Oh, that's so GAY!

[Larigirl]

Thank you pettyluv!  
Griffin, you didn't need to freak out on me... i was just staing my opinion and i don't need you to tell me what i should and should not do!  and as for your analogy
<< Suppose we said "American" in place of "gay" or "faggot." Wouldn't that offend an American greatly to hear, everyday, all day, "What a stupid American..."? >>
that example doesn't really help to change my mind because wher i come from we say stuff like that all the time.  I'm Canadian and up here we often insult Americans but it's not cuz we hate them or anything..... my cousins are American and i down there all the time.  I love the US... we just say that stuff cuz it's funny.  it's just a TERM... same as when we say "gay".... TERM

[x n0ise]

Yeah, I say it once in a while.  I use it as in 'Ugh, this is gay.'  Just another word for stupid.  A double entandre(sp?).  I don't get offended by it.

[Cassiopeia]

I do agree with pettyluv in some ways.  When people use the word "gay" to mean "stupid", they are not implying that they hate gays.  It is just a term that has come to be synonymous with stupid.  I mean, "gay" has not always meant homosexual either.  If you look it up in an older dictionary, it will say that it means "blithe" or "happy".  A good example would be the word "cool" (like pettyluv said).  I mean, a hundred years ago (less even) if you said someone was a cool person, that would imply that they were mean and distant.  Obviously, that phrase means something completely different today.

[sunny.side.up]

Well, once again, just the fact that the term does offend homosexuals should be enough reason not to use it. All the other terms you used as examples, are not terms that offend people. That doesn't mean they make sense, they just don't offend anyone...

*sigh* I'm getting tired of this 'debate'...

~*Esther*~

[brown_eyed_rudie]

^ esther, you are right.

if you say something, and  you don't intend it to be offensive, that doesn't guarantee it isn't offensive .
one of my best friends is gay, and he really hates it when people use the word as an adjective for something that is NOT cool. He says, that in his mind he tries to convince himself that maybe when they said it they meant that it's gay as in cool or happy or whatnot, but since that never happens it's kind of a lost battle.
it's the same as saying something's retarded. just avoid the term. just because something's a TERM it doesn't mean it is okay to use it.
you shouldn't just stop using the term, you should be proactive and tell others that maybe they should stop using the term, and explain why. that's the only way this problem can be solved.
i'm not trying to preach here, i just want you to be aware of the consequences of your actions.

[pettyluv]

^^Maybe some people such as you find it offensive, but others do not.  If people do not care enough to stop saying that word, it is their right.  When someone someone says that something is "gay" they are mostly likely not reffering to a homosexual or even thinking of one.  Some such as I, see it as a mere term.

[x n0ise]

Well if my saying 'gay' does offend someone, then they should tell me because then I just won't use it around them.  Some words have different meanings, you know.  If someone was offended with me using the word 'cool' doesn't mean I would stop.  I mean, it's just another word.  It could be meant as 'stupid', 'happy', or 'homosexual'.  Gay wasn't always meant as homosexuality, you know.

[Michaelangelo]

Hey, sorry I spazzed on ya, Lari. We be chillin' now.
I won't go into this now 'cause I'm going to bed. Night y'all!
Love
~The Kitten~

[Larigirl]

Hey thanx griffin... i'm glad we got everything sorted out.
just one question ~ do you prefer to be called Griffin or Kitten?

[Michaelangelo]

Either is fine with me. Most of my friends call me Kitten, but Griff or Griffin works too. Anything but "Late To Dinner"! (Actually, I wish I could change my user name to "Kittenette," like I am on Bluberrian, but I'm too protective of my 96 posts. hehe.)
On the previous page, I KNOW I saw someone say something about "nigger" being just a term, too, but now I can't find it. Grraaarrrr! But I want to agree. Of course, I could use the word "nigger" to imply stupidity or ugliness or whatever...and how many of you would agree that I was being completely disrespectful, racist, and deserving of a beating? I sure as hell would. I don't like it when *black* people say it, you know? But that's a different story. I can't find all the quotes I wanted to agree with. *grumbles under her breath*
Love,
~The Kitten~

[popcorn]

Its really quite simple:

people use gay to refer to something that is BAD

since "gay" refers to someone is homosexual, by using it you also acknowledge that any1 who is homosexual is bad

do you believe that? You shouldn't. ppl are different. accept it.

Just becasue the word is commonly used doesn't mean its good either. Kittenette has the best example: "n*gger" It refers to a specific group of people by a characteristic of theirs "n*gger from negro from spanish (or latin??) for Black" The odd thing is that even African Americans use it -- spelled sometimes nigga which some think is an excuse to use it. For gays, most are offended by its use so why should we accept it? In the 19th century, Southerners often refered to anyone black as a "n*gger" -- it was a common term. Because of its horrible connotation, people stopped using it. You ppl need to realize that it is being used in a way that can easily hurt some one and you should stop using it.

Just because you don't mean to offend some one doesn't mean you won't.
Therefore, if someone tells you you're being offensive TRY TO STOP instead of saying, <<I didn't mean to therefore it isn't>>

[amtrack]

I think most of the time ppl say the words: "fag" "gay" and "homo" as words that mean stupid, and bad.  Just like popcorn said up there. But most of the time, people really dont have anything against gays or homos, i mean, it is mostly accepted by open minded people.  And sometimes ppl just think it sounds better than "that's soo stupid" and say "that's so gay" instead.  i dont know.  I say that sometimes, but only to one or two ppl who i know wont be offended.
-^mon_key

[sunny.side.up]

^ Then if they really are openminded and don't have anything against homosexuals, why would they say something that would for obvious reasons offend them?

~*Esther*~

[popcorn]

open-minded as in stupid or openminded as in considering everything?  

As far as I know any1 'openminded' = all-considering, usually doesn't use gay as a replacement for stupid

By using gay, you really only show off the fact that you have a limited vocabulary. Horray! I can't find a better word. Look at me! Even stupid sounds better to me. Just say "I don't like that shirt"
Usually people use gay/stupid when they really don't know y they dislike something. If you want a reason, say "Its not ur style" or just say u dunno why, etc.

Like Kittenette, I always criticize ppl when they say something is "gay."
The funny thing is that I mainly hear "that's so gay" from my gay friends making comments about what they said or teasing each other (Charles is out Kittenette... ask him   )
However[/b], they don't mean "stupid", they mean it literally (ie. they're talking about sex)

I see that ppl who dislike homosexuality also have a tendancy to use it, but that's another topic..
Basically, I think most people don't even truly understand what it entails. (I certainly don't. I know what I hear from being in NYC *alot* and from my gay friends.)

Seriously, I do have a question, could some1 PM me and explain y they're against homosexuality? Im str8, but I never understood [can understand] y ppl don't like it. Actually, if I was ever for some reason loved a guy, and the feeling was mutual, I couldn't see anything against it.
I wanna know y ppl are so against homosexuality...
If its "in the Bible" does any1 know where it is specifically?
(Don't post about y u don't like homosexuality, etc. That's 4 another board)

[Michaelangelo]

Heyyy, check dat coo' shiyat, yo. I be in his signature, yo. Whack-o! (And YES! The Ms. Brandriss quote...heh-heh-heh. I scribbled it down in my notebook, too.)
heh, I've known Charles was out since, like, last year. We actually almost went shopping for Jesus dildoes together today. *ponders* That would have been fun.
Love,
~The Kitten~