Thread: Using the word "gay" and other derogatory language

Interesting fact: The word "gay" actually had a meaning pre-dating its definition as happiness, which was pretty much the opposite of its current meaning. It used to be used to describe heterosexuals who had a lot of sex/sexual partners. More commonly referred to today as a slut. So I guess.... nah, happiness is still pretty damn accurate in both cases.

Cheeses, we had that here too? Well, at least it looks like I won't have to deal with it now, anyway.

Good thing this has stopped here. Now I just wish everywhere else would put up some sort of rule like this.

Calling someone or something "gay" is truly an insult.

All they are asking is that you refrain from using the word "Gay" to describe something negative. I can see your point, about "growing a pair", because society is way to overly touchy about things now, race, sexuality, ect.

But, if I was homosexual, I wouldn't like people saying things are gay when they don't like something, because you are comparing homosexuality with negativity.

Originally Posted by Left_Brain

so lets say I have a gay friend on bmgf(i dont.) and I talk to him about something, but I just happen to use the word gay. does that mean that i'm breaking the rules? c'mon! that's just stupid.

Nope it wouldn't be breaking any rules, because you wouldn't be associating the word "gay" with something bad in that scenario.

I would like to thank the staff for introducing this guideline. It's always saddened me when people use the word "gay" as a pejorative, to describe something bad, wrong or stupid. I've always tried to encourage people not to use certain words, the word "gay" being one of them, in a derogatory manner, because I feel it's unfair to do so. Do we want gay people to relate themselves to a word, used in such a way? A tolerant community certainly shouldn't be approving of that.

Thank you in the name of every gay person and the people who support them.

It's sad how that word became an insult.

Any word, such as Gay, shouldn't even be said to anyones face, whether it be here or in real life. Its just disrespectfull! Its..wrong!

This rules genius, and the guys arguing with it aren't even giving valid exuses.

I'm 11 and I understand that. -_-;

Why was I told that "policing" this behavior would be unfeasible and a waste of time when I brought it up when I was staff?

Because it took us a long while to figure out a solution that was more-or-less acceptable to both people who didn't want us banning language, and those who wanted us banning misuse of gay.

This is a good idea, next best thing to actually banning it.
The bisexuals and homosexuals here are just as much people as hetrosexuals.

Wow, the trolls need to reread the rules, if they want a chance at being successful. The word 'gay' is only infractable if you don't stop after someone asks you to.

While on a personal level I ultimately do not care (personal as in regarding myself as a lesbian, not that I don't care about the issue), I can see how that use of the word is really that bad.
It has been explained before, but basically it is blatantly saying that gay = bad. I hear people saying they don't mean it in "such a way", but I don't know what they mean with "such a way"-- That they aren't saying the item is homosexual? Well obviously. That isn't the problem. The problem is saying it to equate bad. Which merely reinforces it being bad. It's not that saying it is offensive, it's it replacing bad what's offensive.

To put it in perspective (and excuse the language): To say that something is shit is because shit is obviously a bad and unwanted thing. Saying that something is gay "and not in such a way" simply follows the same logic. And while you probably don't support that or don't even think about it, it reinforces that statment and the overall homophobia society has grown to.

Maybe this'll knock some sense into the obliviants. Although, I know a homosexual who uses 'gay' to mean 'bad' all the time, but if it offends other people, it must be stopped.

'gay' meaning 'happy' ftw

Originally Posted by Infinity Mk-II

It has been explained before, but basically it is blatantly saying that gay = bad. I hear people saying they don't mean it in "such a way", but I don't know what they mean with "such a way"-- That they aren't saying the item is homosexual? Well obviously. That isn't the problem. The problem is saying it to equate bad. Which merely reinforces it being bad. It's not that saying it is offensive, it's it replacing bad what's offensive.

Most people's argument towards using 'gay' in that context is that it's being used as a different word entirely. Similar to live, which has quite a few different meanings. "The TV programme is live", "He likes to live", "That wire is live". Different contexts give it different meaning.

However, most people's counter to that is that although it's now being taken to have a different meaning, its origin is probably that it did start as meaning gay is bad, because homosexual is bad.

I probably haven't put that clearly... but yeah.

People, it's a word. If you're offended then you take life too seriously.