Is gay okay?

Cactus Col · 2006-06-06 11:44:16

If a knacker is a scumbag, and not a member of the travelling community, is it okay to call something that's crap gay? i.e. that shirt is a bit gay (essentially meaning it's lame).

06-06-2006 11:44AM

#1

Cactus Col

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If a knacker is a scumbag, and not a member of the travelling community, is it okay to call something that's crap gay?

i.e. that shirt is a bit gay (essentially meaning it's lame).

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#2 06-06-2006 11:46AM

RainbowBrite

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Well, I call every stupid idiot I see a nob, so what does that say about me????

(With regards to your comment, I wouldn't think anything negative of it, but I suppose I should!!! Just like praising someone for being a really hard worker & saying "they work like a black")
Probably shouldn't say it...

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#3 06-06-2006 11:58AM

Fanny Cradock

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yeah, you probably shouldn't.

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#4 06-06-2006 12:07PM

Charm Offensive

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RainbowBrite wrote:

Just like praising someone for being a really hard worker & saying "they work like a black"

Jesus christ.

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#5 06-06-2006 12:08PM

qz

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I used to say it far more when I was younger. And "gaybo" too was a good one. Don't say it much anymore though for some reason.

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#6 06-06-2006 12:10PM

Oriel

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Sweat like a n!gger would be more usual.

/edit which I would never NEVER use...:rolleyes:

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#7 06-06-2006 12:11PM

iFight

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RainbowBrite wrote:

"they work like a black")
Probably shouldn't say it...

Never heard that before

And i wouldnt say that saying that something is 'gay' is that bad, itd hardly offend someone who is gay, is that even a proper term?

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#8 06-06-2006 12:16PM

humbert

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there are a few similar phrases we irish use that we'll need to discard because they mean one think to us which is harmless but some thing else entirely to many of the people coming into our country:o

tbh the only reason I wouldn't use gay as a derogatory adjective is because there are better words out there, I don't think many gay people would be sufficiently sensitive to take offence but I could be wrong.

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#9 06-06-2006 12:21PM

Terry

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Cactus Col wrote:

If a knacker is a scumbag, and not a member of the travelling community, is it okay to call something that's crap gay?

like this thread?

i.e. that shirt is a bit gay (essentially meaning it's lame).

doesn't "gay" mean happy?

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#10 06-06-2006 12:22PM

layke

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Did you ever play an online game? Gay is the most used word I have ever seen.

"Your Gay" "Thats Gay"

It generally means thats bad. But it's strangely kept separate from Homosexual gay, like a lot of people say it without thinking. I know I used to say it frequently around my gay mates when I was younger, they didn't mind or see it in a malicious way. Eye of the beholder I guess.

Besides, everyone here is gay.

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#11 06-06-2006 12:22PM

WhiteWashMan

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probably a topic you should start in humanities if youre looking for a serious answer

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#12 06-06-2006 12:24PM

azezil

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I wouldn't take offence if it was said, just find it amusing that a word meaning 'happy and care-free' is used in a negitive sense

Back in my CS playing days I used to call everyone who killed me a "FAG!", always said while laughing thou

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#13 06-06-2006 12:24PM

speedy21

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maybe if you're 8?

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#14 06-06-2006 12:26PM

Vinnie69

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humbert wrote:

there are a few similar phrases we irish use that we'll need to discard because they mean one think to us which is harmless but some thing else entirely to many of the people coming into our country:o

tbh the only reason I wouldn't use gay as a derogatory adjective is because there are better words out there, I don't think many gay people would be sufficiently sensitive to take offence but I could be wrong.

I take great offence at your remarks!

If anyone asks me if I am gay, I reply "Of course NOT, I am Queer!!" Usual does the business!

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#15 06-06-2006 12:31PM

humbert

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Vinnie69 wrote:

I take great offence at your remarks!

If anyone asks me if I am gay, I reply "Of course NOT, I am Queer!!" Usual does the business!

Are you being serious, I would have though queer has far worse connotations?

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#16 06-06-2006 12:46PM

Vinnie69

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humbert wrote:

Are you being serious, I would have though queer has far worse connotations?

I am not! I do it if people feel uncomfortable asking, it is a ice-breaker. I agree nowadays people use the "gay" as expressing something as "old hat", "bad taste" or "passe" and not referring to someone's sexuality. Confusing or what?

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#17 06-06-2006 01:00PM

bonkey

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Cactus Col wrote:

If a knacker is a scumbag, and not a member of the travelling community, is it okay to call something that's crap gay?

No.

In the former case, you're talking about a term which has become derogatory, and then been expanded in its application to be derogatory in a more general (as opposed to a more directed) fashion. In other words, knacker most recent etymology would be that it went from being a derogative term for member of travelling community to being a deroative term in general. Personally, I don't think its acceptable in either useage, but thats a seperate issue.

Continuing the reasoning....the only way the word "gay" would be acceptable as a generic descrioption of something thats crap would be if it was expanded from a specific description of something thas crap. In other words, if "gay" went from being a derogative term for homosexuals to being a generic derogative, then your reasoning might hold up. But thats not whats happened, so I'll finish where I started.

No.

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#18 06-06-2006 01:04PM

biko

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AFAIK Gay doesn't mean lame or crap, at least I never heard it in this sense.

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#19 06-06-2006 01:14PM

r3nu4l

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Yep, in England a lot of teenage kids are using the word 'gay' to mean cr*p or stupid.

Personally I think it sounds really stupid to say 'That (insert noun here) is gay'. It has no real meaning and yes gamers are using it quite a lot. I remember in a MMORPG I was playing, someone told me that the sword I was using was 'gay'. Took me a while to figure out he meant that the sword wasn't very good

Swearing in general is just a really easy and lazy way to express displeasure or dislike at something. It's easy for those with poor linguistic skills.

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#20 06-06-2006 01:18PM

RainbowBrite

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RainbowBrite wrote:

Just like praising someone for being a really hard worker & saying "they work like a black")

BTW, I don't actually use this phrase, nor have I ever, it's just something I hear being said quite often, & it is one to cause offence, I think

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#21 06-06-2006 01:22PM

r3nu4l

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I don't use these either but there is also the...

"What, am I black?" when you are left out of something.
"You scabby Jew" to someone who won't share something with you.
I remember saying these in the playground at primary school and not really having any comprehension of how wrong they were :rolleyes:

I think the 'that's gay' thing is offensive but probably not quite as offensive as those.

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#22 06-06-2006 01:31PM

mang87

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I call people actualy homosexuals homos, morons fags, and anything that is crap is gay or hax

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#23 06-06-2006 02:16PM

Vinnie69

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mang87 wrote:

I call people actualy homosexuals homos, morons fags, and anything that is crap is gay or hax

Ohhh!! that is soo straight!!:D

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#24 06-06-2006 02:23PM

ateam

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Although kids say "gay" to mean uncool or whatever, it doesn't make it ok. You don't see gay people saying "god that's straight".

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#25 06-06-2006 02:27PM

Oriel

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It's meant to mean inferior... which some people think gay peope are.

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#26 06-06-2006 02:34PM

humbert

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I would have assumed it came from an ignorant adolescent homophobia and a consequential negative association with the word.

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#27 06-06-2006 02:46PM

Nevyn

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This topic came up a while back in the LGB forum
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054924936

I don't agree with terms of reference to a persons gender or sexuality being use as a term that degrades a person, item or an activity.

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#28 06-06-2006 02:46PM

Giblet

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I call people faggots all the time, I'm not thinking they're gay or calling them gay, I don't even put those together. It's just another slagging.

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#29 06-06-2006 03:40PM

Cactus Col

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Now ... the reason I asked was because of a complaint put into the BBC about the Chris Moyles show. He refered to a ringtone as being gay. The BBC Commissioners dismissed the complaint, saying that the "use of the word "gay" to mean "lame" or "rubbish" was widespread among young people "

I've no problem in using the word in the context of something being crap, but I was wondering if I was just being maybe not p.c. enough.

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#30 06-06-2006 04:04PM

Emmo

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No its offensive and it brings negative connetations to a word already used in a hateful way by some.

If something is **** then use the word ****, if its stupid use stupid.

If someone is gay then use it in a non offensive capacity to describe their sexuality.

Emmo

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#31 06-06-2006 04:13PM

Donegal Lass

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Emmo wrote:

No its offensive and it brings negative connetations to a word already used in a hateful way by some.

If something is **** then use the word ****, if its stupid use stupid.

If someone is gay then use it in a non offensive capacity to describe their sexuality.

Emmo

well said, I agree!

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