What's the deal with calling things "gay"?

[Brian the Automator]

So over the past few days we've had people get strikes for calling things "gay". I'm not sure if this is ignorance or what, but associating a situation/object you don't like with being a homosexual is bigotry. I know that probably since grade school the term has been ingrained in people, but it really needs to stop, and we won't tolerate it there.

 

Thanks for your understanding.

[Katuluu]

*I saw Brian make a spinach dip in a loaf of sourdough bread once.

 

But I'd agree that most people have used the term since grade school and it will just be a matter of people making sure to proof read their posts before they reply. I know I'm just as guilty as anyone else here of getting heated or flippant about certain subjects, but April is as good a time as any to get into the habit of of giving your post a quick once over.

 

 

 

 

 

*I too have made a spinach dip in a loaf of sourdough bread. Not that their is anything wrong with that.

[homer]

I would think '%$%$*!#%' probably falls in the same category.

[1992casey]

I'm betting you said "retarded," which has been in the cuss filter for a couple of years. If that word were used in the chat room (which isn't currently filtered), it would certainly be a strike.

[homer]

Yes, that's what I used. Didn't realize it was filtered. Thanks.

[TooLiveBrew]

Was my post deleted? Sorry if it bothered anyone or was obnoxious. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif

[dadofandrew]

Re-tarded is banned? I never would have guessed that. I believe moron and another common word (idiot?) are technically clinical terms used to describe low IQ's, so I would think those would also be banned.

 

I pretty much would have to agree with Elaine's feelings on fur...it's tough to muster the energy to be angry about it.

[Team Canada]

Al, when someone uses "moron" or "idiot" they mean something very different than "******". And while it's nice that you don't have the energy to care, there's a pretty strong consensus among people that have personal experience through family or jobs that "********" is offensive and demeaning, and that's what counts.

[PeaveyFury]

I think the main thing is that the banned word is really in a position where no use of it here is going to be appropriate in any context.

[mothershipconnection]

I believe moron and another common word (idiot?) are technically clinical terms used to describe low IQ's, so I would think those would also be banned.

 

Those terms are no longer of technical usage. The clinical term today is "patient with mental retardation". re-tard, idiot, and moron are strictly used as pejorative today.

[dadofandrew]

Well, that sure doesn't flow off the tongue MS.

[BrewCrewForever]

Brian I to often wondered why calling things "gay" became so popular. I will admit I have said it before, but realized it was bigoted and wrong. I know a few gay people and knew that saying that was insulting them and that aint right.

[Thurston Fluff]

I know why that word can't be used but I never really thought of it used in that context as derogatory to anyone. I always felt that was a word that has several meanings. Only one of which was "dumb or silly," which to me has nothing to do with the other meaning. Just never really connected the two to be honest.

[dadofandrew]

It did all but make a Xmas carol obsolete.

[mothershipconnection]

I know why that word can't be used but I never really thought of it used in that context as derogatory to anyone. I always felt that was a word that has several meanings.

 

It's the problem we always face in needing to keep up with the people who use terms as pejorative. Just look at this history of words used to describe the cognitively disabled, as discussed above. Initially, certain terms have no ill-will attached to them and are simply a label. Then people find ways to use them as an insult, and we have to change our terminology to differentiate ourselves from those who use the term to mean something bad. Many derogatory terms were once innocent, but then became insulting. "Negro", for example, was once a term that had far more dignity and respect attached to it when compared to the other term people used to express hatred. Then that term itself was used in a disrespectful way, and for us decent people to differentiate ourselves, we switched to using African-American. What is respectful at one point will eventually become pejorative. We'll one day look back at the current era with disbelief that we ever used the term "handicapped". It's inconvenient for those who mean absolutely no harm, but jerks will always "ruin" our vocabulary and out of respect we need to change the words we use.

[RightFieldCoder]

Combining information from Merriam-Webster and Dictionary websites:

 

Gay started to be used in the 14th Century. It had no correlation to homosexuality at the time. It did have some sexual connotation, but it was used for "improper" social people and places. (prostitute, womanizer, brothel, etc) The homosexual connotation is not recognized until 1953 by M-W. However it appears the word started to migrate in that direction starting in the 1830s.

 

@#$@# dates back to 1508. It means "different, odd", "bad, worthless, counterfeit", "to spoil or ruin", "mentally unbalanced". Again, it didn't become associated with homosexuality until 1922.

 

People started using these two words towards homosexuals and only in the past hundred years do people start associating homosexuality to those words. Some of us still use the original meanings (I always liked the word @#$@# when used in a proper sense), but now it is taken away. It's sad that we're losing our short words and turning German (African-Americans, People with Disabilities, The Los Angelos Angles of Aneheim California near Mountains and the Pacific Ocean). Why make a new word when you can cram together 15 other words?

[nullbyte]

Just so I can keep calling people poopyheads, I'll be happy.

 

BTW, was that censored word in Robin19's post "q-u-e-e-r"?

[Big Reed]

I don't see what the problem is. You can make any word a swear word if you want to and vice versa.

 

I'm white and nerdy and proud of it and headed to a Wierd Al concert at the Illinois State fair this Summer. You can come down to Beardstown to see me mowing my front yard and riding my segway. Look at me, I' m white and nerdy. I know how to use a slide rule and was President of the my High School math Club too. My wife said I used to look exactly like the guy in the video. if someone were to call me white or a nerd or a geek or smart, I'd consider it a compliment. I win basketball, football and baseball fantasy games not because of my knowledge of the games, but rather my knowledge of stats. However, if I were to use the words geek or nerd to describe a jock, they may feel offended. I think it would absolutely hilarious if 5 people went up to their high school starting defensive lineman or QB and called him a nerd to his face.

 

in 1959, which was several years after I was born, a woman was heard saying in a song from West Side Story, I feel pretty, oh so pretty, oh so pretty and witty and guay. etc. etc. The true meaning of her song was that she was in love with a great guy who dies later in the movie. She's happy.

 

I think part of the problem here is a lack of understanding. People are going overboard trying not to offend other people. When was the last time any of you actually had a conversation with a crossdreser or with a female who prefers females? or with a guy who prefers guys? while you may think you are offending them by using the guay word, they are not offended at all.

 

is an athlete offended when people call him a jock? In my world and with my friends, that means somebody who's really stupid , selfish, and a bully who has no idea what life is like in the world outside of sports and he just expects us geeks and nerds to do his stuff for him. it's ok for him to disobey the rules because he knows because he's a jock, he'll get away with them. Jocks don't worry about DUI's (Carmelo Anthony ), shoe deals ( UW football and basketball players) adultry (Clemens) lieing to congress (Bonds) going 80 in a posted 65 MPH highway. Drinking beer before they are 21 (frat parties).

 

I think the problem is not the word "guay" itself, but society. many people here are more offended by the mere act of guys liking and going out with each other than using or hearing the Guay word. I'm personally more offended by people who drink, swear and smoke than I am by Guay people. In the Air force, my best soldiers were of the Guay persuasion. Some high ranking General / President /Congress got nervous and I lost 10 of my best airmen. They were kicked out of the air force just because of their sexual pursuasion. The guy who got drunk and would beat his wife every other week was considered to be a model airman.

 

The guay community is not offended by being called guay. So why should society or brewerfan think it's a bad word? It's not! perhaps some of you need a guay awareness class to realize how out of touch you really are. perhaps some of you need a guay friend to realize how uninformed you truly are. As a boy who grew up in lilly white Wisconsin towns such as Janesville, I got a true education when I started hanging out with Blacks and Hispanics in college and in the military. It's amazing the things you can learn about Blacks by moving and living in places like Macon GA and Montgomery, AL. it's amazing how much bigotry still exists. it's amazing how much you can learn about somebody from a different culture by just being honest and hanging out with them. it's also amazing how much you can learn about the guay population of your community by hanging out with them. they are for the most part very intelligent and funny. A guay person has the same odds of trying to hit on you as a Methodist would trying to convert a baptist.

 

our society lives off people's fears. if a fear doesn't exist, our society creates one. Billy Joel's song Lenningrad offers a true picture of what Russia and its people are all about. Elton John was knighted by the English Parliment. His songs are some of the best songs in the world. The same applies to Barri Manilo and Michael Jackson. Rather than looking at the person and saying YUCK_ look and listen to their musical accomplishments. Michael Jackson is a true musical genius. Rosie O'Donnel and Ellen Degenerious are actually very funny. Is Robin Williams guay? I don't really care. I know him as one of the most brilliant actors of our time - right up there with ET, Chewbacca, C3Pio, and Hannah Montanna .

 

I don't need to call somebody Guay if i want to dis them or cut them down. there are so many other words I could use to fulfill the same purpose and the person would usually never realize I was dissing him or her. If I called you a fan of TLC, am I dissing you or complimenting you? I doubt half the people here know what TLC I'm referring to. it's not tender loving care. it's the other one. if you felt dissed, then you probably were.

 

I think sites like this have too many word filters. I find a lot of the posts here ignorant and offensive. however , they made it through the word censors. I find pictures of animals used to describe posts and posters very offfensive - a lot more then being called guay. I didn'tt like my son being depicted as some leper monkey. That image and the person who posted it are as fresh in my memory as if they were posted today. he thought he was just being funny. I didn't. I also get more offended by people saying I forgot to take my medication than being called guay or a nerd.

 

people should not be given strikes for calling or refering to something as guay. Jock is also a 4 letter word and has equally as many offensive connotations and meanings.

[brewers19]

I have absolutely no idea what the majority of your post is talking about or how it's relevant, Reed, but I'm pretty sure it's missing the point. We're taking issue with people using the word in a negative and derogatory way, that's all.

[Big Reed]

brewers19 - my point exactly. You have no clue what I said , do you? You must be a jock! Did I just offend you by calling you a jock? if so, then that was my intention. if not, and you weren't offended, then calling something or someone gay is not offensive either.

 

i personally would hate being called a jock. But some people enjoy being called one.

 

rather than calling something gay, I think from now on , I'll just start calling things jockish.

 

that is so Jockish.

that is so cheeseheadish.

 

I recall a great phrase created several years ago- "Putting on Your brewers goggles" . it meant basically people being way too optimistic about the brewers and not being objective. it got its origins from the phrase people wearing rose tinted glasses.

 

or maybe I should say that is so redneck.

 

they all mean the exact same thing. it just depends on your circle of friends

 

think of a girl saying "Shut UP! What's the true meaning of that phrase? it depends on the person and the context of the situation.

 

or the phrase- that is to die for. I doubt they are talking about how great the coffin looks.

 

I can't see the problem with calling something gay. The real problem I have is if a person like myself calls something gay, others will think I'm talking about something in a derogatory manner and the exact oppisite would be true. To me the word of gay is not a derogatory or offensive word, and it should not be censored.

[brewers19]

I'm not going to play this game of semantics with you. The vast majority of English speakers this side of the 19th century understand that when it is not being used as a synonym for homosexual, it's largely derogatory and negative. Our site guidelines address this, and they're not going to be amended because of a subset of people with a non-mainstream definition of the word.

[mothershipconnection]

The guay community is not offended by being called guay. So why should society or brewerfan think it's a bad word? It's not!

 

Yeah, the whole point to you seems like a slider in the dirt to Jenkins. The issue is not the word "gay", it's saying "something sucks and I don't like it" but using "gay' instead. I obviously have no problem with the term "white guy" but if "white guy" became the term for "child molester", I'd prefer the term not be used.

[Team Canada]

It must be almost lemur time.

[logan82]

The problem as I see it is when gay is used the usage is pretty much gay=lame. When it gets used that way anybody using it is basically saying that gay people are lame, regardless of the intent involved. I used gay for a long time without thinking about it or meaning any harm.

[dadofandrew]

Reed's point, if you can see it among the tangents, is accurate...Larry the Cable Guy was called racist on here by many, and I've never seen or heard him say anything remotely racist. Many are extremely politically correct, so much so it's laughable. However, Brian probably errs on the side of caution. He can do what he wants. He can pull the site tomorrow, he can spend the money he makes here on illegal drugs (I doubt he does, but he could).

 

I have seen things written by mods that were very condescending, once even in a warning about being condescending. That said, nobody has to be here. If you don't like it, the web is a large rec room. Enjoy it.