Question!

[12giraffes]

Alrighty, I have a question to put to the LGBT community in St Andrews:

When the word 'gay' is used to refer to something as a synonym for 'stupid', 'rubbish', etc, do you find it offensive or not?

I, for one, hate the use of 'gay' as meaning 'stupid', mainly due to the negative connotations that come with it.

Discuss!

[Dickie]

How gay a question...

Am nipping out for a fag now.

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http://facebook.com/p.php?id=37106107&l=217e435e0a

[12giraffes]

ha-flippin-ha

[Adam Fellows]

As I am used to hearing "gay" in place of stupid or rubbish, I tend not to notice it. I don't particularly like it, but it tends to pass over my head. I am currently in Manchester and, frankly, being called "gay" in a deriding sense is by no means the worst thing to be called.

What really infuriated me recently was attending a literary theory seminar and being told I was part of the "queer" subculture. I *hate* that word with a fiery passion, and to see members of the academic community use it so blithely makes me mad. Despite the fact the professor who used it is gay himself, I still feel there should be a better word for it. Queer is a word that never had positive connotations and trying to claim it as one of our own is just one step too far.

In other news, I saw my new favourite poster a few day's back. It's from Stonewall - "Some people are gay. Get over it!"

Love it.

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http://manchester.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100367

[maenad]

I think it comes down to personal preference ... 'gay' in a pejorative sense makes my blood boil. 'Queer' I'm fine with.

[hr]

Tommy can you hear me?

[Adam Fellows]

Quoting maenad from 22:00, 14th Mar 2008
I think it comes down to personal preference ... 'gay' in a pejorative sense makes my blood boil. 'Queer' I'm fine with.

I agree with that. Going out on the scene in Manchester lately is getting irritating, and I am pretty sure my hatred of the word queer is closely connected to the bar of the same name and its inhabitants...

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http://manchester.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100367

[12giraffes]

Yeah, ditto to that. Queer is a word I have no problem with. But when people use the word 'gay' to describe something they don't like, that just plain pisses me off.

[nutzdiemachtluke]

interesting. i find 'gay' used as a derogatory term relatively inoffensive compared to other potential slurs (and slurs i've heard in st andrews at that).

'queer theory' i find much more offensive and being told by xyz theorist that i 'occupy a queer space in a heteronormative world' really grinds my gears. maybe i didn't get the memo, but queer somehow jars on a whole other level of irritation.

am i alone in this?

[Adam Fellows]

Quoting nutzdiemachtluke from 21:03, 20th Mar 2008
interesting. i find 'gay' used as a derogatory term relatively inoffensive compared to other potential slurs (and slurs i've heard in st andrews at that).

'queer theory' i find much more offensive and being told by xyz theorist that i 'occupy a queer space in a heteronormative world' really grinds my gears. maybe i didn't get the memo, but queer somehow jars on a whole other level of irritation.

am i alone in this?

Nope, see my post above! Queer just has some type of connotation that I cannot get over.

In other news, I was on YouTube and saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPDl2g8Upvk

The song itself doesn't matter, but I feel the nephew / aunt interaction after 1m 30s will strike a chord...

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http://manchester.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100367

[nutzdiemachtluke]

i personally quite like the granny/mother interaction actually...why won't you die yet!

[name]

I really don't mind it. I even use it myself sometimes. I've spent my whole life using it and it's hard to break the habit of a life-time. I know some people get up in arms when someone uses it but that's life!!

[Chris]

Queer is more of an americanism I think. It is used to be inclusive of other groups of individuals not necessarily covered by L G B or T. Basically, those outside of mainstream sexuality. And so I think it's safe to assume that someone referring to 'queer theory' is certainly not trying to be offensive, where as someone calling you 'a *expletive* queer' is.

As for gay being used to mean rubbish/stupid, I can't stand it, and I make a point of correcting anyone that uses it.

[SimplyDimply]

Queer I don't mind, Gay used in a rubbish sense I say straight instead, but it's when I hear older people say "invert" that annoys me, they make it sound like a disease.