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Thats so gay!

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Everywhere I go I hear the comments 'thats so gay' Or...'You look so gay like that' Followed by 'My phones being gay' Then the comments of other people..'don't use Gay as a detrogative word' (can't spell..)

I wondered what you all thought of it...Is it just a bit of banter? or do you feel highly about it being wrong...Or so-so.....

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It shouldn't really matter whether it is just a bit of banter or not to be honest. It is saddening that the use of the word "gay" as an insult has come into such common usage to almost seem to be just banter.
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    IMHO we need to think of meanings, not words. Meanings are totally abstract concepts we have in our minds, words are ways to convey those meanings based on pre-agreed conventions.

    If the person who says "That's so gay" is thinking the word "gay" having the same meaning as the one we assign to the word "homosexual" then it is offensive.

    I suspect however that for many (if not most) people who use expressions like that, the word "gay" in that context has a completely different meaning, the one we usually assign to the word "lame" or "not to my liking" or something similar.
    In this case it's not offensive (except to whatever the phrase is referring to) but it is inconsiderate, since many people who hear the phrase will assume they intended the common meaning and as a result misunderstand the phrase as being offensive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It annoys me even more when gay people themselves use the term like that. Its like me referring to myself as a man hater rather than your average neighbourhood feminist. Part of it is possibly lack of vocabulary or bad habits sticking, or people just not connecting the dots in their head. Its understandable it someone said their phone was being gay if it was sneaking off to G-A-Y every saturday night and bringing home interesting people with better taste in dress and much better dance skills, but I have yet to come across such a phone or any other inanimate object.

    Sorry for the blatent use of stereotypes but to prove the point, its just weird!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    G-Raffe wrote: »
    It shouldn't really matter whether it is just a bit of banter or not to be honest. It is saddening that the use of the word "gay" as an insult has come into such common usage to almost seem to be just banter.

    This isn't a recent thing. When I was at primary school 25 years ago it was just as common, if not more so.

    Like Indrid Cold has said, before you get automatically offended about something, it's usually a good idea to clarify what the person means first (when I say person, I mean child/teenager as ive not heard it used by an adult). I doubt you'd find any venom or malice behind it, it is one of those things that people say without thinking. It doesn't mean it's acceptable, but trying to change 30+ years of the misuse of a word is like pissing in the wind.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No, it's not.

    Doesn't mean people are saying it to mock homosexuality, though to be fair that's probably how it arose. Whowhere is right, I was in primary school in the late 80s also, and it was used commonly then, and the late 80s were an era most didn't approve of gays. I think the media simply are behind the times. :yes:

    I think nowadays it's just used to say something is shitty, but then I don't think now people use it to deride gays or homosexuality.
  • Annaarrr!!Annaarrr!! Posts: 876 Part of The Mix Family
    Dont find it offensive, dont think others should tbh. A lot of people who say it have no problems with homosexuals at all. As said before, bad habits sticking and that
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