Never glimpse the truth
818
Posts
14
Years
I don't find it offensive, and I'm guilty of using it myself IRL. I try not to but it just slips out. Nobody has ever been offended by me saying it though, which is good. Online I never use it though.
 

Star-Lord

withdrawl .
715
Posts
15
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I think if gay people use it as word reclaiming it's fine (Just like some do with the word ******) but straight people shouldn't really be saying it because they don't know the true impact of what they're saying.

I really think it's that simple. It's shown to hurt kids so you should grow up and stop using it.
 
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'Dumb' originally only referred to as another word for mute, or people who could not speak. So really it's a very similar situation, where a derogatory term for a minority has become the norm and gained a new definition.
What this guy said. I find it insulting, but only when I'm called gay. I'm personally an advocate of sending all the homosexuals to Triton.
 
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  • Age 29
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I use "gay" as a substitute for "lame" or "stupid" around people I know who don't mind, but the number of times I actually use the word isn't very high to begin with, and I never use it to describe a person.

I also have a few IRL friends who happen to be truly gay and use the word themselves in that sense. It all depends on the person. You may or may not offend someone, so always be careful.
 
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It's pretty gay to be offended by the word gay.

If some people are legitimately offended by something like that, those people need to grow some thicker skin. People who say stuff like "that's so gay" as an insult probably don't mean anything by it. You want malicious intent, look at WBC. Now there's something to be offended by.

Demonizing people for saying something dumb when it's obvious they didn't mean anything by it is just giving yourself an ego trip. I call it "being a self-righteous jerk."

I do avoid using words that carry a lot of baggage, like "f****t" or the "n" word, but I don't believe any word is inherently harmful. We attach hateful connotations if we want to.
This is exactly how I feel about it. I think it's society's fault for having developed the word used in that way to be interpreted this way, and thus people attach hateful connotations with the word no matter which way it's used. I also believe that people who are actually insulted by someone calling something gay in the stupid sense should grow some thicker skin, as twocows said. I'm not an insensitive person, and I understand that somethings are sensitive to other people, but I generally hold the belief that there are more important things to focus concerns like that on than someone's language.
 
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