• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

"Gay" as a slur should be treated like any other slur.

Status
Not open for further replies.

I think the term or word gay ought to go back to its original meaning of happy. It was hijacked to mean what it does today and to those who use the word gay other than to mean it original meaning of happy should be treated just like a hijacker of a car would be today.
 

The chances of me yelling out "I'm so gay" when I'm feeling happy are slim to none.
 
ChrisL said:
The chances of me yelling out "I'm so gay" when I'm feeling happy are slim to none.
Click to expand...

Today yes, but back in the 50's and 60's when the word gay wasn't associated with homosexuals, you just might. I can remember adults when seeing a child playing and smiling saying, "He's such a gay child." Meaning a happy child. How in the world gay became associated with homosexuals is beyond me.
 

Sorry, but :lamo
 
ChrisL said:
The chances of me yelling out "I'm so gay" when I'm feeling happy are slim to none.
Click to expand...

That is because you didn't grow up when the word gay was not associated with homosexuality. When I was a child, the two were not associated at all. Back then, gay people were typically called queer, and gay meant happy or light-hearted.
 
lizzie said:
That is because you didn't grow up when the word gay was not associated with homosexuality. When I was a child, the two were not associated at all. Back then, gay people were typically called queer, and gay meant happy or light-hearted.
Click to expand...

I don't believe that definition for gay has existed since I've been alive though.
 
Well, I knew it means happy too, but people just don't use it in that context anymore. Pardon my immaturity, but "he is such a gay child" is funny. :lol:
 
scatt said:
Using "christian" as a synonym for "stupid/dumb/bad/weak/etc" should be treated like any other slur on the forum, with appropriate points and infractions awarded.
Click to expand...

Give an example of this on the forum.
 
winston53660 said:
that's their their problem
Click to expand...

We can't all live in an imaginary world where nigger means friend and fag means cigarette. Here on planet earth, words have meaning beyond ones personal bubble of interpretation/perspective.

Gay as a pejorative is the same thing (see title: slur).
 
Last edited:
ChrisL said:
Sorry, but :lamo
Click to expand...

I understand. But to you the word gay has probably always been associated with homosexuals. Not so with me, for at least the first 20 years of my life the word meant happy. Hence my statement that the word gay had been hijacked and transferred into another meaning that it didn't originally have.

Have a very Gay New Year guy!
 
IMO gay simply doesn't qualify in general, of all the gay people i know which is many (this happens when your best friend is a lesbian) only ONE is bothered by the term in general ways and they all use the term themselves in a general use that has nothing to do with gay/sexuality.

but thats just my two cents


but i will say theres few things more funny ten a gay girl calling a shirt of a hetero guy gay lol for some reason it just has extra punch to it lol

Also as far as terms being offensive its very subjective and there has to be logic behind it, there is conscience at hand but there has to be LOGIC and or FACTS behind it.

It was many many years ago now but i didn't know oriental could be offensive until i was 24. and i felt bad and immediately asked why, i wanted to know the logic and then learned oriental is a culture not a race etc. I felt pretty silly and pretty bad, at that age just simply didn't have access to info like now.

But other things, i know two people that think "black" is offensive no matter how its used if its describing a person, there's no logic to support that IMO. Same thing with ZEF, thats another moronic one that has no justification. t least black in the dictionary has negative definitions but still thats too thin for me to buy ZEF has nothing.


Most importantly though like others have said words only have as much power as we give them.
 
I hate when people want to ban words! It's annoying. What's the difference between banning words and banning books or banning any other kind of free speech eco?
 
ChrisL said:
I hate when people want to ban words! It's annoying. What's the difference between banning words and banning books or banning any other kind of free speech eco?
Click to expand...

There are two schools of thought in regard to slurs/pejoratives:

1. Ban it.
2. Make it your own and change it.

If 2. is not an option (for example, I'm not black), then personally I go with option 1.

Let's again note, this is not about other people. This is about oneself.
 
ChrisL said:
Well, I knew it means happy too, but people just don't use it in that context anymore. Pardon my immaturity, but "he is such a gay child" is funny. :lol:
Click to expand...

Not a problem. I still wonder how the correct meaning of gay got stolen.
 
ChrisL said:
I hate when people want to ban words! It's annoying. What's the difference between banning words and banning books or banning any other kind of free speech eco?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the world of PC.
 

Lame. Party pooper.
 
scatt said:
Using "christian" as a synonym for "stupid/dumb/bad/weak/etc" should be treated like any other slur on the forum, with appropriate points and infractions awarded.
Click to expand...

Yes, let's just go nutty with banning stuff. :roll: Make this place REAL fun and interesting.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…